In a place called Quiapo.

My friend introduced me to Quiapo sometime in 2014, when I was working in Manila. I don’t think he knew then that he was introducing me to a place I would eventually learn to miss.

Since that first visit, I have always found myself coming back.

There are so many things to see in Quiapo. So many things to get interested in. But more than anything, there are so many people—and behind every face is a story waiting to be told.

I love getting lost in the sea of people whenever I am in Manila. The heat, the noise, the chaos, the vendors calling out to strangers, the familiar scent of incense mixing with the smell of street food—it all feels overwhelming. And yet, strangely beautiful.

Quiapo is not the kind of place I dream of living in. But perhaps that is why I love it.

Some places are not meant to be owned.

Some places are simply meant to be returned to.

One street that made me fall in love was Calle Villalobos, with its many craft stores filled with colors, textures, and possibilities. I could spend hours walking from one shop to another, looking at things I didn’t need but somehow wanted to take home.

Then there are the streets of amulets, lucky charms, herbs, and folk beliefs. Tarot readers sit patiently, ready to read your fortune.

Maybe that is another reason I keep coming back.

Perhaps I am hoping that somewhere in Quiapo, someone will tell me what the future holds.

And then there is the Quiapo Church.

The moment I enter, everything changes.

Outside, there is chaos. Inside, there are prayers.

I imagine them rising together—hundreds of whispered wishes asking for healing, forgiveness, love, another chance, and miracles.

When will their prayers be favored by God? Is it already too long? Or perhaps, too soon?

And quietly, almost selfishly, I whisper to myself:

I hope mine will be heard, too.

Ika nga ng National Artist at scriptwriting mentor kong si Tatang Ricky Lee sa kanyang librong Trip to Quiapo: the journey is not simply about arriving. Sometimes, you have to take a different road. Sometimes, you have to get lost.

And maybe that is why I love Quiapo.

Because every time I leave, a part of me stays behind.

And every time I return, Quiapo feels like an old love—chaotic, complicated, impossible to explain.

But somehow…

still worth coming back to.

Halika. Samahan mo akong maligaw sa Quiapo.