A kalesa (horse drawn carriage) in a street corner in Roxas Blvd right across Rizal Park. The kalesa is a quintessential symbol of old Manila and can usually be seen in the Intramuros (famous Walled City) and Rizal Park area.

Both locations are recently in the headlines (at least in the local photography scene) because of the "No shooting" policy, causing very strong reactions from local photographers. Imagine, we are not allowed to shoot in both these iconic locations - the very heart of Manila. Actually that policy has been there for the longest, especially for Intramuros. Lots of stories about photo hobbyists being chased out of Intramuros by "guardia sibils", particularly those with DSLRs. I tried shooting at Fort Santiago inside Intramuros once and was instantly shooed away the moment I took out my camera. Point and shoot cameras are OK, DSLRs are a big NO. Somehow they equated DSLR with commercial work, add a tripod and some flash guns to your gear and I guarantee you'll get the instant: "No shooting here!".

Weird sense of direction from the part of DOT (Department of Tourism) if they are really trying to promote these places. As a knee jerk reaction to the outrage and the protests, DOT later released some explanations and guidelines for the "No Shooting" policy, covering "commercial photography" primarily.

The photo above was not taken with a tripod, the pavement was used. So its not commercial photography :)