aerial photo « Caught (up) in traffic

Aerial photos – reclamation projects in Manila Bay

June 23, 2025 9:35 pm / Leave a comment

Last week’s travel allowed me to take aerial photos of the reclamation projects in Manila Bay. Here are the photos:

The view as we lifted off from NAIA shows SM’s reclamation project across from the MOA complex.

Our plane then climbed and afforded this close-up of sorts of the reclamation across from the now closed Sofitel Hotel.

Past the largest of the three reclaimed lands is another man-made island.

As our plane turned left, we were able to see all three reclamation projects

A close-up of the reclamation across the MOA complex. Also in the photo is NAIA.

All three reclamations in one photo as we continued to turn towards the south and southeast (towards Bicol).

More aerial photos soon!

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Aerial photos of Rizal

August 26, 2024 11:28 pm / Leave a comment

Following is a continuation of my recent post on aerial photos I took when I went to Iloilo for some meetings. This set is from our plane’s approach to land at NAIA. The path led us through Rizal province and the following photos mainly of Antipolo and Cainta.

*Aggregates quarry in Bgy. Inarawan, Antipolo City near Marcos Highway*

*A view of Cogeo with the City Mall of Antipolo and Antipolo National High School compound (center) along Olalia Road*

*Parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the residence of the Bishop of Antipolo.*

Ortigas Avenue Extension with Metro Manila in the horizon. The old PNR ROW along Gen. Ricarte is visible at the center. The landmark there is the Primark commercial center with the triangular roof in the middle of the photo.

A. Bonifacio Avenue in Cainta is in the middle of the photo. To the left of it is Parola Street, which is the old PNR ROW. The blue buildings to the left of Bonifacio are the buildings of the Cainta Catholic College. Slightly visible beside these is the Parish of Our Lady of the Light.

Cainta Junction with Felix Avenue (top) and A. Bonifacio Avenue (bottom) practically splitting the photo. The green building in the middle of the photo is the Puregold branch near Junction. Above it is Robinsons Cainta and the Cainta Public Market. Cainta Municipal Hall is at the lower left corner.

The Manggahan Floodway with the Javier Bridge connecting the East and West bank roads of the floodway. The bridge is located in Pasig City. The buildings at the lower part of the photo are of Cambridge Village in Cainta.

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Post Habagat Aerial Photos

August 12, 2024 10:38 pm / Leave a comment

We flew to Iloilo just after the Habagat floods that ravaged much of Metro Manila and its surrounding provinces. As our plane took off from Runway 13-31, I figured there was an opportunity to take a few photos of Metro Manila especially as I was seated by the window of the plane.

*That’s the LRT depot in Pasay City at the bottom of the photo. The waterway in the photo is the Estero de Tripa de Gallina, which is supposed to be the largest or longest creek in Metro Manila.*

*The Manila Yacht Club (center), the Cultural Center of the Philippines (to its right) and the US Embassy (upper left)*

Closer view of Manila – the major road in the middle of the photo is Quirino Avenue (Circumeferential Road 2) and visible in the photo is the Skyway Stage 3 turning to the South Superhighway. The green area just above the yacht club is the Manila Zoo.

*The photo shows Rizal Park, Manila Ocean Park, the Manila Hotel, the US Embassy, and Intramuros. That’s the Pasig River on the middle right snaking to the left and above Intramuros.*

The Manila South Harbor with the SuperFerry terminal to the left of the Manila Hotel. Rizal Park, Manila Ocean Park and Intramuros are in the photo. Across from Intramuros at the top in the photo is the Binondo District. Also shown at the left is the Baseco Compound.

Close-up showing the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge, the Jones Bridge (leading to Escolta and Quintin Paredes), and the McArthur Bridge (leading to Carriedo). Between the Jones and McArthur Bridges is the Manila Central Post Office Building that was heavily damaged by fire last year.

*Another view of Intramuros, Binondo and the Port Area*

Close-up of part of the Baseco Compound and the port area. The bridge at the center of the photo is the Manuel A. Roxas Bridge that is part of Radial Road 10. Fort Santiago is the green area to the right of the bridge.

Aerial view of the mouth of the Pasig River showing the Baseco compound to the right and the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) to the left. Note the contrast in the color of Manila bay and the brown waters of Pasig River. The Manila North Harbor is shown at the top of the photo.

The MICT, the Manila North Harbor and Isla Puting Bato (extending to the top from the base of MICT in the photo). Note the piers of the North Harbor are even-numbered (Pier 2, 4, 6, and so on) while the South Harbor’s piers are odd-numbered (1, 3, 5, and so on).

Isla Puting Bato was developed into another container terminal and is where the Bureau of Customs has its Port District Office. Also seen in the photo is the Manila Harbor Center, to the north of which is the Navotas Fish Port. I was hoping to get a photo of the fish port but our plane already banked to the left before I could get a good shot.

More aerial photos to be posted here soon!

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Aerial photo: Zamboanga City’s fish canning and bottling factories

February 3, 2020 11:17 am / Leave a comment

As we approached Zamboanga City’s airport last week, my colleague and I surveyed the landscape trying to identify landmarks. He was quite good at this being a geographer/transport planner. We took a few photos from the plane and one is this shot of the fish port and factories in Barangay Recodo along the national highway.

Canning and bottling factories lined along the Zamboanga City coast with are mostly fishing vessels anchored off-shore.

There is still an abundance of aquatic resources in the Sulu Sea where these vessels go for fishing. These should be more than enough for domestic as well as typical international demand. Unfortunately, there are alleged foreign trawlers or vessels poaching our resources. These should be seriously looked into by our coast guard and navy.

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Aerial photos of Cebu and Mactan

July 1, 2019 6:50 pm / Leave a comment

I enjoy taking aerial photos when the opportunities present themselves. Leaving Cebu for Manila a couple of weeks ago, I was able to take some nice photos as or plane took off and cruised over Mactan Island. Here are some of the better photos:

A view of Mandaue and Cebu cities across from Mactan Island as our plane took off from the airport

Here’s a first look (a bird’s eye view) of the ongoing construction of the third bridge connecting Cebu and Mactan Islands. This is part of the Cebi-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) project.

Here’s another view of the island with the airplane engine in the photo.
Here is a close-up photo of the island where tall columns will be built to support the CCLEX bridge. The viaduct in the photo is the one connecting downtown Cebu City with the South Reclamation Project area that includes the SM Seaside development.

The SM Seaside as seen from the air

Here’s a view of the South Reclamation Project area with SM Seaside as our plane turned north towards Manila.

Another view of Cebu City and the SRP

Here’s my favourite shot of Cebu and Mactan Islands with the SRP on the foreground, the CCLEX bridge under construction and Mactan International Airport

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Aerial photo: Diliman, Quezon City

January 6, 2019 9:35 am / Leave a comment

The aircraft we were flying on in a recent trip circled on the approach to NAIA and we were afforded some terrific opportunities to take aerial shots of Quezon City. This was before the rains of the Christmas holidays so the skies were clear of clouds. Here is one of the photos I took showing the University of the Philippines Diliman campus.

That wide road on the left is Commonwealth Avenue and you can see part of the Elliptical Road at the bottom left. There are few large patches of green in Metro Manila and many are in the largest city – Quezon City. You can see that these include the campus and Balara.

Aerial photos are no longer that rare these days as there are many who take shots from drones. Then, of course, there are shots like these you can take from the plane you’re riding. Have a nice Sunday!

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