Time-out

Time-out

By: Leona Lao

Before the golden rays of sunlight even touch the mourning angels perched atop the marble monument, Quezon City Memorial Circle (QCMC) is already brimming with people from different walks of life.

            The Circle, as it is more commonly referred to, is a park and shrine for the late Manuel Quezon. Although its historical significance is not in the least underplayed, the park is more commonly recognized by locals as a haven where strangers gather to retreat from the bustling city life. To – both literally and figuratively – run away from the smoke and noise of Manila.

Renovation meets perspiration

QC Circle hasn’t always been such a popular hang-out for fitness enthusiasts.

For one, the environment wasn’t very inviting. The place was neither well-maintained nor accessible— there were disorganized clumps of trees, dirty equipment, broken gates, and undefined car entrances. Pedestrians had to brave the Elliptical Road to get there. The ignored fountain seemed to me the biggest turn-off, considering it is surrounded by radiantly orange and blue tiles that underscore its magnificence (or lack thereof).

Although QC Circle undeniably had its merits for its value as a historical landmark and as one of the few areas in Metro Manila that could boast of trees, it was not the ideal venue for physical fitness.

However, in 2007, the Quezon City government took over the maintenance of the park and spearheaded many renovations and projects. Recently, plans were even made with the end goal of making Quezon City a major tourist destination, as Nancy Carjaval’s 2010 news article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer reports.

Changing landscapes

One of the taho vendors in the Circle, brown-skinned and bearing lines on his face that echo age, dons the green uniform of QC Circle employees. He prides in working in QC Circle for the past 30 years, and when asked what the greatest change in the Circle has been over the years, he is quick to refer to Mayor Belmonte’s beautification projects.

To make the place more open to the public, two pedestrian underpasses were constructed. As Philippine Star news articles “QC Circle underpass inauguration set” and “Pedestrian underpass to the Quezon Memorial Circle” details, one underpass connects QCMC to the Philippine Coconut Authority (PhilCoA), while the other extends from Quezon City Hall. Gates were fixed to further define the entrances.

The official QC website notes that the QC Circle is usually a convergence point for some international marathons, and the construction of biking lanes has also made it easier for cyclists to train.

Aside from the upgraded playground areas, different multipurpose halls were constructed, such as Seminar Hall, Century Hall, and People's Hall. These halls may be reserved or rented to hold various events and workshops. QCMC also holds taebo and disco classes in the multipurpose halls, and, for the more adventurous, offer ziplines and go karts for a certain fee.

All these facilities and upgrades have helped to build a QC Circle that has been receiving a lot more traffic and is fast becoming popular— “Kasi marami nang bago dito (Because there are so many new things here)," a group of joggers agreed.  Since the start of the changes, QC Circle has not stopped in developing into an estimated 25-hectare area where people who practice different physical exercises can congregate.

A hodgepodge of sports

Before we even got off the car, I could already see through the window a group of cyclists. All of them were in the characteristic biker ensemble of helmet, sport shirt, cycling shorts, a good pair of shoes, a bottle of water, and, of course, a sleek bicycle. It’s worth noting that whereas before the renovations, the Circle was largely just a regular park that people frequented for leisure, today, with all its improvements, it is a favorite even of professional bikers, including those for national cycling events like the Philippine Grand Prix, as cited in the local government’s website.

Upon me and my friends’ arrival, I was immediately overwhelmed by everything simultaneously occurring. Notes of a faint, melodious singing from somewhere a little farther off, mixed together with peaceful, morning silence, served as the soundtrack for our journey through the unfamiliar terrains of the QC Circle.

Under the shade of the trees, there were people practicing arnis. The teachers demonstrated the movements, their arms precise and graceful, as the students imitated and learned. Nearby another grassy area, people were power boxing, sweat dripping down their bodies and their faces immersed in concentration. Somewhere a little farther down the road there were people playing volleyball, and what seemed to be two brothers engrossed in their informal badminton game. The fact that so many sports and exercises were condensed into one place left me in awe.

As I continued my walk, I passed by different joggers. Some, judging by jogging pants that boldly proclaimed their schools, I presumed to be students. Others, from the lines on their faces or just by the way that they carried themselves, were middle-aged, and there were even those who might pass for my grandparents.

I also chanced upon people dancing in Mabini Hall. They were being led by a middle-aged woman in red, following simple dance moves that sometimes did and sometimes did not require them to have partners. When I asked one of the bystanders, who was watching them dance in a fashion just as bemused as I was, he told me that the group had reserved the place to hold dancing lessons and have sessions certain days of the week.

The sports, the dancing, the exercise— everything was so diverse. There was something for everyone. In a grand statement of affirmation, as if people weren’t proof enough, we encountered not only dogs being walked by their owners… we even saw a dog on a bicycle!

The assortment that had creeped its way into the culture of the QC Circle left me wondering about the bigger picture: how even the places we frequent reflect some aspect of our Philippine identity. Like Filipinos, QC Circle is an eclectic mixture, and while others might find the heterogeneity chaotic, I find that it only makes the place a richer, more interesting venue.

Recapturing childhood

Some areas of the park were dedicated to playing grounds. Children ran around to play whenever the rain would temporarily cease. Predictably, there were monkey bars, slides, and swings. There were also other things, though, such as a giant, metal wheel, and even a contraption composed of four circles – a circle for each of four people to step on – that did nothing but spin. It was slightly imbalanced and felt like it would come unhinged any moment.

It felt wonderful to realize that there are still kids out there who leave the confines of their virtual worlds to actually play outside in parks and playgrounds. In an age where video games and online identities are a dominating force, the sight of these kids was refreshing to me.

Nothing beats childhood days of playing sipa, langit-lupa, or Chinese garter; no PSP, Wii, or Xbox, regardless of the rapidly developing technology in Metro Manila and in all corners of the country, could erase the thrill of dangling from a monkey bar, reaching out— swaying, precariously, almost and— yes! Making it to the other side. The triumphant smile with which a child boasts to all his playmates: I am conqueror!

Hello, stranger

While the children aforementioned might be advised to stay away from strangers (although really, in a park like this, how can one avoid it?), the people who gather in the spacious area beside the QCMC’s fountain seem to hold no apprehensions. 

In the early morning, the fountain in the middle of the QC Circle is turned on and one can marvel as the waters splash and sway. In the spacious area beside it, people of all ages were gathered and were moving to the beat of the same music, their movements coordinated through the leadership of a man dancing unreservedly in front of the crowd.

Curious, I stood for a moment watching them. The guard, who was of average height and had a chipped front tooth, said that the exercise happens every morning, and strangers gather to have a free, fun exercise together. Although when I witnessed the event it was already past eight in the morning, he says that as early as six people are already stretching and dancing together. It’s not always in that particular spot, he says, but there’s always a morning exercise happening somewhere in QCMC.

I find this communal exercise very reflective of the positive outlook with which Filipinos choose to look at life, regardless of our country’s state: to know that in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Metro Manila, where you either have to be wary of the people you pass in streets and dark alleyways or you’re too busy to even spare them a glance, strangers still find that they can spend and enjoy time with people they barely know— and show off some pretty good dance moves while they’re at it, too.

An oasis

My last memory of QC Circle involves a girl. Probably no older than seventeen, she was dressed in simple, comfortable clothes, and she wore earphones and a carefree smile as she rode her bicycle. She must have passed me a dozen times. The stalls, the fountain, the trees, the waiting shed, the easy slope of the road… she rode in circles, the same predictable path, went past the same scenery over and over. And yet she seemed like the happiest person there.

I suppose it is not that Q.C. Circle is the most beautiful park in the world, although it’s definitely changed appreciably since 2007.  There’s just a certain muted happiness that comes with knowing that there is a place here in the midst of this busy city which still appreciates the value of taking time off to take care of one’s wellness, to wear a smile and drown in sweat, in the company of other people who’re striving for the same things.

Perhaps that is all that matters. After all, athlete or not, we all need time-out.