Life in modern Makati

WHEN Rose Sibug moved to Makati in 1967, the posh San Lorenzo village where she now lives was a tree-filled swamp.

It is the trees that the 68-year-old Sibug misses the most. Now she says that Makati is dusty and packed with people. But she concedes that congestion has been a necessary tradeoff for living in the business center of Metro Manila.

Despite the congestion, Mrs. Sibug has no plans to leave Makati. She is happy that the many thriving businesses in her city have attracted young people, who have a modern way of life.

“Even the old people are becoming modern,” says Mrs. Sibug.

Senior citizens in Makati enjoy many benefits, including free movies, medicine, and entertainment shows, and a bi-annual bonus.

Many of these benefits were begun by Makati mayor Jejomar Binay, of whom Mrs. Sibug is a staunch supporter. Binay, she says, “is sincere about giving people what they want.”

Mrs. Sibug’s podcast is the multimedia supplement of PCIJ’s ongoing series on new political families.

Listen to Mrs. Sibug’s podcast.

Language: English and Filipino
File size: 6.9 MB
Length: 00:15:02