Roxas Boulevard lights up with Baywalk holiday bazaar

Families, barkadas, tourists and lovers can now stroll through Manila's famous Baywalk area to eat, shop, and even get tattoos at a bazaar that has been set up in this popular promenade along Roxas Boulevard, according to a report on 24 Oras.

"Marami tayong kababayan, lalo dito sa Maynila na mahihirap. Gusto ko silang bigyan ng konting hanap-buhay, kahit na itong [holidays] para meron naman silang pamasko," said Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.



Along the two-kilometer strip, food stalls alternate between those selling clothes and offering massages and henna tattoos, while diners can sit down to eat at blue and red tables clustered along paths decked with Christmas lights.

Mini-restaurants alter between a restaurant-style set-up and the "turo-turo" style, while live bands play on the spot every night. Sunday nights cap off every week's festivities with fireworks displays.

There is even a dedicated parking lot for visitors, but interested parties may want to come early, since more people flock to the bazaar the later it gets.

For the safety of those attending the bazaars, patrols roam the Baywalk area, and information, paging, and lost-and-found booths have been set up.

However, not everyone appreciates the festivities. Feedback received by "24 Oras" has been mixed, and includes complaints that the row of tents blocks the bay's famous sunset.

The bazaar will continue until January 6. If it is successful, said the report, Estrada might allow the stalls to continue beyond the Feast of the Three Kings. — BM, GMA News