walkback in history: San Nicolas Binondo Walk

On Black Saturday morning March 31, I went with April  to attend another

Photo walking tour of San Nicolas District. 

we are told to meet the group at Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz(8am)

its our lucky day because there was rainfall the night before so we did not 

experience the effects of the summer heat while we do the 5 hour walk, yes, 

7 HRS from 8am to 3pm.

This is my 2nd time to attend the tour of Cecile and Ralph Soriano , the tour

entitled WALKBACK IN HISTORY : The San Nicolas Binondo Walk, is a free

tour sponsored by Ralph Soriano founder and president of Binondo Fireworks,

Firecracker Lovers Association, an organization with the mission to preserve 

and Continue the use of Fireworks for festivities and celebrations,

special events  and to  continue the long tradition of using fireworks to ward of

evil spirits.

did you know that the pyrotechnics industry had its roots in Bulacan? according

to Ralph Soriano, the president and owner of  Binondo Fireworks,

Firecracker Lovers Association, It was Valentin Sta. Ana who first learned 

this craft from the parish priest of Santa Maria Town in 1867, the priest used 

kwitis or stick rockets to wake up parishioners for the start of Misa de Gallo.

and only specialists were allowed to manufacture, and handle fireworks, the 

priest taught Valentin the basics of fireworks making until he mastered the craft. 

He passed on his skill to his children, Valerio and Fernando Sta. Ana. and in 1938, 

the Sta. Ana brothers opened the Santa Ana Fireworks Factory in Santa Maria, 

Bulacan. After the war, the company split up, Fernando put up his own company, 

named Victory Fireworks, which continue to manufacture fireworks to this day. 

Mr. Fernando Sta. Ana is the one considered as the country's Father of Modern 

Fireworks and Pyrotechnics (1938). so now I will be sharing to you some pictures

of the beautiful houses, and also the whole video of the tour. its in 6 parts.  

I intentionally covered the whole tour so that everyone(including those who failed

to attend can watch)

Thanks Ralph for letting us visit your ancestral house. and for the Binondo

Fireworks, Firecracker Lovers Association T-shirt! YES we are all given
one tshirt, without the Tshirt? I will surely be soaking in my sweat! 

This is my third time to visit San Nicolas. the first one is in the year 2014.

we started at Plaza Calderón de la Barca (now renamed after Lorenzo Ruiz, one of

the Martyrs of Japan on September 12, 1981)

Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz was created to serve as the largest plaza of the settlement, 

directly fronting the Church.(1854) Similar to Plaza Moriones in Tondo, the plaza 

was originally an open grass field.

In 1594, Binondo (town) was established on the northern bank of the Pasig River 

by Gov. Gen. Dasmariñas as a settlement for Chinese migrants arriving in Manila. 

we were also told that there were 2 large building have been built around the plaza, 

one was the La Insular Cigar and Cigarette Factory, (the largest)

which was opened in 1883.and got destroyed by fire during the Battle of Manila, 

its now occupied by the Wellington Building, (once Metrobank)

Beside it was Hotel de Oriente, then the most popular hotel in Manila,where Rizal 

stayed in Rm. #22 it was only partially destroyed in the Battle of Manila, but was 

demolished afterward, its now occupied by  Tytana Plaza,(MetroBank), a replica 

can  be found at Las Casas de Acuzar in Bataan

below is the picture of the back (rear side) of Aguinaldo Dept store as seen from
Meisic Bridge

Our walk starts at Juan Luna Street where we saw the Aguinaldo Department 

Store a building built in 1921 and exists to this day as the Marvel Corporation 

Building with its distinct Katipunero and Liberty statues. Owned by 

Leopoldo R. Aguinaldo & Co. Inc.,  The company started on July 4, 1921 

by 1931, the company inaugurated a six-storey department store at Calle

Anloague or the present Juan Luna St.

 we walked further to the Meisic bridge with its Piedra tsina barely visible

(Chinese Granite Cobblestone)this bridge is  where former opium dens

exists and smoking is all legal as its considered a pain killer that time.

we  then turned left and went to see the modern building of Tiong Se Academy

Anglo-Chinese School opened April 15, 1899 by Engracio Palanca (Tankang), 

1st Chinese consul to the Philippines. he solicited funds from the Chinese 

community in  the Philippines for the building of the first Chinese school. 

school moved to San Fernando Street in 1899; Salazar Street in 1909, then

to Sacristia Street now Ongpin Street in 1910, and finally to Santa Elena 

Street in 1912, closed in 1942 following the Japanese occupation and 

reopened again in 1945.

we went to Estraude St. where the former house of Rizal's father was located.

and where we can still see Spanish period "poles" where Karitelas

are tied secured, then afterwards  we were showed how the present 

divisoria mall looks like long ago. before it was called "pamilihang 

bayan ng divisoria"

Divisoria is Spanish for "dividing line" sort of a "zoning" 

(between the nippa huts and the concrete structures) when 

non-Christian Chinese traders were prohibited to live and do business 

inside Intramuros. This led the Chinese to set up shop in Binondo 

which caused the area situated near the Pasig River to become a 

thriving commercial hub.

Since Chinese merchants have an undeniable entrepreneurial skills, 

so they created their own community known now as Binondo and 

slowly built shops in the surrounding areas including Divisoria. in 

the 1900s, as the commerce in the area continued to blossom into 

commercial center, having the Tutuban Central Station nearby, 

became a major drop-off point of trading goods coming in from 

various provinces

we also saw some old houses along the way

after this we went to Panciteria Macanista de Buen Gusto.. and

I am sure you guys know this...

ok here is part 1 of the video. 

part 2

is our walk to Casa tribunal de naturales

part 3 where we visited the Pedro Guevarra Elementary School's

museum, here our clairvoyant friend April discovered her special

gift of communicating with ghost and entities, one told her not to 

move the heavy iron block found at the back of the school building. 

and later on it was revealed that there are indeed spirits roaming 

around watching us. entities guarding certain areas of the school so 

that precious artifacts are not to be taken outside.

After this its lunchtime and we took a break from the

long walking to have lunch in one of the restaurants in

San Nicolas.

part 4 where we are bought to the back of the pentagon 

shaped structure by our friend 

Our next destination is the ancestral house of Ralph Soriano
after showing us the marker where Teodora Alonzo's
house once stands.

and we went to some more houses and to the Sunico foundry

part 5

part 6

After Ralph Soriano's house we finally said our goodbyes

to each other after the group photo in front of their house

and this is our last destination. the Katipunan founding site

PICTURE CREDITS : RALPH SORIANO

the marker

 the orig house

 thanks to Cecile and Ralph for hosting the tour.
thanks again Ralph for your T-shirt.
til next tour. this is your LOVERBOY Dennis signing out.
HAPPY EASTER!