27 Wonders of Intramuros

This coming holiday, most Filipinos will be expecting guests from other countries who want to escape the cold winter in their part of the world or are simply looking forward to share the warm Christmas and New Year celebrations that the Philippines is proud of.

While our guests may have as their priority either shopping, escaping to Boracay (or any of our famed beaches), or getting their medical and dental treatment, it would be a good idea to give them a healthy whiff of Filipino culture.

One need not bring guests to the far north for this. Surprisingly, while the Department of Tourism has been drawing up a more comprehensive tourism development plan for the old walled city of Intramuros in Manila, there is the semblance of a culturally satisfying tour ready for our foreign guests.

The Intramuros Administration under the DoT, had put together what I can call as the 27 Wonders of the Walled City. This walking tour of 27 places in the Intramuros area could even be something that our families could do. It definitely is food for our patriotism.

Starting point

The walk starts at Fort Santiago, one of the oldest fortifications in Manila. Built in 1571, this fort was originally made of logs and earth. It was first destroyed during the Limahong attach of 1574, which subsequently became the basis to build it in stone.

The stone walls of Fort Santiago, completed in 1592, however was damaged in the 1645 earthquake, and had to be expanded and strengthened slowly through the years. During the Japanese invasion, Fort Santiago was used as a prison for hundreds of Filipino civilians and guerillas.

The Palacio del Gobernador is another interesting historical relic in Intramuros. Its present building, constructed in 1976, contains government offices. Before the original building was destroyed by the 1863 earthquake, it was the address of the governor-general of the Philippines.

The original gate leading to the palaces of the governor-general and Archbishop of Manila in the late 1600s is known as Postigo del Palacio. This was the gate where Jose Rizal passed through from Fort Santiago on his way to his execution at Bagumbayan in 1896.

Puerta de Sta. Lucia is one of the original entrances to the walled city. It’s an interesting relic even if the whole thing is in their restored state already, after having been destroyed during the Battle of Manila in 1945.

Where ECJ Building now stands was formerly the site of Casa Nueva, or the provincial house of the Agustinian Order. When it was destroyed by a fire in 1932, a two-story Adamson University was constructed; this eventually was destroyed in 1945.

MacArthur’s HQ

There’s a tunnel-like passage called Baluartillo de San Jose built in with a drainage canal emptying out into a moat and used primarily to transport ammunition during the Spanish times. The site became known as No. 1 Victoria St., serving as headquarters of Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1941.

Reducto de San Pedro is an independent octagonal structure built outside the walls. It served to protect the Fort during the Spanish times.

Many of us are familiar with the Bagumbayan Light and Sound Museum. On this lot formerly stood the convent of the nuns of the Beaterio de la Compania de Jesus, or the Religious of the Virgin Mary.

Ravelins and plazas

Before the Manila Aquarium was constructed (although closed in 1983) was the bridge, Revellin de Real de Bagumbayan.  Another ravelin, the Revellin del Parian, is of interest too. This was built after the Chinese uprising in the early 1600s.

Nearby the Recoletos Church was another ravelin, the Revellin de Recoletos, also known as the Kevellin de Dilao. These structures are unique to the history of the place and our past.

There are many more places of interest inside Fort Intramuros, and I will quickly go through them to complete the 27 recommended sites. There are three baluartes listed.

There is the Baluarte de San Diego, which was restored from 1979 to 1992. Then, there’s Puerto Real, originally built in 1663 and used exclusively by the governor-general for state occasions. There’s also Baluarte de Dilao and Baluarte de San Gabriel.

There are two plazas. Plaza Sto. Tomas was originally bought by the Dominican Order for the cemetery and garden. Plaza de Roma, formerly called Plaza Mayor, became Plaza McKinley in 1901. It used to hold the Gomburza monument.

More history

Of course, the big attractions are still the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral, Bahay Tsinoy, and the San Agustin Church and Convent. The cathedral’s history is most interesting.

The current structure is already the eight, the first one was built of nipa in 1571. The subsequent buildings before the current one standing were all destroyed by earthquakes or the war. The present cathedral was completed in 1958 and elevated to the rank of Basilica Minore by Pope John Paul II in 1983.

Other worthwhile sites to visit include the Puerta de Parian, Aduana, Ayuntamiento (Casas Consistoriales), Plazuela de Sta. Isabel, and the Plaza San Luis Complex. The last is a cultural-cum-commercial complex of nine houses representing designs of Philippine-Hispanic architecture.

Here you can lose yourself among gift and specialty shops, a fine dining restaurant, and a hotel. A good way of ending up your walk of the whole Intramuros.

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