My first recollection of the Philippines was related to Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos. Not due to the alleged corruption of their administration and rule, but because of Mrs. Marcos’ collection of 3,000 pairs of shoes. Odd, I know. It was just this past year that a story was released that her famed 3,000 pair collection of designer shoes was destroyed due to flooding and termites. You see, after she was told to hit the road in exile from the country, she had to leave behind her walking shoes (and her dancing shoes, and dinner shows, etc.). Apparently the country didn’t see fit to memorialize the fruits of corruption of the former regime. But those shoes wouldn’t help us get to from Vietnam, our last stop in this Small World, to the Philippines anyways, as the South China Sea requires that we find a different mode of travel. Manila was originally referred to as Maynilad at the time of its inception, coming from the nilad plant which is a shrub-like marsh bush native to the area. It was eventually shortened to its modern-day name, and in 1975, under the dictatorship of Marcos, the contiguous cities abutting Manila became known as Metropolitan … testContinue reading →