MANILA, Philippines – With the stock market down, gas prices up, and rice in shortage, now is the time to have fun. But, how to do it in this heat without burning a hole in your pocket?

Leave the gas guzzler at home, slap SPF 70 sun block on your face, slip into your Crocs and scour the city for some cheap (nothing over P50) thrills.

For starters, here’s a list:

1. Walk in the park. Preferably in the early morning or late afternoon. But which park? If you want green, there’s La Mesa Ecopark in East Fairview, Quezon City. For an entrance fee of P40 for Quezon City residents and P50 for other residents, you can walk, hike or jog on grass and soil, not cement. Yup, you’ll dirty up your sneakers, but the sight of trees, flowers and shrubs will make you forget your obsessive-compulsive nature, if only for a few hours. Or you can sit by the water and feed the ducks. There is a mini-forest trail, an exercise trail and the cleanest toilets. Warning: It can get crowded on weekends.

Closer to the city is the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center on Quezon Avenue and North Avenue, which charges an unbelievable P8 entrance fee. This includes admission to a mini-zoo where they keep rescued or confiscated wildlife trying to enter or leave the country illegally. They include pythons, owls and eagles and hawks. Again, you can walk on grass and soil or you can sit by the man-made lagoon and read a book. Watch out for: The taping of a TV commercial or yet another teleserye.

Walk for free at the Baywalk on Roxas Boulevard. Start at the corner of Padre Faura and walk all the way to the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) complex. You can stop at the row of restaurants by the water and have a Frappuccino or even pancakes—but consider the calories…

Don’t miss: Dragon boat practice in the mornings, Manila Bay sunset in the afternoons, and lovers making out in the evenings.

Other free strolls: Quezon Memorial Circle, Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan, San Miguel By the Bay at the back of Mall of Asia (it’s close to the breakwater), Animal Trail near Marikina River Banks (a 1-km footpath dotted with concrete replicas of animals which kids will enjoy), UP campus on Sundays (closed to vehicles; open to runners) and Loyola Memorial Park (it’s so peaceful).

2. Exercise in the park. Wake up at 4 a.m. and head for any of these places: The CCP complex (area beside Manila Yacht Club), Quezon Memorial Circle and Makati Park and Garden on J.P. Rizal Extension near Guadalupe. On weekdays, there is at least one aerobics class starting as early as 5:30 a.m. On weekends, there are four or even five classes at the CCP complex and the Quezon Memorial. Exercise gurus bring their own boom box and urge people to donate from P1 to P20.

3. Swim. Walking not your thing? Jump in. The water’s fine at the Makati Aqua Sports Arena on J.P. Rizal Extension near Guadalupe, arguably the cleanest public pool you can dip your toes into, shower rooms included. Officer in charge Wilson Omar says they clean the 8-lane Olympic-size pool every day. They charge P50 for Makati residents and P150 for other residents. Open everyday except Monday.

Two pools both managed by the Philippine Sports Commission are also highly recommended. The Ultra pool in Pasig, which charges P43 a person, has a 10-lane Olympic size pool that never seems to get crowded even on weekends. Five lanes are reserved for swimmers who want to do laps. The pool is clean but it’s best to take a shower at home. The Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila also has an Olympic-size pool and charges P40 to P55 per person. Both pools are closed for cleaning on Monday.

4. Go bird watching. Like walking, the best time to go birding is early morning and late afternoon. Bring binoculars, water and a field guide like “The Guide to the Birds of the Philippines,” by Robert S. Kennedy. The Wild Bird Club of the Philippines recommends the following places to go bird watching in the city: Tambo Mudflats in Parañaque, which was declared a Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area by President Macapagal-Arroyo; American War Memorial in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig; and the area around the National Institute of Geological Science at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.

5. Talk to the animals. With the exception of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), who doesn’t want to go to Manila Zoo? For P20 for Manila residents and P40 for other residents, get to know creatures outside the office, like the elephant, giraffe, zebra, lion, rhinoceros, monkeys and more. For an extra P40, you (or your kids) can pet a rabbit or a snake at the Kinder Zoo. The World of Butterflies in Marikina is a 2,000-square-meter expanse of lush gardens, home to over 20 species of butterflies. For P20 for Marikina residents and P40 for other residents, sit amid verdant foliage and pretend you’re in a Disney movie. No singing, please.

6. Ride the Pasig River Ferry. It’s air-conditioned, there’s no traffic and it costs only P45 from Guadalupe to Intramuros (trip takes about an hour). Go for the sights which range from eye-catching to eye-opening: Shanties standing poetic on stilts, kids swimming in the murky river, water lilies, flotsam and jetsam, oil depots, abandoned warehouses, Malacañang Palace and the imposing Manila Central Post Office building. Warning: Videoke on board.

7. Sample free food. Ever wonder what Makati subdivision people are eating? Head for the Salcedo Saturday Market and the Legaspi Sunday Market and meet the residents, some of whom man the food stalls themselves. In Salcedo, sample for free various incarnations of chocolate cake (flourless, Belgian, mousse), pate (duck, chicken, milkfish) and vegetable juice (cucumber, celery, parsley). There are free cooking demos by famous chefs like Ed Quimson and Heny Sison. In Legaspi, have more cake, pate and Hungarian chicken sausage (yummy), and a free facial from Holystics Naturapeutic Cosmetics.
Check out: Organic produce at the Legaspi Sunday Market (the organic producers were formerly at Greenbelt).

8. Attend a free concert. Sundays at 6 p.m. at the Rizal Park Open-Air Auditorium. There's nothing like sitting amid greenery at sunset and listening to classical music. Or rock. Last year saw performances from the Manila Philharmonic to Mazkara rock band to winners of the CCP playwriting contest. It's strictly classical music at the Paco Park, Fridays at 6 p.m. This month, they're featuring students from the Philippine High School for the Arts.

9. Watch free movies. French films on Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. at Alliance Francaise de Manille, Spanish films on Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Instituto Cervantes, various titles every third Saturday of the month starting at 1 p.m. at Titus Brandsma Center. The British Council and the Goethe Institute invite the public to view films in DVD format in their libraries. Think Mr. Bean and Shakespeare for the former and Metropolis and short films for the latter.

Senior citizens get in free or receive a 20 percent discount at the movies, depending on the city and the cinema. For instance, at Greenhills Theater, senior citizens who are residents of San Juan watch movies for free on Mondays and Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In Makati, it's free with senior citizen's ID and booklet.

10. Catch French Spring in Manila. The much-awaited annual festival blooms from April to June and features the very best in French culture that includes free movies, art exhibits and concerts. Fete de la Musique, held in June at the hip area of the moment like Malate, Greenbelt or Eastwood City, features Filipino and French musicians playing various musical genres like jazz, hip hop and world music. Although event schedules are announced at the last minute, they are often worth the wait and the chaos. •

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

La Mesa Ecopark, East Fairview Subdivision, Quezon City. Open everyday 7 a.m.-5 p.m. P40 for Quezon City residents, P50 for other residents. Tel. No. 430 4051

Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center, Quezon Avenue and North Avenue, Quezon City. Open everyday 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Mini zoo is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. P8 entrance fee

CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Manila

Baywalk, Roxas Boulevard, Manila

Quezon Memorial Circle, Elliptical Road, Quezon City. Open everyday 5 a.m.-10 p.m.

Makati Park and Garden, J.P. Rizal Extension in front of Pamantasan ng Makati. Open everyday 4 a.m.-9 p.m.

Makati Aqua Sports Arena, J.P. Rizal Extension beside Makati Park and Garden. Open everyday except Monday 8 a.m.-12 p.m., 1 p.m.-8 p.m. P50 Makati residents, P150 other residents

Ultra, Meralco Avenue, Pasig. Open everyday except Monday, 8 a.m.-1:30 a.m., 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m. P43 entrance fee

Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, Vito Cruz, Malate, Manila. Open everyday except Mondays, P40 weekdays, P55 weekends. 8:30 a.m.-1:30 a.m., 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Wild Bird Club of the Philippines. Michael Lu, president. www.birdwatch.ph

Manila Zoo, Adriatico corner Quirino Avenue, Manila. Open everyday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. P20 for Manila residents, P40 for other residents

World of Butterflies, Gen. Ordoñez corner Champagnat Street, Marikina. Open everyday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. P20 Marikina residents, P40 other residents. Tel. No. 941 3747

Pasig River Ferry. Ferry has 12 stations from Intramuros (Plaza Mexico), Manila to Kalawaan Bridge, Pasig City. Runs everyday. Ferry departs every 45 minutes from around 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. depending on the station. Call 716 1418, 715 4096 for schedules.

P20-P45 fare

Where to park your car? If boarding from Guadalupe station, park at the Power Plant mall and take a cab to J.P. Rizal Extension. Ferry station is on the left. If boarding from Intramuros station, there's parking on Plaza Mexico which is at the back of the Bureau of Immigration Building.

Salcedo Saturday Market is on Tordesillas St., Salcedo Village, Makati, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Legaspi Sunday Market is on Legaspi St., Legaspi Village, Makati, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

Concert at the Park, Sundays at 6 p.m. Rizal Park Open-air auditorium
Luneta, Manila. Tel. no. 302 7374 for schedules

Paco Park Presents, Fridays at 6 p.m., Paco Park, San Marcelino and Gen. Luna Streets, Paco, Manila. Tel. no. 302 7374 for schedules

Alliance Francaise de Manille, http://www.alliance.ph

Instituto Cervantes, http://manila.cervantes.es/en/default.shtm

Goethe Institute, http://www.goethe.de/ins/ph/map/enindex.htm

British Council, http://www.britishcouncil.org/philippines.htm

Titus Brandsma, Crispin Hall, 26 Acacia St., Brgy. Mariana, New Manila, Quezon City. Tel. No. 726 6054, www.pelikula-titusbrandsma.ph