Every June 24, we celebrate the foundation of Manila as a city of the Philippines. And 448 years since its establishment, the city has been a part of pivotal moments in our country’s history.
The question is, how much do we know about this city and the history that goes with it?
1. “Araw ng Maynila” is actually the commemoration of the foundation of Spanish Manila, which back then, was within the walls of Intramuros.
2. The colorful and decorative Philippine jeepney found in Manila—and in the Philippines—were originally made from US military jeeps that were left over from the Second World War. Currently, they are a means of public transportation in the country and has become an icon in Philippine culture.
3. The Manila Kilometer Zero is found in the flagpole near the Rizal monument in Luneta. It is the reference point from which distances of various parts of the country are measured.
4. There are underground tunnels found in Fort Bonifacio, which served as “underground highway” and temporary shelter during the war.
5. Binondo district, which is found in Manila, is the oldest Chinatown in the world. It was established by the Spaniards in the 1590s as a settlement for Catholic Chinese. Today, Chinatown is kept alive by different restaurants and businesses that continue to bring in crowds.
6. Roxas Boulevard in Manila, popular for its sunsets, was once called Cavite Boulevard. It was renamed Dewey Boulevard after the American Admiral George Dewey. During the Japanese occupation, it was again renamed, this time to Heiwa Boulevard. In the 1960s, it was changed to its current name after the former president of the Philippines, Manuel Roxas.
7. A popular urban legend in the Philippines is the Manila City Hall, which was said to have the shape of a coffin from the top view. However, the city hall was said to be shaped like a shield of the Knights Templar to represent the influence of religion in the Philippines.
8. Escolta Street was the home of the first ice cream parlor (Clarke’s Ice Cream Parlor), the first movie house (Salon de Pertrierra), and the first elevator (in Burke Building). It was also the birthplace of the country’s first electric cable car (Tranvia) and the first American-style department store (Beck’s).
9. The oldest existing university in Asia is found in Manila. It is the University of Santo Tomas that is currently in Sampaloc, Manila. The university was founded in 1611 and is also the largest Catholic university in the region in terms of student population.
10. The largest and the most famous “University Belt” in the area is found in the districts of Quiapo, San Miguel, Sta. Cruz, and Sampaloc. There are also other clusters of universities and colleges in along Taft Avenue from Ermita to Malate, and another inside Intramuros. Although some consider these three clusters as one huge university belt.
