Binondo

Of Binondo’s “New Chinatown”

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There has been so much talk about the need to revitalize the City of Manila. With so many plans being done or still in that “pipeline hell” to answer that particular need, there is one particular plan that has generated much interest and controversy at the same time. To say the least, it is an interesting development plan to look out for as this one aims to put a different face to the overall makeup not only of downtown Manila, but also the popular shopping district of the Binondo-Divisoria area.

Dubbed as “Cityplace,” this is a residential/commercial development project masterminded by Megaworld: the same developers behind Eastwood City, McKinley Hill, and Newport City. It is also strategically located along the busy thoroughfare of Reina Regente Street, just a few steps away from the Binondo center and the beloved Chinatown area there.

Cityplace Binondo
Cityplace in Binondo. note that one street (La Chambre) is being pedestrianized as part of the development

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Heritage and some Kapuso history: the Calvo Building at Escolta

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Long before Makati’s Ayala Avenue, Manila’s premier street business for any business or commercial establishment would be that one street in Manila’s Binondo district known as Escolta.

1930’s Escolta (from the web)

From the late 19th century to the 1960’s, Escolta was a thriving street of trade and commerce. At its height in the 1930’s the whole street was lined with elegant buildings from end to end, most of them sporting classy architecture that dominated and beautified Manila’s skyline. One of those buildings that rose during that period was a little building near the corner of Escolta and Calle Soda called the Calvo Building. (or to the Hispanics like the Calvo family who had it built, Edificio Calvo)

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A fusion of faiths in Manila

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Manila, and the Philippines in general, has always been described as a melting pot of eastern and western cultures. Religion has been no exception as with the case of this curious religious item called the Santo Cristo de Longos. Legend tells us that sometime in the 16th century, a deaf-mute Chinese guy was getting water … Read more

Coming soon: a Manila Financial Center?

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I came across this website recently: http://manilafinancialcenter.com/. Nothing much to be seen there right now, save for some videos and a mediocre design for a website. But the premise of a business district in the City of Manila itself is intriguing idea at the very least. But Manila’s present administration is bent on pursuing that … Read more