For the next post of this blog series, please click here.
Just recently, I found some old Manila maps uploaded on Wikimedia Commons to search for my alma mater’s original location year 1899. Since they are all centuries-old, the copyright of the photos are now expired; so there wouldn’t be any copyright issues if I download them to my own computer and share it with you through this blog.
Just recently, I found some old Manila maps uploaded on Wikimedia Commons to search for my alma mater’s original location year 1899. Since they are all centuries-old, the copyright of the photos are now expired; so there wouldn’t be any copyright issues if I download them to my own computer and share it with you through this blog.
The
maps have revealed so many details to me, and if I were to share all of them to
you, one blog post will not be enough. Thus, the birth of Joe’s Mix of Tops new “blog series” Binondo-San Nicolas Tales.
I’m
a native of San Nicolas and I can say I’ve been to almost the entirety of the
district. Binondo district is where I frequently go, as it is just a ten-minute
walk from my place, whenever I go to work, church among other stuffs.
My hunger
for history digging has been compelling me to search for more facts concerning
Manila’s, particularly of the two aforementioned districts’ past as much as I
can. Given that the Philippine capital has so much to tell from the
pre-Hispanic era up to the present Estrada-led city administration,
immortalizing the facts that I might share in this blog shall be my contribution
to those who are in search for the truths that may not be found in school
textbooks.
One
thing I can assure my blog readers that every detail posted in this new blog
series shall be verified and proven with sources. However, since most of pre-war
Manila records are gone, I will be honest and sincere to tell everyone if there
are details in the blog that are disputed and in need of further research.
Before
I end this post, I must define Binondo and San Nicolas districts first.
The
present-day Binondo geographical district’s borders are Estero de Binondo (the
body of water under San Fernando Bridge) to the west, Claro M. Recto Avenue to
the north, the narrow body of water (I don’t know it’s name) under the Gandara
Bridge to the upper east, and Estero dela Reina (under Escolta Bridge) to the
lower east. While the San Nicolas district borders Claro M. Recto Avenue to the
north down to the west, and shares Estero de Binondo with the Binondo district
on the east side. Both districts lie north of the Pasig River.
 |
| Location of Binondo and San Nicolas districts in Manila. (Image derived from a Manila map found in Wikimedia Commons.) |
Now, Binondo is the cradle to most of the Chinese-Filipinos and Chinese nationals in the Philippines, for the world's oldest Chinatown is in the said district. San Nicolas is the home to at least two public schools and tens of thousands of people reside there. The northernmost parts of the two districts are part of Divisoria area, where bargain sales and night markets take place.
Well, I'll post the former names of several streets in Binondo-San Nicolas area in my next post. Hope you'll join me next time in digging out Manila's past.
Well, I'll post the former names of several streets in Binondo-San Nicolas area in my next post. Hope you'll join me next time in digging out Manila's past.
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