The National Photo Bomber of the Philippines

Pambansang Photobomb – That’s the epithet of the Filipinos for the new controversial condominium building in Manila, the Torre de Manila. “Photobomb” is, of course, how this selfie generation calls the act of interposing into a picture while someone is taking of oneself through a camera especially the cellphone’s. The building is owned by the DMCI Homes which is a real estate arm of DMCI Holdings, Inc. through its wholly owned subsidiary DMCI Project Developers, Inc..

The building is located near the Luneta Park in Roxas Boulevard, Manila which is one of the largest urban parks in the Asia. It has been a favorite leisure spot, and is hanged at on Sundays and national holidays. The structure of the Torre de Manila obstructs the prospect of the Rizal Shrine because it brews in the background against Rizal’s statue.

The people chasing damages include the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the National Parks Development Committee, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, and the Knights of Rizal, among others. They want the construction to stop straightaway. Even more than that, they want the building to be razed.

For me, the main point of building the Torre is apparently to bankroll on the Luneta being a pioneer tourist spot. It’s like the Eiffel Tower: You don’t visit Paris without visiting the Eiffel Tower. You don’t visit the Philippines without visiting the Luneta, home of the Rizal Shrine, quite piecemeal from being the outlook to view lustrous sunsets in nearby Manila Bay.

Coun. Joel Chua, chairman of the oversight committee of the Manila City Council, told DZMM that Torre de Manila can progress the tax and it can be a work opportunity for many Filipinos that’s why they approved the construction of it.

We can also remember what Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada explained, that he accredited the construction of the Torre de Manila because the growth of economy is important.

Well, for me this structure only hinders the tourism and nationalism of our country. What does this say about “It’s more fun in the Philippines”? It’s more fun in the Philippines because anything goes? Can you imagine someone building something similar beside the Eiffel Tower?

Yes, we’re already there. Our economy is continuously growing but what about our country’s heritage?