Quiapo and the neighboring district of San Miguel started out as sleepy villages, but in the 19th century they blossomed into fashionable riverside enclaves. By the 20th century, Quiapo transformed into one of the city’s main commercial districts thanks to the popularity of the Black Nazarene, while San Miguel remained strictly residential due to the presence of Malacañan Palace, seat of the Philippine government. The contrast between the two districts makes it ripe for exploration as both offer a treasure trove of insights into the Filipino soul. You will most certainly be surprised as to what you can find here.
Friday
12nn. There are no good hotels — yet — in Quiapo, but a relatively upmarket recommendation is Lido De Paris Hotel (1036 Ongpin St, Sta. Cruz, Manila; +63 2 7088888 to 91) in front of Sta. Cruz Church.
Aside from having in-house restaurants, a gym and spa, it is also a mere five-minute walk to Quiapo via Carriedo Street. A double deluxe rooms starts from PHP3000 per night, but they also have “wash-up rooms” at PHP1500 which you can keep for 12 hours. If you’d rather in the heart of Quiapo, Citystate Hotel (475 Quezon Blvd, Quiapo, Manila; +632 7369091) has clean rooms and basic facilities; the wash-up room rate for 12 hours is PHP680.
1pm. Take a taxi. Open only on weekdays, the Malacanan Palace’s Presidential Museum and Library (1000 JP Laurel St, San Miguel, Manila;+63 2 784 4286 loc. 4945/4649. PHP50 adults, PHP30 children) focuses on the history of the presidential palace as well as the 15 Filipino men and women who have occupied the country’s top post since since the 20th century.
The exhibit also highlights the country’s colorful electoral process as well as presidential spouses. Kalayaan Hall, where the museum is housed, is worth a visit for its beautifully restored rooms and offices. Book two weeks in advance.
2pm. Time to explore the San Miguel district on foot. Aside from the presidential palace, it was in this district that Don Enrique Ma. Barretto started brewing the famous San Miguel Beer in 1890. The original brewery was purchased by the government as additional office space for the palace in 1936. During World War II, the Japanese Army used it to produce their own line of beer. When the American Army took over, all that Jap brew was given away. People started lining up with bottles, pails or any containers that could hold liquid. It took them two weeks to dispose of the entire stock! The brewery was demolished in 1978. In 1989, the structure became the site of a new Executive Building.
Upon exiting the palace grounds, turn left and keep walking straight till you come across a small church again on your left. This is the San Miguel Church, known formally as National Shrine of Saint Michael and the Archangels (1000 Gen. Solano St, San Miguel, Manila; +632 734 1271). The church served as the temporary site of Manila Cathedral after the original one in Intramuros was destroyed during World War II. Another milestone: this is where then-Senator Ferdinand Marcos married beauty queen Imelda Romualdez in 1954.
3pm. Walk back towards Malacañan Palace but stop by Casa Roces (1153 JP Laurel cor. Aguado St, San Miguel, Manila;+632 735 5896). Located in an old house, the restaurant honors newsman and publisher Joaquin “Chino” Roces even if, technically, it was his relatives who lived here. There is even a lifesize bronze sculpture of a newsboy hawking a copy of The Manila Times. The interiors have been thoroughly modernized, but it still exudes an old world elegance. Top up your energy with a cuppa (PHP95) and a slice of the Belgian chocolate cheesecake (PHP190).
4pm. Go back to JP Laurel St. and walk past the presidential palace to the National Shrine of Saint Jude Thaddeus (1420 JP Laurel St, San Miguel, Manila;+632 7356408) located inside St. Jude Catholic School. This is a popular spot as St. Jude is the patron saint of desperate causes. Thursday is the day for the shrine’s novena, so school classes are moved to Saturday so that students will not be hampered by the crowds of devotees.
Go back down San Rafael Street towards Legarda Street. Once you reach a 7Eleven store, turn right toward Chino Roces Bridge. Formerly known as Mendiola, the bridge has witnessed some of the most violent public demonstrations during the Marcos and Aquino regimes. It was renamed when Chino Roces was already in his 70s. Roces has bravely led demonstrators against President Marcos despite being drenched by the water canons.
Cross to the left side of bridge to get to San Beda College. Walk past the first two gates and enter through the third one via the open side gate for the school chapel, Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat(638 Mendiola St, San Miguel, Manila; +63 2 7356011). Your jaw will drop in amazement at the beautiful Neo Baroque interiors painted by two monks, Dom Lesmes Lopez and Brother Salvador Alberich, in the 1930s. The candy-like glass doors at the entrance are a recent addition and done by local artist Ed Castrillo. There is a small memorial honoring Maximillian Kolbe, a Polish Franciscan friar who served in Manila before returning to Europe just before World War II. While held in a Nazi concentration camp, he volunteered to die in place of a stranger. He was later canonized by the Catholic Church.
Go back to the 7Eleven store on Legarda Street and then cross to Minor Basilica of San Sebastian (Plaza del Carmen, Quiapo, Manila; +632 734 8908). Built in 1881, it is the only all-steel church in Asia. Designed by Spanish architect Gener Palacios, it was prefabricated in Belgium, then shipped to Manila and assembled on site. The church’s Gothic exterior continues inside with a trompe l’oeil marble interior by local artist Lorenzo Rocha. It also has stained glass windows from Germany and locally carved Gothic furnishing and details. The structure is pretty strong as well — it has survived 14 major earthquakes, 10 of which were above 7.0 on the Richter scale. However the church has to be repainted every few years to prevent rust from spreading.
6pm. Walk back to 7Eleven and proceed to San Rafael Street for dinner. Like Malacañan Palace, you need to make a reservation at La Cocina de Tita Moning (315 San Rafael St, San Miguel, Manila; +63 2 7342146). It is the one of the few stately heritage houses open to the public. The 1930s mansion belonged to Dr. Alejandro Legarda and his wife, Doña Ramona (aka Tita Moning). When the house was converted into a restaurant, the interiors of the house were lovingly preserved in their memory. Guests can choose from 19 different menu sets and features some of Tita Moning’s best loved recipes. Prices start from PHP1,000 for a four-course meal that includes lengua cooked in white wine, paella Valenciana and their famous bread and butter pudding.
(Old Manila Walks conducts a San Miguel-Malcañan Palace walking tour that includes merienda and a shot of beer at La Cocina de Tita Moning. Casa Roces offers a similar package with six set menus to choose from at their restaurant.)
Saturday
9am. After breakfast at your hotel, head down to Quiapo Church (910 Plaza Miranda, Quiapo, Manila; +632 733 4434 loc. 100). Officially it is called the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene after the statue of Jesus Christ that is kept here. It was brought from Mexico in the 17th century and housed in a Recollect church in Bagumbayan (what is now Rizal Park). It was moved to Quiapo in the late 19th century. As to why the image sports a dark complexion, there are two theories. One is that it was blackened by the Mexican Indian craftsmen who carved the image to match their skin tone. The second theory is that the galleon transporting the image to Manila caught fire and smoke blackened the statue. Most of the devotees don’t care why, as they believe the image to be miraculous.
One way devotees think they can access the Black Nazarene’s power is by touching or wiping it. On a regular weekday, thousands line up to get behind the altar in order to gain contact with the Señor Nazareno. Some head to the hall just beside the church and line up for a copy of the venerated image. Every January 9, the image’s feast day, the church places the Black Nazarene on a float and parades it from Rizal Park back to the church. Normally this wouldn’t take more than an hour on a truck, but with an estimated crowd of millions, it can take up to 18 hours (like in 2012). This year the crowd is expected to reach twelve million!
Along Evangelista Street right outside the church are vendors that offer charms and amulets. Among their more unusual offerings are tails of stingray fish, used by locals as whips when they are said to be battling paranormal creatures. There are also those who sell medicinal herbs for medicinal purposes — the most sought after is the comfrey as it is considered a cure all. It’s an infusion made from the leaf can be used to treat cough, asthma as well as insomnia. A poultice made from the leaf is said to treat sprains and wounds.
The array of street vendors that you will see here gets more interesting as you make your way to Plaza Miranda. Among others you will find vendors selling candles that come in a variety of colors; each color is for a particular concern. If you are having troubles in your love life, you can buy and light a red candle. Not feeling well? Get a pink candle for health. Of course you might wonder what the black candles are for. Those are meant for your enemies.
Aside from vendors, fortune tellers are another fixture around the plaza. Most specialize in tarot card reading, while other focus on palmistry and numerology. While many may scoff at the accuracy of their prediction, they do have a following.
Amidst the vendors and fortune teller you will spot a granite marker honoring a bombing that took place here in 1972. When the Liberal Party was holding a political rally here, someone lobbed a grenade on to the stage. The resulting explosion killed nine people and injured 95 others. This event, among others, led then-President Ferdinand Marcos to declare Martial Law in September of that year.
Behind the marker is Hidalgo Street. If you love photography or anything related to it, you must walk down this street. You can find everything from twin lens Roloflex to the latest DSLR at prices lower than what is offered in the malls. Also a great value for money here are the picture framers.
11am. Going back to the the Plaza, make your way down the market on Villalobos Street. and then turn left at Palanca Street. Walk straight towards Quezon Bridge. In the arches under the bridge you will find a market dealing with local handicrafts. Affectionately called “il de tul” or “ilalim nang tulay (under the bridge)”. You can find a wide selection here and in the shops in the surrounding area, anything from baskets to wood carvings at affordable prices.
Once you are done checking out the handicrafts, look for the arch that marks the entrance to Manila’s Muslim town on Globo de Oro Street. The community is clustered around a mosque built in the 1976 by First Lady Imelda Marcos to encourage Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Ghaddafi to come to Manila, since he claimed he could never come to Manila as it didn’t have a mosque. He never did visit.
Also known as Masjid Al-Dahab, the Manila Golden Mosque and Cultural Center (Globo de Oro St;+63 2 3838067) is the largest mosque in Manila. It got its name from the golden dome that sits upon its roof. The colorful geometric pattern on the walls of the mosque were inspired by motifs from Sulu and Lanao province. There used to be a minaret as well, but that was torn down years ago as it was rusting. Non-Muslims can enter the mosque outside of worship hours, but they must be respectful of Islamic culture, so keep your arms and legs covered if you want to come inside here. If you want to take pictures, please ask the permission of your subjects beforehand.
Outside the mosque you can find stalls offering music CDs from the Tausug and Maranao tribe as well as movies dubbed into Bahasa sug and Maranao. They also offer videos expounding Islamic teachings. There are also shops around the mosque offering Islamic-style clothing.
12nn. If you are feeling famished, check out Moud Halal (827 Globo de Oro St. +63 2 488 5006). You can spot the rotisserie full of roasted chicken prepared the Halal way (meaning no blood on the bone when you cut through it). For a mere PHP80 you can have one fourth cut of a roast chicken with either pita bread or one of four varieties of rice. They also have a halal-friendly siopao with bean filling or beef filling.
2pm. After lunch, go to Bahay Nakpil Bautista (432 Ariston Bautista St; +63 915 871 7455 or +63 2 7319305. PHP80 entrance fee). Built in 1914 by Dr. Ariston Bautista and his wife, Petrona Nakpil, the childless couple invited two of Petrona’s brothers and their family to live with them. One of the brothers, Julio, had just married the widow of Andres Bonifacio, Gregoria de Jesus. Because of her role in the Philippine Revolution, this house acts as a shrine in her honor. Some of her personal effects are on display.
But aside from Gregoria de Jesus, the house is worth visiting on its own, as there are not many well-preserved pre-war houses in Manila that are open to the public. Many of the original furnishings are still intact as are the details such as the sliding doors and windows. The ground floor of the house is the workshop of sculptor Ner Melaqui. Specializing in Catholic saints and imagery, you can view some of his work on display.
Photos by Anson Yu
SEE ALSO: Secrets of the city: A sea of sculptures in an abandoned Quiapo mansion
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