Stories behind the streets of Manila - Binondo and Quiapo
I have posted some interesting (or maybe not so interesting) stories on how some streets of Sampaloc and Intramuros were named that way, I haven’t continued those threads until well now. Of course, Binondo, considered the oldest Chinatown in the world, is the original settlement area for the Chinese Immigrants who converted to Catholicism, administered by the Dominican Missionaries. Meanwhile, Quiapo is a Recollect Mission near it.
Since those two are among the oldest districts of Manila, the streets are also among the oldest in the city. Though they are named differently now, their alignment basically stays the same and even those name changes are full of stories by themselves.
Named after the painter Juan Luna, its former name was Anloague (Tl. Anluwagi), meaning a carpenter. Anloague prominently appears in Philippine Literature as the address of Kapitan Tiago and Maria Clara, characters of Noli me Tangere. Some more streets in Binondo - San Nicolas are named after craftsmen like Anloague.
Named after Senate President Quintin Paredes (1952), the street was formerly called Calle Rosario, since it ends at Binondo Church and the patron of that church is Santo Rosario. It is also one of the old Downtown’s main commericial streets.
Formerly called Oriente Street, it was once the location of the Hotel de Oriente.
Named after Roman Ongpin St., a rich businessman of Chinese ancestry who is also a patron of the Philippine Revolution. The street was once called Sacristia St. The street ends at the Sacristy of the Binondo Church.
There are many place names in the Philippines named after Dasmarinas, one is a town in Cavite Province and another one is a gated village in Makati City. The street name (and as well as the town and village name) is possibly named after two persons one is Governor Luis Perez de Dasmarinas and another is his some Gomez Perez de Dasmarinas. The elder Dasmarinas was Governor General from 1590 until 1593 when he was assasinated on the way to Mollucas by Chinese mutineers. His some Gomez took his place. Governor Dasmarinas also started the building of Manila into a walled city we now call Intramuros.
Named after “La Escortar” since the cavalry escorts of the Governor General have their stables here. Also one of the main commercial streets of the old Manila downtown.
Named after Dr. William Burke, a professor of UST and one of the pioneers of Cardiology in the Philippines. A Building in Escolta is also named after him.
Named after Maria Christina of Austria, he is the Queen Regent of Spain until the King Alfonso XII of Spain attained maturity. Her rule in Spain saw the Philippine Revolution and the Treaty of Paris.
Formerly called Calle Nueva.
Sabino Padilla was a Court of Appeals and a Supreme Court Justice. This street was named Calle Gandara, after Governor General Gandara, a Governor General who established a telegraph system in the archipelago, making it closer to Spain and to the rest of the world.
Claro M. Recto was a Philippine Senator, but the road named after it was formerly named Calle Azcarraga, after Marcelo Azcarraga. Marcelo Azcarraga is a Manila Born Spanish Politician, and the only prime Minister of Spain with Filipino Ancestry.
Teodora Alonza is the mother of the National Hero Jose Rizal. The street was once called Calle Arranque. The spanish word Arranque has many meanings, like boot and starting point.
Named after Miguel de Benavides, Archbishop of Manila.
Maybe I’ll split the list here, so it won’t be too long. I’ll post other by parts in the future.
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