What to do in Manila this Holy Week – A PhilPay Feature

Holy Week in the Philippines is synonymous with leaving the city to visit loved ones throughout the country, but not all of us are fortunate enough to be able to leave. For the unlucky few, let PhilPay give you a rundown on our top eight inexpensive options that await you should you be stuck in the Metro as your countrymen and women travel far and wide to enjoy the Easter season outside of our capital.

 

Educate Yourselves

With a wealth of resources available today on the internet – in the form of tutorial videos and blogs – there is no longer any excuse for saying “I don’t know”. What’s the one thing that you have always had an interest in but have never gotten around to learning about? Maybe it’s a particular moment in history? What about if your favorite subject from high school was mathematics, but a lack of usage has left you a little rusty? Now is the time to take a few days and plunge head-first into becoming the ‘you’ that you’ve always aspired to be.

 

Be Creative

As above, there are almost limitless options here. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to take up painting, begin to learn how to play an instrument, or to decorate your home using simple crafts. Grab the gift of time with both hands and make the most of it, because it doesn’t come around all too often.

 

Spring Clean

As your social media feed has probably recently informed you – despite the fact that our tropical climate doesn’t really allow us to experience the season – it is now spring, so take some time to perform a mass-cleaning effort for your home – get into all the corners and under all the furniture and rid your living space from dust and dirt. Recycle any old magazines, clothes or appliances that you don’t use and which are doing nothing more than wasting valuable space. It’s time to rid yourself of sentiment and make room for your future.

 

Cook

It seems as though everyone is a foodie to some extent these days, so why not get into the kitchen and rustle up some culinary delights for you and your friends or family that have also been left behind in Manila? If you don’t have space at home you can always go for a picnic in one of the city’s (now deserted) parks and green areas, which will also provide you with the opportunity to walk amongst greenery and become one with nature – just make sure to pick up all of your trash!

 

Read

How many of us have a book that we’ve always wanted to read but have never gotten around to it? Unquestionably the vast majority of us! Add some culture to your life and become engrossed in a classic novel or a biography of one of your heroes, and it doesn’t matter if you can’t find the printed version, as virtually all books are now available in eBook format making for a quick and reasonably cheap download.

 

Have a Staycation

For a modest sum, you can book yourself into any number of hotels in Manila – often at lower than normal rates, given the nature of the Week – to enjoy some of life’s luxuries like spas, massages, and room service. There’s nothing quite like enjoying yourself and having someone else clean up the mess after you.

 

Catch-up on Work

It is certainly the least exciting option on our list, but it’s a very valuable opportunity should you decide to do so. You can finally write that report that your boss has been chasing you for, you can brainstorm ideas for the sales meeting to boost company revenues, or you can organize your files so that once the break is over you are regrouped and ready to get straight back into the action.

 

Visit any of Manila’s Magnificent Churches

Our capital proudly reserves the right to boast of some truly stunning churches, and it’s certainly the right time of year to be visiting any number of them – many of which can be done in just a few days with a simple tour on foot or by bicycle. Some of these churches include the Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church in Makati, the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros, Malate Church in Malate, and Sta. Ana Church in Sta. Ana, to name but a small few.

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JustPayroll Team