We all know that basketball is part of our culture as Filipinos. Boys or girls, young or just young…read moreat heart, NBA or PBA or UAAP or just your neighbourhood basketball liga, Pinoys are just into this sport. I guess this explains why in most parts of the Metro, it's impossible for you not to see basketball courts - whether it's an indoor hardwood court, open cement court or even a makeshift half court on the streets. Some basketball courts have been put up for quite some time and recently, there have been a good number of new basketball courts that are popping in the city. Since my boyfriend is into basketball (just like most boys are, really) and has been regularly joining different basketball leagues, I have been exposed to a few different basketball courts. One that I have frequently gotten to visit is the Dumlao Gym found along Shaw Boulevard. The gym has been an institution for many generations of (pro and non-pro) basketball players living in the Mandaluyong area. The very first time I saw the façade of Dumlao, I wanted to run. It looked like a horror movie's set! Hahahaha! The gym definitely looked older than most courts I've seen based on the structure of the building. Despite this, a lot of professional and amateur basketball leagues have set this as their stage. I should know, I've watched countless of Pau's games in Dumlao, from different leagues, mind you. Dumlao Gym has 2 indoor basketball courts found on the first and second floor. Upon entering the gym, you will see trophies, newspaper cut outs and other memorabilia of the person the gym is named after - Cesar Dumlao. (Quick trivia: Cesar Dumlao used to be a basketball superstar back in the day. He was actually recorded to have had 162 points in one game. I don't know much about playing ball but I think that's pretty extraordinary!) For someone who watches games at Dumlao, one major complain that I have with it is the humidity and temperature inside the gym. It has poor ventilation and can really make you feel exhausted especially between 11am - 2pm, which is usually the time they have their games. Dumlao has shower rooms available for men and women, which my boyfriend says is pretty decent. I've only ever been to the normal bathrooms. They are clean but also a bit old. They also have a small sari-sari store where you can buy drinks and munchies while watching the games. Dumlao Gym is open 24/7 so all you hard core basketball fanatics can go here to play. Price of court rental at Dumlao is 900/hour. The courts can also be used for volleyball games and badminton competitions!

Dumlao Gym is one of the most commonly used basketball courts in Manila because of its central…read morelocation. Barring bad traffic, all it takes is a short drive to get here. Having said that, I'm not exactly a fan of playing at Dumlao. First off, parking is extremely limited. There are two basketball courts so you can only imagine how crazy it is when all the players bring cars. If you arrive and there are no slots available, you're out of luck and you will have to look somewhere else. The façade of the building looks decrepit as well. It's an old building and you immediately see it both inside and out. What Dumlao has going on for them is that they're open 24 hours, 7 days a week. This is good especially for call center employees who are night owls and might not have another place to play at.

I've been to many badminton courts in the Metro, but The Zone remains to be my favorite. For one,…read moreit is conveniently located if one lives and works within Makati CBD. After work, I just walk to the court. I don't need to bring my car, even if there are ample street parking slots in front of the building. The Zone has a total of fifteen standard badminton courts. Six of which have wood flooring, while nine are equipped with Taraflex material. There's also a basketball court complete with digital scoring system. The shower and comfort rooms are air-conditioned and personal lockers are also available. A food stall in the receiving area makes sure that players don't have to worry about drinks and food. If you forget to bring accessories, there's even a small store that offers sports socks, apparel, and other badminton stuff. Recently, The Zone improved its security by placing surveillance cameras in strategic places inside and outside the building. With this, fees and court rentals have slightly increased. At present, the entrance fee is PHP 75.00 per person. During peak hours, weekends, and holidays, you can rent a Taraflex court for PHP 300.00 per hour, while a wood court can be used for PHP 250.00 an hour. A play-all-you-can promo is available during weekdays from 6:00am to 5:00pm for just PHP 150.00 per person. The basketball court rate is PHP 1,500.00 per hour during off-peak time and PHP 2,000.00 for peak hours.

The Zone Badminton Court has one of the best locker rooms among all the badminton courts that I've…read morebeen to within its price range. Nicely laid badminton court mat. However, some courts are damaged and they just patched the damages instead of replacing them. White stuff coming from the ceiling also fall down which I assume are bird feathers. They did not even bother to fix the damaged lights. Most of the staff are either lazy or rude. I have only come across two staff members who are nice so far (mostly women). Half of the time that we go there, they do not automatically turn on the exhaust on each court. We either have to turn it on ourselves or go back to the counter to ask them to turn it on, which, of course, consumes the time that we paid. Rudest of all is the guy receptionist who I think is on his late 20s or 30s. He once switched the light off of our court when we just started playing. When approached, not even one apology was heard from that guy or from any of the staff present. This guy also tends to answer sarcastically. They also have a very inconsistent rescheduling policy. Or so said this guy. We have asked to reschedule more than once before this incident because of an unexpected conflict on our schedule. We thought that that would be better instead of cancelling. All of the receptionists that we talked to have always been happy to accommodate this. However, on one eventful day, same receptionist guy said that they don't allow rescheduling even if it is on the same time period that we have scheduled and that it should be done at least 2 days before our supposed schedule. That is the first time that we have heard of that policy although guy insists that that is always how things go. Weird how that is not how it always was for us and only happened when he was the one we're talking to. When asked about this rescheduling fiasco and the unwarranted-turning-off-of-the-court-lights-incident, this receptionist guy even taunted that we should go there so we can discuss it in person. AGAIN, NO APOLOGY WAS HEARD. They suck at complaint resolution. Lastly, expect that when your schedule is near their closing time, they will turn off your court light without any warning 1-2 minutes before the supposed end of your playing time.

One of my favorite basketball courts to play is in The Playground at Ronac Art Center. It is a…read morereally good looking and well-designed court. It wasn't haphazardly made. Attention to detail and impeccable design were important factors in the creation of this facility. The wooden floors are always maintained. There are no misplaced floorboards lying in wait to injure you. Renting the court out will give you access to a very nice locker room as well where you can keep your things safe. The biggest testament on how good the court is the mere fact that professional teams from the PBA hold their practices here. If you're a basketball fanatic, you can actually stalk them here though it's a move I don't suggest making. The best thing in playing at The Playground however is that you can immediately eat at Charlie's right after. Hey, I already exercised. It's time to reward myself with a big, fat, juicy burger.

It is no secret that the Philippines is a basketball crazy country. The Nation just lives and…read morebreathes the popular tagline of Nike: "Basketball Never Stops." You'll see a hoop pretty much everywhere you go, whether its beside a rice field or by some random urban alley. For those who want to experience higher quality facilities in the Metro Manila area, there's the Playground at the Ronac Art Center. The facility boasts a well-maintained wooden court, a hoop with a fiberglass board on each end, and air-conditioned locker rooms. For the horrible basketball player and out of shape person that I am who wouldn't even cut it in the most remote barangay's neighborhood league, it's the closest thing I'll ever get to experience a professional setup. Speaking of the pros, local PBA team Purefoods sets up shop at the Playground for their practices. The court can also be converted into an events place. I find myself usually here during the month of December for Titan's annual Jordan holiday release events.

If you're not familiar where the YMCA gym in Makati is located, chances are you're going to be…read moresurprised when you find out where it is. It actually stands inside an apartelle! A little unusual, right? So don't be surprised if you suddenly pass by open vacant rooms or random people looking like they just woke up (hello, jammies!). The court, according to my boyfriend, is pretty okay, though the height of the actual ring stand is lower compared to other courts he has played in. Hindi ko alam if he's just saying that because they always had a hard time winning a game in that court or what. Hahaha. #mean From a spectator's standpoint, it has better ventilation mainly because the walls are pretty open. There are gaps in the walls which serve as a passageway of air for anyone inside. I've been to other courts before and this one ranked higher than most when it came to ventilation. I must note, though, that the court takes up so much space so you won't be able to sit on benches or bleachers. Swerte na if you find a bench where players usually put their stuff at. Ito na ata yung rurok ng tagumpay ng pagiging cheerleader girlfriend ko! Somebody give me an award! Hahaha. After playing, players can take a shower however they need to go down one floor and walk thru the other side of the floor then go up again to see the CR/Shower Room. The gate found in the basketball court which should be where the CR is located is always locked for some reason. The shower room only has 2 slots and does not have a dressing area. Think of it as a CR with 2 shower slots with no chairs/benches found. (All I can say is thank God, I don't have to take a shower there.) For those looking for a quick grub after playing or cheering in my case, you can get food downstairs as they have a Burger Machine stall right outside the building. There's also a Purple Oven branch and the Galli Village Café if you want some quick caffeine fix. According to my SO, rate for the basketball court rental is about 800 pesos per hour. Pretty affordable since we're talking about a court in the heart of Makati.

A friend of mine once invited me to join his basketball group for a weekend pick-up game. I gladly…read moreobliged and headed to the Greenmeadows basketball court with him. It was nice to finally get to play on it after hearing a handful of friends saying that it's a decent surface to play on. The court turned out to be more than alright, with a wooden floor that has decent grip, and the usual fiberglass backboards from the hoop on each end. It was also nice that there were nearby water fountains for people like me who easily get thirsty after playing. Sometimes, my filled water bottle is not enough; hence a place to refill is more than welcome. It turns out that the Greenmeadows basketball court is also the home practice court of the crowd-favorite Brgy. Ginebra of the PBA.

As a bit of a sports fan, I also fancy myself athletic even though my last outing to a venue that…read morerequires physical exertion was a 6k run in the UP Academic Oval that left my legs weak and sore for weeks after. But when I do get the urge to get off the couch and work on my flabs, the Amoranto Sports Complex is one of my favorite places. This is a COMPLEX, so it has several venues inside, like a running track, a football stadium, and a basketball court, among others. I'd give the place five stars if it weren't for the fact that the place can use some touch-ups, and sometimes, they're closed to the public whenever there's an event there.

All malls have video arcades. It's practically a prerequisite. Where else would dads leave their…read morekids and students play hooky? Kidding aside, the fact that every mall has one makes them ordinary and not at all special. The reason we're talking about Fisher Mall's arcade aptly named Playland is because they have something else going for them aside from your run off the mill video games (which they have plenty of). What makes them different is that after going up a flight of stairs, you'll be greeted with a full sized basketball court. I was actually surprised when I learned of this because it is such a strange place to put a court in. What's more is that beside the court, there are a couple of billiard tables and dart boards you can rent out too. A slight problem with the court is that a concrete pillar gets in the way. Whenever I tell people this they get turned off so I attached a photo with a slipper and a pen for scale. I'm high-tech like that.

Small, accessible, and affordable, Playland is a pretty good go-to for parents who want to…read moreentertain their kids for a while but don't want to leave the city. Situated on the fifth floor of Fisher Mall, parking isn't a problem, and restaurants are an escalator and a few steps away. We visited Playland for a three-year-old's birthday party, and we brought a three-year-old with us. There's a spacious function room for these exact purposes, and it can fit around fifty people comfortably. As party favors, the kids were given Ride-All-You-Can stamps, so I guess they have some sort of kiddie party package that's inclusive of the function room and the entertainment area itself. We were also given cards to use for the arcade games--standard ones like the claw machine things and shooting stalls. Kids that are 4 feet and above can ride by themselves. Any shorter than that, and they require an adult companion. My three-year-old nephew had a blast in the brightly lit mini-ferris wheel. The helicopter ride was spinning, but its arms didn't go up and down at the time, and that really took away from its appeal. I do hope they fix it soon. It's a great ride to stir a child's imagination as the front seat has a steering wheel, and they can pretend to be pilots. Overall, we had a great time, and it was a great venue, but the arcade could use some work.

Available ba for booked the schedule on saturday 6pm to 8pm?…read moreWe need a court as soon as possible this saturday

Once upon a time the court here was so bad that there was a physical imbalanced based on which side…read moreyou had to score on. One end of the court was 1 foot higher than the other, meaning one side could have an advantage when it came to easy buckets. That sounds like a ridiculous oversight to make while building a basketball court, but thankfully it's something they've corrected. Not only that, but a professional-league-practice-worthy wooden court has been added for good measure. Gone are the days of spring-less hoops and a corner three 2 feet too close. The cement court is useable if unspectacular, but the wooden court is one of the best in the area. That's great and all but it's too late now; I've retired from village and baranggay games and I'm too cheap to rent a P2k per hour court.