Intramuros: From Puerta Real to Plaza Roma

It was almost 11AM when we left Luneta for Intramuros as we continue our walk in reminiscing Rizal’s last footsteps. Sure enough, Intramuros is just a walk away from the park…but beware of crossing Padre Burgos Street though…big trucks and cars rush over the road…just wait for the pedestrian crossing light to turn green, ok? In anyways, it was just a short walk entering Puerta Real and Revellin de Real de Bagumbayan…the Royal Gates of the medieval Manila that was.

Intramuros in a glimpse was THE Manila of the Spanish colonial era. The Spaniards live here amidst the protection of its walls and fully-armed cannoned baluartes from the foreigners or extranjeros such as piratas, Moros, Briton, Neerlandes, Portugues and most especially Chinos infiel. Built from Rajah Matanda’s old wooden palisade community called Maynilad, the settlement grew to be the colony’s center of governance. It survived all the way until World War II when it was heavily damaged during “The Liberation” in 1945 which was also the venue for hundreds of thousands slain by the Japanese imperial troops in the wake of the American forces “liberating” Manila. Three decades later, it was restored and now managed by the Intramuros Administration under the Office of the Philippine President.

Puerta Real

Back to the journey, Puerta Real is the southern gate of the walled city of Manila. PLMayers, tourists and ordinary Pinoys pass by this gate frequently, but going to Intramuros was never easy for any extranjero of the past. One has to pass the mosquito-infested moat that surrounds the walled city which has been filled up and turned into a golf course. The puerta is also protected by the Revellin Real de Bagumbayan, another defense fortification for the walled city…talk about medieval ages, Manila was then like those of the medieval walled European cities way back then…proyectado por las conquistadores espaoles. The revellin today is more like a garden and a mini activity venue…but inside Puerta Real, there are relics and tombstones from the old walled city…creepy huh?

When you enter Puerta Real, Calle General Luna or known as Calle Real during the Spanish era, was the main road of Intramuros. Most of the important edifices of governance and commerce in the colony can be found along the road. It leads the Palacio del Gobernador, Iglesia de San Agustin and Catedral de Manila to the outside world. We head on towards Fort Santiago when we decided to take a visit on UNESCO’s World Heritage Site located at the heart of Philippines’s capital.

Iglesia y Mueso de San Agustin: One of Foundations of Catholic faith in Manila

The Church of San Agustin is said to be one of the oldest stone edifices in Manila. Completed in 1607, the present structure is the third generation church, which was established by the Agustinian friars in 1571…from nipa and bamboo to wood and to stone. Aside from being one of the oldest, it is also one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites in the Philippines which was declared in 1993.

The church has been a silent witness of changes in history…from earthquakes, foreign invasions, typhoons, revolution to the atrocities of war and change of government.

The church’s architecture is of baroque with an orange-yellow palitada covering its exterior walls and façade. Two Chinese foo dogs (or lions I guess) stand guard the church plaza entrance and church entrance. Perhaps it is a gift of the Chinese coverts to Catholicism to the friars. Although it lost its northern bell tower during an earthquake in the 19^th century and very simple in its design, when you come inside…the trompe-l’oeil in the ceiling would give you a gasp…as if they are real carvings but…they are paintings! Talk about IMAX and 3D glasses, the painters who made the ceiling décor sure has the vision to make it 3D! Aside from it, the interior looks like a grand church in Europe.

A lot of people don’t know that the tomb of the Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi can be found just beside the main altar of the church…I mean a room just beside the main altar. Aside from it, it has been the place where the the Spanish government’s preparation for surrender to the Americans in 1898. Yet the most memorable could’ve been during World War 2, when the Japanese used this as a garrison and a concentration camp…and many of Intramuros’ citizens were held hostage here which a lot of them would never see the free sun again.

The museum and convent is located just beside the church. Entrance fee for adults here is PhP70.00 (US$1.50) and has a good collection of paintings and antique religious artifacts from different churches of the country. You can also access the crypt within its premises. The museum itself is open from 9AM to 5pm with a lunch break at 12PM to 1PM daily.

By the way, they do allow photos within the musuem EXCEPT EXHIBITION AREAS! Huwag na po sanang pasaway ang iba!

And as we leave San Agustin Church, we went on towards Plaza Roma, the center of power in Spanish colonial Philippines.

Plaza Mayor: Center of Power

I’ve mentioned earlier that plazas are heart and soul of every Philippine ciudad, pueblo or Spanish-governed settlement during the three centuries of rule of the Spaniards. In Manila perhaps, Plaza Roma or Plaza Mayor as it was called back then, was the main square of the colony. If you ask me, probably this was the equivalent of Mexico’s Zocalo back then. You have the seat of ecclesiastical power, colonial government power and city’s local government in just one area! The plaza was the site of the bull fights and other public activities until it became a green park sometime in the 18^th century according to Intramuros Administration. In its center is the bronze statue of Rey Carlos IV de Espana, erected in 1824. A dedication to the king sent in the package of smallpox vaccine in the Philippines.

Surrounding the Plaza Mayor are the following:

• Manila Cathedral – also called as Basilica Minore de Imaculada Concepcion, it is the symbol of ecclesiastical power of Catholic faith in Spanish colonial Manila and the Philippines. First built as a bamboo and nipa church in 1581, the one that you see now is the sixth incarnation (constructed in the 1950s) of those previous cathedrals that were built and was toppled down by fires, typhoons, earthquakes and bombardment. In 1981, the cathedral became a basilica minore as approved by Pope John Paul II. The cathedral is of neo-Romanesque in architecture, with wide-arched doorways and a rose window in its façade. It’s belfry is separated from the main church body. It is also here were Archbishops of Manila is traditionally lie in state…but former presidents Carlos Garcia and Corazon Aquino were also interred and had their requiem mass held.

• Palacio del Gobernador Building – To your right when you’re facing the cathedral would be the Palacio del Gobernador…nope, don’t expect skyscrapers during Rizal’s time. That building is just recent. Remember that Intramuros was heavily bombarded and only San Agustin Church remained standing. The site has also been abandoned in favor of the summer palace of Malacañang after the original palacio was heavily damaged by an earthquake in 1863 and was laid to ruins for more than a century until 1970s. It was once the residence of the gobernador-general of colonial Philippines from 1645 to 1863. It is also here where the Real Audiencia or the Supreme Court of the islands was located back then. Today, it is known to be the headquarters of the Commission on Elections or we Pinoys know as COMELEC. The current building sure houses life and death of Philippine democracy through elections.

• Ayuntamiento site – It’s just a big parking lot with a Spanish colonial era inspired walls surrounding it to cheaply imitate the ruins of once the city hall of Manila. Yup, ladies and gentlemen, this site was once the seat of local power and authority of the city of Manila through its Cabildo de Manila (Council of Manila). During the American colonial era, it became the seat of colonial power from military to civil government. Supreme Court and Bureau of Justice were also located here until it suffered bombardment during the “Liberation” of Manila in 1945. Unlike his neighbors, the ayuntamiento never rose again from its ruins…and is now…a glorified parking lot. It’s such a loss indeed.

And it’s 12 noon…we’re searching where to eat lunch. But that was December 30, starting of one of the longest holidays in the country and most restaurants in Intramuros (fastfood and cheap ones that is) were closed. And because of the search, we’ve managed to encounter another important civil building before ending up in SM City Manila for lunch because there was no rice at the nearest Chowking (the only open fast food chain at that time).

Aduana

asds

This was the bagsakan of imported goods or we all know as “Customs.” Built in 1823, it served as the Customs house of Manila. During those times folks, the port was still beside Pasig River, not North and South Harbour. It was damaged by an earthquake in 1863 but was restored and in turn, would be the grandfather of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Check your 100 peso bills please and look for that building on the upper left of the bill…on the upper left of the bill…yung picture na isiningit sa itaas ng litrato ng Bangko Sentral ngayon…that was the Intendencia back then in its glorious days…the casa de moneda (mint), office of the Treasury. The edifice though did somehow managed the bombardment of Manila in 1945 and resumed to be the office of BSP, COMELEC and Bureau of Treasury until it was razed by fire in 1979. Today, there is a big sign stating that it would be the future site of the National Archives (which is occupying some space of the National Library as of now)…but Intramuros Administration said that…restoration for the Intendencia was in 1998…oh, okay para din palang ilan sa mga di natapos na proyekto ng gobyerno dahil wala nang badyet. It’s more than a decade and this magnificent ruin still stands as a ruin. I wonder when they will resume the restoration?

It’s after lunch…as I’ve said, no rice at Chowking…so of we go to SM City Manila to find some grub. Later that afternoon, we’ll be back in our ultimate destination in reminiscing Rizal’s last footsteps…his incarceration at Fort Santiago.

For now, chow time!

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Map of the Route:


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Heritage/History, Historical Site, MetroManila   Aduana, Ayuntamiento, Historical Site, Intendencia, Intramuros, Jose Rizal, Manila, Manila Cathedral, Palacio del Gobernador, Philippines, San Agustin Church