The Urban Roamer

Pandacan: the land of arts and depots (Part 1)

August 3, 2014May 22, 2012 by The Urban Roamer

Not many people know this but May 30 this year is an important milestone being celebrated in a certain part of Manila, in a district they call Pandacan. What makes this date this year special is that it marks the 300th anniversary of the foundation of Pandacan. Thus, this series is dedicated to this storied district.

Located along the southern banks of the Pasig River across the districts of San Miguel and Santa Mesa lies the district known to many as Pandacan. Glancing from its name one might think it may have come from the Tagalog root word “pandak” or “short person” thus giving the perception that it may have called as such because the place was inhabited by short people. But the truth is actually farther than that. In fact, originally the place was not called Pandacan but “Pandanan,” a place where the edible pandan trees used to thrive. Somehow its name got corrupted over time and we now get the name we call it today.

Being located along the banks of the river, and considering the early Filipinos in Manila being dependent on the river, it is but natural that one would see a thriving community in what is now Pandacan before the arrival of the Spaniards. But apart from the river, the early Pandacan folk also relied on the rich land as well; farming was also an important source of living. As the nearby Kingdom of Maynilad soon fell to Spanish control, the community of Pandacan followed as well, first as part of the greater community of Sampaloc which was established on the northern banks but eventually became a suburb on its own on May 30, 1712.

the modern Pasig City Center

August 3, 2014May 19, 2012 by The Urban Roamer

So much has changed in Pasig in recent years, especially since it attained cityhood in 1995. The Pasig City Center itself should give the visitor a glimpse of those changes that affected the cityscape’s nature.

Of course not everything has been a smooth ride to development, so to speak. The onslaught of the typhoon Ondoy in 2009 which submerged significant parts of the city in high floods was no simple bump on the road but something which drastically changed the course of Pasig’s development. Despite the damage Ondoy has done, one positive aspect of this calamity was that it provided an opportunity for the city to realign its development program in a more environmentally-sustainable thrust. The city center itself is a showcase also of the city’s drive towards green development

The historic Pasig town center, Part 2

August 3, 2014May 9, 2012 by The Urban Roamer

What made Pasig thrive in the olden days was the bustling commerce especially along the riverbanks. Apart from the presence of the Pasig and Marikina rivers, a number of tributaries also contributed to Pasig’s growth. One of those tributaries would be the river flowing across the town center, the one locals call the “Bitukang Manok” or “chicken’s intestines” due to the river’s wormlike shape.

It was also known as the Pariancillo River, and in its heyday, the river served not only as a center for trade but also an important transport route as it served to link the town to Antipolo. Bitukang Manok would more importantly play a role in history when it was chosen as the site of the Asemblea Magna, (the great assembly) a large gathering of 17 bancas boarding the hundreds of members of the Katipunan movement called upon during the first week of May, 1896 by the Supremo Andres Bonifacio and a Cavite leader named Emilio Aguinaldo. (yes, they were chummy back in those days) What made this gathering significant was that it formalized the intent of the movement to wage an armed struggle against the Spaniards for Philippine independence.

The historic Pasig town center, Part 1

August 3, 2014May 5, 2012 by The Urban Roamer

The City of Pasig may mean many things to a lot of people, both positive and negative in aspects. Unfortunately, the heritage of this city is something not many people know nor talk about. Unfortunate indeed as Pasig has a very interesting history and some impressively preserved heritage that add color to this part of the metropolis that doesn’t get that much attention, especially when it comes to heritage.

Pasig’s rich history should not come as a surprise given its long history which stretched way back from the pre-colonial period as one of the kingdoms located near the banks of the river and being one of the earliest settlements established by the Spanish in 1573. Today, the original Pasig settlement has grown and now encompasses at least five barangays of the greater Pasig that we know today: Bagong Katipunan, Kapasigan, Malinao, San Nicolas, and San Jose. While commercialization of Pasig’s poblacion or town center is a given and inevitable, one would be surprised to find out the presence of heritage in the areas, thanks to a number of preserved houses dating back to the Spanish era particularly in Barangays Kapasigan and San Jose.