Blast from the past: 69 photos of the old and new Manila

Metro Manila is the metropolitan region composed of the City of Manila and the surrounding cities of Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon City, San Juan, Taguig, and Valenzuela, as well as the Municipality of Pateros.

Through the years, “the old and wider” Manila has changed. Few examples are the rising towers, especially along Roxas Boulevard, the exciting property developments have taken place outside the old city’s boundaries, its suburban cities.

Take time to look at the photos of the old and new Manila.

Malacañang Palace

The original structure was built in 1750 by Don Luís Rocha as a summer house along the Pasig River. It was purchased by the state in 1825 as the summer residence for the Spanish Governor-General.

After the June 3, 1863 earthquake destroyed the Palacio del Gobernador (Governor’s Palace) in the walled city of Manila, it became the Governor-General’s official residence.

Malacañang Palace (1898)

Malacañang Palace (present)

Binondo Church

Binondo Church, also known as Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz and Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish , is located in the District of Binondo, Manila fronting Plaza Calderón de La Barca, in the Philippines.

Binondo Church (1890)

Binondo Church (1900)

Binondo Church (present)

Manila Post Office

The Manila Central Post Office is the central post office of the city of Manila, Philippines. It is the head office of the Philippine Postal Corporation, and houses the country’s main mail sorting-distribution operations.

Manila Post Office (before)

Manila Post Office (1945)

Manila Post Office (present)

Chinatown

Located across the Pasig River from Intramuros, Binondo has typified a small Chinese town, and is referred to as the local “China Town“. The district is the centre of commerce and trade for all types of businesses run by Filipino-Chinese merchants.

Chinatown (1920)

Chinatown (present)

National Museum

This historic building was first designed by Bureau of Public Works Consulting Architect Ralph Harrington Doane as the Philippine Library in line with the Burnham Plan for Manila.

When the Capitol Building envisioned in the same urban plan was abandoned and the Library site chosen instead to house the Philippine Legislature, Doane’s plans were substantially modified by Juan Arellano for this new purpose.

National Museum (Former Legislative Building)

National Museum (1945)

National Museum (before)

National Museum (present)

Escolta

The Escolta catered the upscale carriage trade. Plaza Sta. Cruz had the entertainment like bars and vaudeville. Avenida Rizal was Main Street where the bazaars, movies, hotels, offices, restaurants and banks thrived.

As you cross the Estero de la Reina from the Escolta, you are faced with the ancient Santa Cruz Church.

Escolta (before)

Escolta (present)

Roxas Boulevard

Roxas Boulevard (formerly known as Dewey Boulevard) is a boulevard in Metro Manila in the Philippines, runs along the shores of Manila Bay. It is well known for its sunsets and stretch of coconut trees.

The divided roadway has become a trademark of Philippine tourism, famed for its yacht club, hotels, restaurants, commercial buildings and parks.

Roxas Boulevard (formerly known as Dewey Boulevard)

Roxas Boulevard (Dewey Boulevard before)

Roxas Boulevard (present)

Roxas Boulevard (during disaster)

The Manila Metropolitan Theater (“The MET”)

The Manila Metropolitan Theater or MET is an Art Deco building in Manila, designed by the Filipino architect Juan M. Arellano. It was inaugurated on December 10, 1931, with a capacity of 1670 (846 orchestra, 116 in loge, and 708 in balcony).

The Manila Metropolitan Theater (before)

The Manila Metropolitan Theater (1945)

The Manila Metropolitan Theater (present)

The Manila Metropolitan Theater (panoramic)

Jones Bridge, Manila

Jones Bridge is a bridge that spans the Pasig River in the Philippines connecting the districts of Binondo on Rosario Street (Calle Rosario, now Quintin Paredes Street) with the center of Manila.

The previous bridge that connected the two districts was the Puente Grande (Great Bridge), later called the Puente de España

Jones Bridge Manila (formerly known as Puente de España or the Bridge of Spain)

Jones Bridge Manila (present)

Rizal Park

Rizal Park, also known as Luneta Park or colloquially Luneta, is a historical urban park located in the heart of the city of Manila, Philippines, adjacent to the old walled city of Manila, now Intramuros.

Since the Spanish Colonial Era, the park has been a favorite spot for unwinding, socializing, an urban oasis for family picnics on Sundays and holidays. It is one of the major tourist attractions of Manila.

Rizal Park (before)

Rizal Park (present)

Pasig River

The Pasig River connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay stretching for 25 kilometres (15.5 mi), it is lined by Metro Manila on each side. Its major tributaries are the Marikina River and San Juan River.

Pasig River (1899)

Pasig River (before)

Pasig River (present)

Rizal Avenue (Avenida)

Rizal Avenue also known as “Avenida” or “Avenida Rizal” was created by Manila City ordinance in 1911 from two streets – Calle Dulumbayan (literally the edge of town) and Calle Salcedo.

It lengthened in the next two decades all the way up to Caloocan and the then new monument honoring Andres Bonifacio. It became the city’s longest street before being overshadowed by EDSA later in the century.

Prior to and right after World War II, the avenue was center of the city’s social life, with the street lined with shops, restaurants and movie theaters.

Rizal Avenue (before)

Rizal Avenue (Avenida)

Rizal Avenue (present)

The main culprit of the deterioration of the area was the LRT; the train was to ease traffic in Rizal Avenue and Taft Avenue south of the Pasig River but it also killed business along the route.

Plaza Sta. Cruz

Plaza Santa Cruz follows the name of the district where the plaza is situated. On the plaza stands the Carriedo Fountain, in honor of Don Francisco Carriedo for bringing potable water to Manila.

Plaza Sta. Cruz and Tivoli Theater (1930)

Tivoli Theater Sta. Cruz Manila (1940)

The Original Carriedo Fountain

The Carriedo Fountain Today

Plaza Goiti

Plaza Goiti was the center of the city’s transportation network –the tranvias. The tranvias were owned and operated by Meralco. In 1904, the Manila Electric Co. acquired both the Compañía de los Tranvías de Filipinas (a firm that operated public transportation and ran Manila’s horse-drawn and steam-operated tramways), and added La Electricista.

Construction on the electric tramway began that same year. Meralco operated a 52-mile , 170 fleet of streetcars from 1903 to World War II. The equipment and tracks of the system was severely damaged during the war and had to be removed.

Plaza Goiti Tranvia Terminal

Plaza Goiti Sta. Cruz Manila (Monte de Piedad bank on the left, before)

Plaza Goiti Sta. Cruz Manila (Prudential Bank on the left, present)

Plaza Lunch at Plaza Goiti (1940)

The old Plaza Lunch at Plaza Goiti

Plaza Lunch Cafe

Silver Dollar Cafe Sta. Cruz Manila (1926)

Rustan’s

Rustan’s (before)

Rustan’s (present)

Ayala Avenue

Ayala Avenue is one of the busiest roads in Metro Manila, crossing through the heart of Makati’s central business district. A certain part of the Ayala Avenue forms Circumferential Road 3.

Because of the many businesses located along the avenue, Ayala Avenue is aptly nicknamed the Wall Street of the Philippines. It is also a major link between Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) to Metropolitan Avenue.

Ayala Avenue (before)

Ayala Avenue (present)

Metro Manila

Manila (1945)

Manila (1949)

Manila (present)

Manila Harbor Bay

 

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