ESCOLTA STREET, though its buildings face demolition threats, continues to be a “thriving design district and a growing creative community” through its museums and art exhibitions, read a giant poster along Escolta designed by interns at HUB: Make Lab, an incubator space at the First United Building (FUB).
Escolta Street, which includes “design stops” like the HUB, is home to local artists and their art, thrift stores, coffee shops, and a crystal stall.
“Baka pwedeng ipa-mana ‘to sa mga susunod na henerasyon, o kaya sa anak ko ‘yan. Ito ‘yung pinaka-ano namin, kayamanan, itong pwesto,” said Raven, a 32-year-old artist who was selling at the HUB, referring to the importance of art-induced spaces for artists like him.
(Maybe I could pass this down to the next generation or my children. We consider our art and our place here as our fortune.)
“Sobra, sobra, sobrang importante,” he added.
(It is very, very, very important.)
Known as the “Queen of Manila Streets,” Escolta shifted from being the Philippines’ first financial district to a “melting pot” of business and the artistic scene, based on the official Tumblr account of Escolta.
Bernice, a 19-year-old multimedia student part-timer at Lemon Drop, a shop at the HUB, also stressed the significance of such spaces for artists.
“It makes us artists be closer together; na she-share natin ‘yung [...] sarili nating art,” she expressed.
(It makes us artists get close together; we get to share our own art with each other.)
Nora, a housekeeping staff member in the FUB, also manages the sales from the artists' shops whenever they are not around. She added that they do not receive additional fees for looking after the artists' shops.
“Importante po ‘yan sa kanila,” Nora said, referring to the significance of the building for the artists.
(It is important for them.)
According to Norasha, a first-time visitor at the HUB, art spaces boost the creativity of their visitors.
“Para mas ma-promote ‘yung mga art ng artists,” she stated.
(So that the artists can promote their art better.)
The HUB was able to promote the artists located on the mezzanine floor of the building, adorned with displays of the artists’ varying art pieces like framed paintings, art cards, stickers, and many more.
“What attracts me here is the artistic side of this place; there are different artists who are in the same place that have their store [and] that showcase their talents,” Kwini, an avid customer of the HUB, said.
Raven says their boss encourages them that every artist should be able to form camaraderie with one another despite being in an industry where competition may arise.
The HUB will host various events this March, including art exhibits and workshops.
To celebrate National Women’s Month, the HUB will also display Petals and Power: Women in Bloom, a month-long show of art exhibitions featuring works of female artists and workshops promoting environmental sustainability.
The HUB described itself as a pioneer focused on a community-centered approach for artists to experiment and be sustainable.
The opening hours are from Monday to Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., while every Friday to Sunday, it is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
However, Mycah, the co-owner of Lemon Drop, told Manila Pulse that they sometimes close at 9 p.m. as many customers still arrive beyond the building’s operating hours.
The HUB launched in December 2018 as a collaboration project between 98B COLLABoratory, a not-for-profit and artist-run organization, and the FUB.
Meanwhile, buildings along Escolta Street face the threat of being demolished. The Heritage Conservation Society has been advocating for the conservation and restoration of buildings, and they have used the FUB as an example of successful preservation.
Established in 1594, Escolta is one of the oldest streets in the Philippines and the first financial district in the country. It was a commercial district until the 1960s, when businesses shifted their operations to Makati. – J. A. Cabral and M. F. Santiano/Manila Pulse
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