AN OLD FACE OF R. HIDALGO?

I passed by R. Hidalgo Street yesterday and chanced upon the three-day inagural celebration of the newly renovated photography district of Manila. I was just going to pass by and get my prints but I stopped to watch to festivities.

My cap is off to John Chua for taking the inititative to revitalize the heartland of Philippine photography. But the road concretizations (?) and potted plants aside, Quiapo will always be Quiapo. According to Chua's plans, sidewalk vendors will be completely relocated to a nearby area and those vendors who are willing can become assistants to the local photographers frequenting Hidalgo.

Lo and behold, there still are vendors plying their wares along Hidalgo (although they are fewer now) and most of them converged along Plaza Miranda, which makes walking along Quiapo Church very uncomfortable. You can say whatever you want, plan whatever you want but you can't easily brush off sidewalk vendors like they were dust on your kitchen floor.

Problems like sidewalk vendors are very difficult to fix. It's like an endless cycle.