It is said that the name “Quiapo” came from the water cabbage plant “kiapo” that used to grow along the riverbanks in the district before. So much has changed as Quiapo grew from a sleepy suburb to an area of frenetic activity happening 24/7 as it gained importance as becoming Manila’s geographic center and part of the bustling commercial center of the city. On the flipside, Quiapo has also become a textbook example of urban decay in the city as it has become riddled with problems of traffic, lack of planning, and petty crime activity which in turn have adversely affected the district’s image. Add to that the notoriety it…
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The home of Manila’s beloved Catholic icon
January 9 each year is a special day in this particular part of Manila, the city’s geographic center known as Quiapo. This is the Feast of the Black Nazarene, that darkened Catholic icon which represented Jesus Christ carrying the cross that is beloved by many Catholics, a majority of which belong curiously to the male gender. On a sociological level, such a deep, fanatical as some might say, devotion of Catholic men to the “Nazareno” (as the Black Nazarene is called) can be considered a peculiarity at the very least as commonly in the realm of the Catholic faith, it is the women who exhibit such devotion. The Urban Roamer…
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A Path to Martyrdom: Rizal in Fort Santiago
Today, the nation marks the 112th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Philippines’ National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. (technically, he is not officially declared a national hero, but that’s another story) As it is during Rizal Day, many will surely commemorate this day by a visit Rizal Park or any of the Rizal-related places and shrines throughout the country, one of them surely would be the Rizal Shrine in Fort Santiago. This Rizal Shrine in Fort Santiago used to be barracks of the soldiers who were stationed in the old Spanish fortification of Fort Santiago. Today, it is a quaint little museum that is home to some Rizal memorabilia like…
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Divisoria: Manila’s shopping mecca
Since it’s Christmas, the Urban Roamer presents to you one of Christmastime’s favorite shopping destinations. Then again, this place is an all-time favorite shopping destination Juan Dela Cruz Band’s “Divisoria” If there can only be one place that would be named as THE shopping mecca in the metropolis, it would not be some fancy mall or high-end shopping district. For many not only in Metro Manila but perhaps in the entire country as well, nothing equates shopping more than that famed district in Manila that we call “Divisoria.” But of course, Divisoria itself needs no further introduction. It has become such an iconic landmark destination that every one in the…