TRAVELING AS IT IS! A WALK ALONG MANILA CITY'S HISTORICAL PATH

October 30, 2017
MABUHAY!

I am going to Bureau of Immigration today to secure some documents needed for our travel to Malaysia. The previous day, I checked with GOOGLE MAP for directions for I planned not to take my car within MANILA area due to parking problem. The path that GOOGLE MAP gave me is really very interesting. An 11 minute walk that will pass through some of Manila's historical landmarks.


GETTING THERE

The historical PATH that I tread from LRT 1 Central Terminal Station to Bureau of Immigration Head Office

MANILA LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT - CENTRAL TERMINAL
Construction of the LRT Line 1 started in September 1981 with the Construction and Development Corporation of the Philippines (now the Philippine National Construction Corporation) as the contractor with assistance from Losinger, a Swiss firm, and the Philippine subsidiary of Dravo, an American firm. The government appointed Electrowatt Engineering Services of Zürich to oversee construction and eventually became responsible for the extension studies of future expansion projects.The line was test-run in March 1984, and the first half of LRT-1, from Baclaran to Central Terminal, was opened on December 1, 1984. The second half, from Central Terminal to Monumento, was opened on May 12, 1985. Overcrowding and poor maintenance took its toll a few years after opening. In 1990, the LRT-1 fell so far into disrepair due to premature wear and tear that trains headed to Central Terminal station had to slow to a crawl to avoid further damage to the support beams below as cracks reportedly began to appear. The premature ageing of LRT-1 led to an extensive refurbishing and structural capacity expansion program with a help of Japan's ODA.-(excerpt from WIKIPEDIA)

MANILA METROPOLITAN THEATER
The Manila Metropolitan Theater (Filipino: Tanghalang Pangkalakhan ng Maynila, or MET) is a Philippine Art Deco building found near the Mehan Garden located on Padre Burgos Avenue corner Arroceros Street, near the Manila Central Post Office. It was designed by architect JUAN M. ARELLANO and inaugurated on December 10, 1931

In 1862, the Teatro del Príncipe Alfonso XII was built within Plaza Arroceros, near the present-day Metropolitan Theater. This theater stood until 1876, when the old theater was burnt down.

It was in 1924, during the American Colonial period that the idea of constructing a theater in Manila came about. The Philippine Legislature then approved Senator Alegre’s proposal to build a theater within the Mehan Garden (now Sining Kayumanggi). The construction began in 1930 under the supervision of the engineering firm Pedro Siochi and Company in a 8,239.58 square meter area of the park. It was inaugurated on December 10, 1931. This new theater housed different performances from zarzuelas, dramas to translations of foreign classics.-(excerpt from WIKIPEDIA)

Manila Metropolitan Theater undergoing renovation

Manila Metropolitan Theater circa 1930's

LIWASANG BONIFACIO

The Liwasang Bonifacio (Bonifacio Square), also known by its former name, Plaza Lawton, is a city square and transport hub in front of the Manila Central Post Office in the Ermita district of Manila, Philippines. It lies at the south end of Jones Bridge, MacArthur Bridge and Quezon Bridge that link the northern districts of Binondo, Santa Cruz and Quiapo to the central district of Ermita. The plaza straddles the dividing line between Ermita and Intramuros and is the starting point of Padre Burgos Avenue which connects to Taft Avenue and Roxas Boulevard in Rizal Park.

Historically known as the Plaza del Fortín, the plaza was given its current name in 1963 after the revolutionary leader Andres Bonifacio who founded the independence movement of Katipunan during the Spanish colonial rule. A monument in his honour now stands in the center of the plaza. The plaza is a popular site of protests and demonstrations organized by several leftist groups, being one of four freedom parks in the City of Manila, where protests and rallies may be held without requiring permission from local authorities.-(excerpt from WIKIPEDIA)

MANILA CENTRAL POST OFFICE 

The Manila Central Post Office is the central post office of the city of Manila, Philippines. It is the head office of the Philippine Postal Corporation, and houses the country's main mail sorting-distribution operations.

Designed by Juan M. Arellano and Tomás Mapúa, the post office building was built in neoclassical architecture in 1926. It was severely damaged in World War II, and rebuilt in 1946 preserving most of its original design.

The location of the Post Office building in the Ermita district of the city east of Intramuros, was part of the plan of Daniel Burnham for the city of Manila, which placed the building on the frontage of the Pasig River for easy water transportation of mails. Its central location with converging avenues made the building readily accessible from all sides. The building's main entrance faces the Liwasang Bonifacio.

The construction of this building started in 1936 under the supervision of the engineering firm Pedro Siochi and Company. It was finished before the outbreak of war in 1941.-(excerpt from WIKIPEDIA)

This is the path of the historic area where I walked - photo taken on 1945 after the Japanese bombed Manila.

PASIG RIVER

The Pasig River (Filipino: Ilog Pasig and Spanish: Río Pásig) is a river in the Philippines that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for 25 kilometres (15.5 mi), it bisects the Philippine capital of Manila and its surrounding urban area into northern and southern halves. Its major tributaries are the Marikina River and San Juan River. The total drainage basin of Pasig River, including the basin of Laguna de Bay, covers 4,678 square kilometres (1,806 sq mi).

The Pasig River is technically a tidal estuary, as the flow direction depends upon the water level difference between Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay. During the dry season, the water level in Laguna de Bay is low with the river's flow direction dependent on the tides. During the wet season, when the water level of Laguna de Bay is high, the flow is reversed towards Manila Bay.

The Pasig River used to be an important transport route and source of water for Spanish Manila. Due to negligence and industrial development, the river has become very polluted and is considered dead (i.e., unable to sustain life) by ecologists. The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC), which was established to oversee rehabilitation efforts for the river, is supported by private sector organisations such as the Clean and Green Foundation, Inc. that introduced the Piso para sa Pasig.-(excerpt from WIKIPEDIA)

JONES BRIDGE
The William A. Jones Memorial Bridge is a bridge that spans the Pasig River in the Philippines connecting the Manila area of Binondo on Rosario Street (Calle Rosario, now Quintin Paredes Street), with the center of city in Ermita. The previous bridge that connected the two areas was the Puente Grande (Great Bridge), later called the Puente de España (Bridge of Spain) located one block upriver on Nueva Street (Calle Nueva, now E. T. Yuchengco Street). That span was considered as the oldest established in the Philippines.-(excerpt from WIKIPEDIA)

The original Jones Bridge circa 1930's

PUERTA DE ISABEL II, INTRAMUROS
The last gate to be built in Intramuros was opened in 1861 as a solution to the heavy pedestrian traffic outside Parian Gate to the Puente de Espana (Bridge of Spain) and Binondo. Located in front of it is the Queen Isabel II statue honoring the then reigning Spanish monarch. The gate became part of the route of the tranvía (streetcar) that started in 19th century Manila. It was damaged during the Battle of Manila in 1945 and restored in 1966.-(excerpt from WIKIPEDIA)

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLAND
April 9, 1886 – Royal Decree creating “Camara” institutions for all Spanish colonies.
May 24, 1887 – Camara de Comercio de Manila was formally organized and presented to the General Assembly.
June 17, 1887 – Statutes and By-Laws first approved by Gobierno Superior of the Philippines.
Febraury 9, 1888 – Approval by Queen Regent Maria Cristina.
July 19, 1903 – the Camara de Comercio Filipina held its first session in Spanish with Francisco Reyes as the first Chamber President;
Sectorial Dimensions Commerce, Industry and Agriculture were created.
June 19, 1915 – the ESCRITURA Social dela Camara de Comercio de las Islas Filipinas was ratified.
September 15, 1934 –  The title to a property where its building now stands was issued to The Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands.
1937 – A 3-storey building structure was built and Inaugurated. - (excerpt from Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Island website)

BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION BUILDING

When the Pacific war broke out in December 1941, the bureau, then under the Department of Justice, moved to the Bilibid Prison on Azcarraga Street (now Claro M. Recto Avenue).

Immediately after the war, the bureau was transferred near the Gate 1 of the South Harbor in Manila, then moved to Building No. 5 at the Customs Bureau at Gate 4. In 1945, in line with the reorganization plan of the government, the bureau was put under the supervision and control of the Department of Labor.

In 1948, the Bureau was reverted to the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice where it has remained up to the present time.-(excerpt from WIKIPEDIA)

VIDEO FOOTAGE OF MY WALK ALONG THIS HISTORICAL PATH