Christmas Season in Cubao

Cubao's Giant Christmas Tree

I grew up in Cubao, in a street called New York, just across Harvard street. Up to now, I still have no idea why our streets in Cubao are named after American/English universities and cities. It has become a popular joke to tell people that I was born in New York and studied in Harvard, which, in a sense is true if one is to consider that both places are just in the vicinity of Cubao and not in the United States. We even have streets here called Stanford, Boston, West Point, Columbia, Purdue, Yale, Seattle, Connecticut (which we used to pronounce as kon-nek-ti-kat) , Notre Dame (which we use to pronounce as Notre Deym), and Cambridge.

Anyway, I was gallivanting in Cubao streets last night to photograph the happenings around this time of the year. In the past, a Cubao Christmas is always known for its free and wonderful "Christmas Mannequin Show" nright on the facade of the old C.O.D department store. But ever since the Rosario family leased C.O.D to Puregold Department Store, the mannequin show ceased to exist--to everyone's disappointment. But Jorge Araneta, owner of Araneta Center and Coliseum, has wonderfully made up for this lost attraction by making Cubao into a city of a million lights and lanterns during Christmas season. Araneta also set up the giant Christmas Tree near Farmer's Plaza, and the huge Belen in front of the Farmer's Market.

And so let me now share with you some of the Yuletide scenes I fancied to photograph last night as I walked through Cubao's familiar boulevards.

New Frontier Theater





The old bus terminal in front of Ali Mall


Christmas Bazaar





Bibingka seller





The giant belen in front of the Farmer's Market