Outside of Cubao and Eastwood City, the area along Tomas Morato Avenue and surrounding streets has been a popular commercial area within Quezon City. But what makes the Tomas Morato commercial hub* unique is the history of the place as a whole, a history as old as Quezon City itself.
Where Quezon City began
The origins of the Morato area began in 1938 when then Pres. Manuel Quezon, through the government agency People’s Homesite Corporation (the precursor to the current National Housing Authority), conceived a housing project catering to the working-class population in Manila who were finding it difficult to find affordable housing for their families. This would give rise to Barrio Obrero (which is Spanish for worker) that would sprout in what is now Barangay Kamuning followed by another Barrio Obrero built across the first one, now known fittingly as Barangay Obrero.
The larger area where these Barrio Obreros are located, and by extent the entire Morato area that we know today were once part of the large landholding owned by the Tuason family called the Diliman estate, which the Quezon Commonwealth government purchased to become part of what is to be the new capital city of the Philippines, which would become Quezon City. And when Quezon City itself was established on October 12, 1939, Quezon would persuade an old friend, politician, and provincemate, Tomas Morato, to be the city’s first mayor, a position Morato accepted and assumed on November 9, 1939.
By the time Quezon City was established, the road network has been set up mostly into what we see today, including the road connecting the España Extension (now E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue) and the Diliman quadrangle which was envisioned to be the center of Philippine government. At that time, that road was named Sampaloc Avenue, named after the sampalok (tamarind) trees that used to be planted along the road. Legend has it that these sampalok trees were planted by Quezon, Morato, and Alejandro Roces, a renowned educator, but the veracity of that tale is in doubt.
A Neighborhood’s Evolution
The establishment of Quezon City triggered a wave of developments in this new city. Soon enough, owing to its strategic location, the areas surrounding Sampaloc Avenue, in what are now Barangays Laging Handa and Sacred Heart, became a bustling residential neighborhood. Despite the interregnum of development brought by World War II, more people were moving into the area after the war as many families were leaving the City of Manila and the destruction it faced during the war to start anew. Establishments like Max’s Restaurant which opened just a few blocks away from Sampaloc Avenue served as examples of this postwar sense of hope after the pain and weariness of war.
The 1960s saw two key developments. The first occurred in 1964 when majority of the streets along Sampaloc Avenue and nearby area were renamed to honor the 24 boy scouts and scouters who perished in an EgyptAir flight to Greece on July 28, 1963 as they were en route to attend the 11th World Jamboree held in Marathon, Greece. The following year, on March 6, 1965, Tomas Morato died and in his honor, Sampaloc Avenue was renamed Tomas Morato Avenue. The same year also saw the unveiling of the monument honoring the fallen scouts and scouters. (the Tomas Morato monument at the top would not be added until about 30 years later)
The Commercialization of Morato Avenue
Given the proximity to the entertainment and media centers of ABS-CBN and GMA, it was only a matter of time before the area around Tomas Morato would become a commercial hub similar to Manila’s Malate district. The transformation would begin in the 1990s, right as the two networks strengthened their foothold on the PH media landscape, prompting an influx of talent and crew to work there.
With the opening of many bars and restaurants in the area, Tomas Morato Avenue became the go-to place for nightlife, eat-outs, parties, and after-hours unwinding in this part of Quezon City. At its height in the 2000s, it was one of the popular places to go to, with large, celebrity-owned bars such as Randy Santiago’s Ratsky and Allan K’s Zirkoh dominating the area.
In return, the Quezon City government worked to improve the stretch of Tomas Morato Avenue by making it more friendly to pedestrians. The sidewalk was paved, streetlighting was improved and, eventually, a bicycle lane was added.
The Decline and Other Challenges
However, the area around Tomas Morato Avenue underwent significant challenges by the 2000s and 2010s. Despite the popularity of the area, a number of important establishments shut down for one reason or another, with some areas left vacated for years. Then the COVID-19 pandemic happened in 2020, which affected more establishments in the area, some of which decided to shut down for good. The establishments that managed to survive the pandemic were facing economic difficulties as they strived to remain in operation amidst a challenging economy.
It also didn’t help that Tomas Morato Avenue is not quite commuter-friendly area, Some public transport routes only pass through parts of the avenue but not the entire stretch, especially the area where most of the commercial establishments are located. Sure, the avenue was improved for pedestrians and bikers but the implementation is inconsistent. Tomas Morato Avenue is very a much a car-centric neighborhood so pedestrians find themselves squeezed with the narrow space allotted for them as opposed to the larger space of the sidewalk for car parking. And some parts of the bike lanes are either too narrow or very much overtaken by parking so bikers tend to take the road which can be hazardous since there are no protected bike lanes on the road.
The Way Forward
As it stands, the Tomas Morato area is a neighborhood struggling to find its place in a post-pandemic environment that shut down some of the businesses there, alongside unchecked urban chaos that upended the attempts to establish urban order. It remains to be seen how this area will evolve and address the challenges it is facing. But here’s hoping this place will find its way to stand out once more.
Acknowledgements as well to Wikipedia, Quezon City Government and Lakbay ng Lakan
