The Old Trees of Manila City Hall

I exercised my right to vote today. But rather than talking about my suff'rage suffering, I would rather dwell on what I once saw in one of Manila's old seat of power...

Have you ever been inside Manila City Hall? If you have been a resident of the city, my guess is that you have at least once entered the city hall's premises, or at least have been to the nearby SM City Manila thus catching a glimpse of this famous edifice. Since I am a Quezon City resident, it is a little excusable if I only got to enter Manila City Hall just last month. And what caught my attention was not the historic detail nor the neoclassic architecture it is famous for.

What astounded me were the very old specimens of Alstonia scholaris or dita in the building's atrium. Dita is a forest species and rarely have I seen tall towering specimens except in the old buildings of Manila like U.S.T. and now the city hall. The trees were taller than the 6-storey high structure, thus making a majestic statement in such a confined space-truly a tree befitting the stately and classical style of the architecture.