MY SARISARI STORE:

The end of our virtual tour of Quiapo.

I hope you enjoyed this virtual tour of Quiapo. As I said in my introduction this is only a first glimpse… there is much more to discover in this fascinating district.

I love Quiapo for its charm, for the old buildings, the small streets, the feeling of faith and religiosity. But I particularly like it because of its inhabitants and the unique characters that you can encounter everywhere. I definitely feel at home in Quiapo.

I hope I gave you the desire to visit the place by yourself. Enjoy your walks in Quiapo.

October 15, 2007 in Quiapo | Permalink | Comments (48) | TrackBack (0)

The Basilica of San Sebastian.

In 1621 a pious couple donated their vast estate where the Recollects established a convent and a church. During an uprising in 1639 the Church was looted and set on fire. The repaired Church suffered again from a terrible earthquake in 1645 and then again in1859, 1863 and 1880. In 1881, Don Palacios, director of public works, inspected the church and came up with the recommendation to build a steel church that could withstand future earthquakes.

The novel idea was approved by the Recollects. Palacios himself was commissioned to design the proposed steel church. The Gothic revival design was approved in 1883. Finally, in 1886, the Societe Anonyme d’Entreprise de Travaux Publics in Brussels, BELGIUM, was awarded the contract to undertake the construction of this church.

The steel parts with a total weight of 1,527 tons were manufactured in Binche. On June 12, 1888, the ship William Burkitt docked in Manila bringing with it the first shipment of steel parts for the church. For two years, the Church was assembled with local artists and craftsmen joining the Belgian engineers. In 1891 the all steel church was inaugurated.

Some people would love a connection with Eiffel alas there is no proof he was involved in this project.

Click image to enlarge.

Those are old pictures that I took with my first digital camera. I was also too lazy to remove all the electrical wires in Photoshop. Sorry about that...

October 14, 2007 in Quiapo | Permalink | Comments (48) | TrackBack (0)

The R. Hidalgo Street neighborhood.
(Not the same street with the camera shops)

Crossing the Estro de Quiapo you can see the vestige of a grand but long lost area. R. Hidalgo was the premier residential street from the 19th to the early 20th century. Here you can still see some houses (in different stage of decay) in the wood- and- stone style of that time. Little by little those houses are torn down to make place for concrete buildings. The whole area is neglected. The “estuario” is polluted and lined with shanties. Hidalgo Street is home to vagrants and apparently home to an illegal terminal for jeepneys. I feel bad when I see those old houses being neglected and slowly disappearing. We can brag and say that we have dozens of Mega malls all over Metro Manila but it might be more important, for future generations, to say that we also take care of our historical buildings.

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October 13, 2007 in Quiapo | Permalink | Comments (30) | TrackBack (0)

Filipino Folly: The Pagoda of Quiapo.

The Pagoda was built by Jose Mariano Ocampo in 1935 on the northern side of his vast estate, and was to house his realty office. Jose was a realtor but a lawyer by education.

Mr. Ocampo was artistically inclined. He had collections of Philippine paintings, which later would line the walls of the Pagoda. He adored Oriental art, and although he had never traveled to Japan, he dreamed of having his own Japanese pagoda. He began scouring through a collection of photos and pictures from magazines and books and began the painstaking task of designing his pagoda. He hired the best engineers of the day - Maximo Paterno and Juan (?) Cortez - and together they set the foundation of what was to become a landmark of Quiapo.

Ocampo’s pagoda is a blend of Eastern pagoda design and medieval Western architecture.

Mr. Ocampo's office never occupied the Pagoda. A few years after its completion in 1939, World War II broke out and Pagoda was transformed into an air raid shelter. By the end of the war, while the rest of the city was razed and flattened to the ground, the Pagoda survived the bombings.
Although it retains much of its character the Pagoda is now in a dilapidated condition. The tile roofs are falling apart and many of the pre-cast brackets are broken or precariously leaning on edge. It no longer sits on a garden since Ocampo’s heirs sold most of the land. A grand statue of a Chinese-looking Our Lady of Carmel sitting on a globe and carried by exotic looking figures is completely surrounded by houses. You can only access this statue by a small smelly alley.

The Pagoda is a survivor of the war and of a devastating earthquake (1992) during which a portion of the tower broke and fell onto the lower roof. Alas the high cost of maintenance has led to its actual complete deterioration. What a pity!!!
The Pagoda is now a boarding house for sailors waiting for their next assignment. Visitors are not allowed to visit the inside of the Pagoda.

It would be a shame to let deteriorate this building any further and I hope that “someone” will save it from total destruction.
(Written from Filipino Folly: The Pagoda of Quiapo by Mia Quimpo)

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October 12, 2007 in Quiapo | Permalink | Comments (39) | TrackBack (0)

Quiapo, a heaven for pirated movies and software.

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October 11, 2007 in Quiapo | Permalink | Comments (40) | TrackBack (0)

Quiapo, a heaven for pirated movies and software.

The Golden Mosque is situated in the heart of the Muslim district. Here you can find hundreds of shops and stalls selling pirated DVDs, VCDs and CDs for as low as 15 pesos. You can purchase whatever movie you want from the latest Hollywood movie to hardcore porn. Every imaginable software program is here on sale. Photoshop, Lightroom, Windows XP, Vista, you name it, they got it. It is a huge business and the counterfeit items are openly sold.

In 2004, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo enacted Republic Act 9239 or the Optical Media Act.
Those found violating RA 9239 faced a maximum penalty of P1.5 million in fines and six years imprisonment.

But when you visit Quiapo you can see with your own eyes how this illegal trade is still flourishing and it is obvious that it is tolerated by the authorities and the police.

Taking pictures here is definitely not recommended! It is quite tricky if not plain dangerous. I tried it and it was met with anger. One shop owner started shouting at me and soon a little mob assembled. I didn’t understand what they were saying but I moved on as quickly as I could… I guess they thought I was working for the FBI. ;-)

Anyway, in the spirit of honesty, I have to state that except from this incident that I provoked I never encountered any problem. People are generally friendly and I didn’t got a feeling of insecurity. I was even invited in one small eatery for a chat with some of my Muslim brothers.

I managed to take some snapshots and then moved back to the side of Quiapo Church where non Muslim Filipinos are basically selling exactly the same pirated movies and software. It was much more easy to take pictures there.

Click image to enlarge.

October 10, 2007 in Quiapo | Permalink | Comments (33) | TrackBack (0)

Masjid Al-Dahab commonly named the Golden Mosque.

Near Plaza Miranda, still in Quiapo, but at the other side of Quezon Blvd, you can find the Masjid Al-Dahab. The Golden Mosque, so-called because its dome is supposed to be in shining gold, was built in 1976 under the supervision of then First Lady Imelda Marcos for the visit of Libya’s president Muammar Khadafy. His visit was canceled but the Mosque has become the biggest Mosque in Metro Manila.

The last time I visited the Golden Mosque renovations were under way. The tall minaret is completely rusted and the general (outside) impression is one of neglect (probably due to lack of funds). As of late it looked more like a “Rusted Mosque” than a “Golden Mosque”. Hopefully this huge Mosque will regain some of its past splendor. The inside of the Mosque is huge and beautiful.
You are free to roam around the Golden Mosque complex. Some people will automatically join you and act as your guides. A donation will be asked when you leave the Mosque.

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October 09, 2007 in Quiapo | Permalink | Comments (40) | TrackBack (0)

The market under the bridge- "sa ilalim ng tulay" in Quiapo.

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October 08, 2007 in Quiapo | Permalink | Comments (41) | TrackBack (0)

The market under the bridge - "sa ilalim ng tulay" in Quiapo.

Sa ilalim ng tulay means under the bridge. Most handicraft stores are located under the Quezon Bridge.
Local handicrafts abound here at amazingly affordable prices. If you are looking for some locally made high quality home decors, this market has good bargains. It is the best place for shoppers seeking Philippine handicrafts, such as carvings, lamps made of shells, and cane work.

Click image to enlarge.