Rain or shine on most weekdays, barring illness, Carlos Celdran can be seen giving a remarkable new perspective of Manila like no other. His one-of-a-kind "walking tours," which uniquely blend sly, off-the-cuff humor with a canny integration of the city's physical history and social behavior, have made him one of the hottest cultural tickets in town.

Already heralded in several local newspapers and publications as the "Pied Piper of Manila," with the apex of notoriety being a positive mention in Time Magazine, what he does, simply, is give a fresh viewpoint on the oft-maligned, conflicted city. "It still needs a lot of work," he tells Planet Philippines . "Transportation hassles, crime, and pollution are still within alarming levels." He quickly adds, on what has become his and the tour's philosophy:   "I cannot change the way Manila looks, but I can help change how you look at Manila."

Dressed in his uniform of a Barong Tagalog, slippers, and top hat, and carrying a cheap, portable radio (for sound effects and effective, ambient mood music) and a folder with reproduced pictures of major relevant points in history, Celdran asserts that his tour is more theatrical than it is physical. "It uses costumes, music, props, and humor to fit Philippine history within a global context, with Manila as the classroom itself."   

An example of Celdran's animated style is his most basic, introductory excursion, the Intramuros Walking Tour, wherein he seamlessly blends the surrounding area with an engaging history of the country as a whole. Starting with Fort Santiago and focusing on its most famous occupant, Jose Rizal, he extrapolates the life of the national hero into a survey of early Philippine history and Spanish colonialism. He continues musing on the Spanish influence while moving to the San Agustin Church, mentioning the arrival and assimilation of the Chinese through the artifacts encased in the church museum, and taking a somber look at World War II-era conflicts with the Japanese and the subsequent American Occupation while in the catacombs.

Concluding the tour in Casa Manila, the recreated traditional 19th century house, he discusses the peculiar habits and tastes of the Filipino, specifically cuisine and architecture, and even lays a sharp indictment of former President Marcos and First lady Imelda. In essence, one experiences a well-rounded lesson in Philippine history in a span of two hours, spiced with enough flair, humor, and gossip so as not to be boring.

The response from participants, of all ages and backgrounds, and not just limited to foreigners but locals as well, has been tremendous. Trudy, an expatriate who moved to the Philippines from North Carolina, says, " It's excellent; I've been on this tour before, and I enjoyed so much I brought a friend. He makes it interesting." She adds that she knew of Celdran through her fellow expatriate friends. "I think he's done a really good job of penetrating the expat market; everyone knows who Carlos is." Dale, a first-timer from Alabama says, "I would compare him favorably [to other tours I've been to]. It's basically a survey of history, with a lot of fun thrown in, moving from location to location. I think he's a very good tour guide. I'm enjoying it a lot."

Celdran was born and raised in Manila, his father originally from Iligan City of Spanish-Filipino stock, while his mother is from Pampanga of Chinese-Spanish-Filipino descent, giving Celdran and his four siblings a healthy mix representing the unique melting pot of the country. He attended the University of the Philippines for two years, taking up Visual Communications, but opted to go to the US to finish his studies, graduating in 1996 from the Rhode Island School of Design in Painting with honors.

Living in New York for three years, he took on a number of odd, artist-related jobs, most notably as an intern for the avant-garde musical-theater experience called The Blue Man Group. Looking back, he considers his time with the experimental outfit to be of considerable influence to what he's doing now. " When you're in New York, you got to watch Blue Man Group. It's sort of like theater-tourist attraction. I wanted to do the same, make a show in Manila, that when you come you have to watch this tour, because watching this tour will make you understand."

Celdran's initial foray into the realm of tourism was as a volunteer guide for the Heritage Conservation Society, a local non-government organization (NGO). Every week, he would do an architectural walking tour, similar to what he's doing now, but strictly based on architectural sites. " And I would wear no costume, and people would get bored halfway through my spiel," he says. Unsatisfied, he decided to quit and go on his own, this time combining the educational aspects of a tour guide with the theatrical flamboyance and presentation of an entertainer. "Along the way, I decided to add music, theater, and all the elements that are interesting because I'm a painting major, so I decided to make it more artistic, which is what you see."

Curiously, Celdran does not consider himself a bona fide tour guide. He's licensed by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the City of Manila, but doesn't work directly for them. He says his corporation title is as an art company (again, invoking his painter roots), and that most tour guides do an expansive tour of Manila, whereas he just does Intramuros (though in recent months he's expanded to include the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Binondo, as well as Cubao). Being on his own, and attracting clientele through the Internet and word-of-mouth endorsements, suits him just fine. "I don't want to be tied to a particular travel agency, because I won't know who I'm getting. Everyone that I meet I know through somebody or knows someone who's interested, so it's kind of like having referrals."

He also prefers the intimacy of small groups, exceeding no more than 25-30 patrons. "First off, I'm only one person," he says. "I don't think I can hack industrial-sized tour groups from Korea for a convention, forget it, no." He tried that once, touring some 100 people, but as he recalls, "it was a nightmare. I prefer small groups because you get to talk back, and the point of the tour is education, more than it is for tourism."

What does he consider the most fulfilling part of the tour? "The applause afterwards," he jokes. "No, it's the looks on people's faces when they say that after my tour, they want to give Manila a chance, because Manila's got such a bad reputation, and whatever I can do to help this reputation, even if I have to do it personally - literally 'walking the walk' - the better."

It's this deeper understanding of the Philippines and the realization that underneath all the noise and pollution is one of the most fascinating cities on earth is what Celdran wants to convey most. "Basically give Manila chance, that actually underneath all the guts and grime, lies a gem of a city that has a real footing in terms of culture. After this tour, a lot of Filipino-Americans that are pining for their lost identity would realize that over in the Philippines, we don't have an identity also, and we're okay with it."