photo by Jon Mannion
Have a free day in Manila during your Philippine tour? The Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex is a massive 220 acre complex along Manila Bay and Roxas Boulevard that is the home to several prominent arts and cultural centers of Metro Manila - the National Theater, the Folk Arts Theater, the Manila Film Center, and the Coconut Palace, among others. There is plenty to see and exciting entertainment available for locals and tourists alike in the CCP Complex.
photo by Andy Maluche
National Theater - The Home of the Arts
The unofficial centerpiece of the complex is the Tanghalang Pambansa or National Theater. This beautifully designed building was created by architect Leandro Locsin. Its “floating volume” style is reminiscent of the nipa huts of indigenous Filipinos. The National Theater houses several venues, including the main theater, the little theater, and the black box theater, as well as several exhibit halls. The building also functions as the offices for the Cultural Center of the Philippines; a government committee established to preserve and promote arts and culture. There are many exciting performances in the National Theater, including symphonies, ballet, plays, and more.
photo by Paul Shaffner
Season of Excess - Imelda Marcos and the Coconut Palace
The Coconut Palace was built in 1978 for use as a government guest house by the infamous Imelda Marcos. It was offered to Pope John Paul II, but he refused to stay there after seeing the poverty of the Philippine people and deeming the house to be too “opulent.” And while he refused to stay there, Brooke Shields was apparently not put off by the magnificence. This one-of-a-kind house is shaped like an octagon and was built with actual coconut shells and an engineered coconut wood, Imelda Madera, aptly named after Imelda Marcos. The building has been used for weddings, and was the home of a former Vice President. The Marcos regime was known for its excess, and this palace is no exception, costing nearly $10 million dollars (or 37 million pesos in 1978) to build.
photo by Mike Gonzalez
Manila Film Center - A Haunted Past
During its construction in 1981, there was a terrible accident at the Manila Film Center where 169 workers fell, and at least 12 died and were buried with quick cement. Many believe that the buried workers were never retrieved and that the building was simply constructed on top of their bodies. The building has been used as the home of some film festivals, as well as a theater group, but mostly, its streak of bad luck has continued leading some to believe the building is haunted by the souls of those dead workers. The building had to be rehabilitated after a damaging earthquake hit Manila in 1990, and then a three-hour fire damaged the building in 2013. It was even the subject of a book and movie called “Tragic Theater” which deals with efforts to rid the building of trapped souls. Amateur ghost hunters will want to give this building a visit and see if they can find evidence of the “furious ghosts.”
Explore the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex and see plans for expansion and innovation, as well as an opportunity to experience art and culture (and maybe even ghosts!) before or after your Manila day tour with Uncharted Philippines. Discover the magic of the Philippines for yourself.