Lawmakers’ wives start 2-day Manila tour

The city of Manila is apparently a chic enough tourist spot for politicos’ wives.

In a bid to drum up local tourism, Yvette Ocampo, the sister of Manila Representative Sandy Ocampo, has invited the more than 100 members of the Congressional Spouses Group to a two-day tour of Manila starting Monday.

Aside from the usual courtesy call at city hall where they will be given a briefing on the historic building and the city’s history, they will also be given a tour of the Malacañang museum to appreciate its art collection and the Presidents’ gallery.

Also in the itinerary are a visit to the historic Bahay Nakpil in Quiapo, home of the Katipunero revolutionaries during the Spanish era and the home of Andres Bonifacio’s wife Gregoria de Jesus; and the heritage home of the Lichaucos in Sta. Ana.

The tour will also cover some old churches in the city: San Sebastian church in Quiapo, the only all-steel church in the country; and the Our Lady of the Abandoned in Sta. Ana, the camarin of which has been declared a national treasure.

In addition, they will also go to Far Eastern University and Chinatown, stops aimed at raising awareness of the city’s heritage and culture.

The FEU trip will highlight the school’s art deco buildings by National Artist Pablo Antonio while they will have lunch in Binondo to sample the Chinese-Filipino cuisine.