I remember Hotdog’s hit “Manila, Manila” in the past. Even though if the reality is that this city is grimy and seemingly deteriorating, I love its animated, vivid and vibrant city. Last year I had my rounds as a research assistant for Manila’s losing heritage sites and buildings. From the Manila that I took for granted and hated, I suddenly turned around and see Manila’s “neglected and often overseen and mistakenly stereotyped as chaotic.”

But visually it may not be like a cool European city or an ultra-modern Asian city but it has a character somehow that lingers.

Sandwich’s newest single “Manila” used stop motion that seems to reflect what Manila has…the vibrancy and the animated world that we often take for granted and be cautious about. Somehow, despite the hardships in life here, the smile never fades away and three million souls seeking prosperity never and would never give up its hope.