Langit, Lupa, Impyerno, Im-Im-Impyerno

The Bay is the city’s frontline, reflective not only of its geography but also of its inhabitants. It is peopled by dwellers that seem uncanny, bodies that are defiant of the space from whence they came. The place is driven by the frantic pulse of their desires, like an old boxer swimming to reach a vessel so far from the shore or a woman clutching her passport as if she is to disappear at any time. These men and women are under a different siege, something that goes beyond the politics of existing whenever I am in it, as if one is inside a theater and an act ensues. Manila Bay is the foyer of this city to a place where only its inhabitants know. The magic of Manila bay is that it takes in everyone that takes it.