The Manila Clock Tower is finally going under renovation after nine decades.
Since it was unveiled as the Philippines’ largest clock tower in 1930, the 91-year-old tower only underwent major rebuilding in 1946 after the second world war.
Manileños have memories of the Manila Clock Tower in Red and White. This time, the city government of Manila has set its sights on the central time piece to in colors of Gold and White, in their hopes that this will soon become a tourist hotspot once renovations are done.
Meanwhile in Dubai, the Deira Clock Tower is the area’s central attraction that has literally stood the test of time. It was built in 1963 when Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum received the huge clock as a gift from his son in law. The late ruler instructed authorities to place the clock in a roundabout, which became one of the first to be built in Dubai in the 60s.
Over five decades, the landmark underwent several improvements, constant maintenance and upkeep and renovations in order to keep up with Dubai’s technological and innovative advancements. These included urgent repairs in 1972 when the tower itself was refurbished and encased in a completely new ‘skin’ to avoid crumbling.
All of its four clock faces have also been replaced only once during the past five years – a testament to its sturdiness. All of the four clock faces have been replaced with Omega models with built-in GPS devices to ensure that there’s no longer any need to manually adjust the clock’s hands.
In contrast, Manila’s Clock Tower has witnessed many historical events and its reconstruction is long overdue. Nearly a century since it was built, Manileños hope that the reconstruction will breathe a new life to this iconic landmark.
