Have Perut Will Travel...: MNL Day 4 │ Red Alert • Greenbelt Chapel • Glorietta!

Habagat Morning — Manila on Alert

Metro Manila was under a heavy rainfall outlook thanks to the southwest monsoon, Habagat. PAGASA warned of 50–100 mm of rain and colour coded yellow, orange, red advisories that could change within minutes. As first time visitors, it helped us understand why the city moved quickly whenever the skies darkened.

Setting Out Despite the Storm

Did that dampen our adventurising spirit? Not at all. We were ready by 8:30am and out the door an hour later. From the lobby of One Uptown Residence, we hailed a Grab to Greenbelt Chapel for PHP285.31 (≈ MYR18/USD5/EUR4), arriving at 9:45am.

Greenbelt Chapel — Gerald’s First Stop

Our buddy Gerald had planned today’s “trinity”: Greenbelt Chapel → Glorietta → The Landmark. Greenbelt Chapel was unlike anything we’d seen — a serene, modern sanctuary wrapped in lush greenery right in the middle of Makati’s bustle. Peaceful, grounding, and beautifully designed, it felt like a quiet pause from the city’s rhythm.

After prayers, we left at 10:20am in search of brunch.

Mall Hopping in Makati

We walked through Greenbelt 3, crossed the footbridge into The Landmark, took a quick potty break, then continued into Glorietta Mall before finally reaching SM Makati — our fourth, fifth, and sixth mall in Manila in one smooth stroll.

Brunch at Mary Grace Café

A short walk brought us to Mary Grace Café, where we enjoyed Eggs Benedict, Eggs Royale, an Ensaymada, and a caramel latte. Brunch total: PHP1,640.46 (≈ MYR106/USD26/EUR23).

Just as we were finishing, PAGASA issued a Red Alert. We asked the cashier, who assured us it was simply a warning for very heavy rain — nothing locals considered alarming.

SM Makati Detour — The Elusive Hat

Before heading to Glorietta, we checked SM Makati for the elusive Levi’s large sized denim bucket hat, but once again came up empty handed.

Exploring Glorietta

We spent time window shopping across all three floors, browsed a guitar store hoping for something with P90 pickups (none suitable), and squeezed in another quick potty break before the mall’s flow led us to JD Sports.

JD Sports — Biggest Haul Yet

Here we picked up a sky blue collared Originals jersey plus his and hers pink collared Originals jerseys for PHP10,100 (≈ MYR653/USD162/EUR149).

We then doubled back toward Mary Grace and slipped into SM Makati, where Cat found a summer shirt and two pairs of shorts for PHP2,197 (≈ MYR142/USD35/EUR31).

Habagat’s Tail End at SM Makati

With the Red Alert still lingering, we headed to the SM Makati lobby — just in time to witness the tail end of a Habagat storm. Sheets of rain swept sideways, the wind howled, and the city outside blurred into grey.

Heading Home to Dry Comfort

We booked a Grab for PHP299.73 (≈ MYR19/USD5/EUR4), got picked up at 1:20pm, and arrived at One Uptown Residence twenty five minutes later.

Back in our studio, we chilled and watched the heavy downpour from the comfort of the dry — grateful to be indoors as the storm spent its final strength.

Stay Tuned

Catch our next video as we head out on a night walkabout once the skies clear — a breezy, thoroughly enjoyable evening you won’t want to miss!