By Roman Escaño
Long have I wondered the streets of Manila in search for a place of comfort, long have I wondered the streets of Manila in search for a place of refuge, long have I wondered the streets of manila for a place where I could come as me. And with the grace of God I have found it, a place that is comforting, yet stimulating, a place that is homey, yet not boring, a place where I don’t have to be someone else and yet still have a great time. Nestled inside the back alleys of Manila’s walled city is a Place called Sanctum, a place that is very different from the typical club, lounge or resto.
Sanctum is a place where in you can truly just relax, you do not have to be worried on how you look or what you are wearing because the whole ambiance of the place is so comforting that it will give you a feeling of being as “light as a feather”, not having a care in the world. Sanctum is not the place to be seen, rather it is the place where you can unwind and leave life’s problems behind for but a short while.
In spite of Sanctum not having any attractive signs or bright lights to attract attention, looking at the interior of this place from the glass door outside would mystically draw in almost anyone, because of the comforting and friendly vibe that the set-up of this place gives out. Unlike many cafes, bars and restaurants in Intramuros where the owners have all but destroyed the natural beauty of the place, Sanctum has preserved the natural look and beauty of Manila’s walled city. It has not painted any of the parts of its walls nor has it put anything that would stay there permanently. What it has done is, it has meticulously combined modern furniture and eclectic selection of beautiful artworks with the raw beauty of the walls of Intramuros.
The ambience of comfort that is felt so strongly in Sanctum has much to do with the way the place is set-up, like a big living room, as it is with the way the place is run. The music is not too loud nor is it too soft, they play almost anything from world music, to homegrown music like Cynthia Alexander and Kapatid, to what we can classify as new metal. There are also tons of things to do here, first of there are a lot of interesting books that can be read and discussed by a group of friends, at the same time there is a large selection of board games and puzzles and if you are feeling a little artistic there are unfinished artworks that you can dare to finish, in addition there is also a book where in you can write whatever you want be it a poem, a story or whatever that is kept in Sanctum and is there for everyone to read.
One of the highlights of going to Sanctum is the “open mic sessions” that it has every Friday. The open “mic sessions” is a time where in anybody can go up to the microphone on stage either individually or as a group and do anything they want. People can either say poetry, perform a song, play an instrument, tell a story, or perhaps a joke, or just plainly vent out. Remarkably, a lot of people go on stage and perform and being a part of this whether you go on stage and perform or just listen is a very interesting experience, in fact a night spent during in Sanctum during the “open mic sessions” is like a night spent learning about life. Another thing that is also really pleasant about the “open mic sessions” is that everyone is very supportive for the person performing, you will rarely here in boos or comments of displeasure, everyone claps and tries to appreciate what the person on stage is doing.
Another really good reason to go to Sanctum is the mini concerts that happen every so often. These concerts usually happen on Saturdays. Imagine being in a very comfortable place listening to great music, without the hype and pretentiousness. Every so often local bands like Imaago and Mojo-fly and local artists like Cynthia Alexander come here to do a quaint relaxed gig. It is really enjoyable to watch these bands play here because really just relax and be one with the music.
Partners Aslie Aslnain who is from Canada and Triccia David who is Filipina own sanctum. It was formally opened on November 29, 2000. Sanctum all started with an idea, one night Aslie and Triccia were talking and they said that it would be nice if they could somehow find a place where they could live upstairs and turn the downstairs in to a place where they could serve drinks, have a mini-library, have poetry reading and the like. The next night Triccia went to Intramuros to have dinner and by chance saw the place and from that moment on she said that this could be a start of something big. Now, although they cannot live up stairs they found the perfect place to do their thing. From then on they opened their doors for four nights a week and have entertained and satisfied numerous individuals, who not only consider Sanctum as just a place to be but who consider it as a place of refuge or a haven. When I asked them if business was doing good, they replied by saying “It may not be doing as good if say we were in Makati or Malate, but for Intramuros its doing pretty good, two years is a pretty long time for a place here” adding that in addition to business they feel fulfilled because they like what they are doing and “get to hang out with the people they would more or less want to hang out with because we bring the people we want to hang out with here.”
Sanctum a place of refuge, a place of comfort for the tired soul. This is one place where you can just let loose and truly “hang-out”, it is one of the friendliest and most unpretentious places in Manila, where people feed off each other creating a vibe that is just something else and that is what makes it great.
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