Manila to improve ‘world’s oldest Chinatown’

MANILA, Philippines - The Manila city government will speed up the redevelopment of Binondo, the world’s oldest Chinatown, Mayor Joseph Estrada vowed yesterday.

In a speech during the Chinese New Year’s Eve countdown at Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz in Binondo, Estrada told the members of the Filipino-Chinese community that he will spend his last years in office beautifying and improving the old Chinese enclave, established in 1594 by the Spanish colonial government.

“As mayor of Manila I have made it one of my top priorities to redevelop Binondo and surrounding areas, because Binondo is the oldest Chinatown outside of China,” Estrada said.

“That is why we are proud of Binondo and we will redevelop it,” he said.

Estrada said that by next month, the city government will introduce electric tricycles or e-trikes in the streets of Binondo to attract local and foreign tourists and boost local businesses.

Binondo is also one of the priority areas of the Estrada administration’s urban renewal program aimed at reviving Manila’s “old beauty and glory.”

“We will continue to undertake massive cleanup and rehabilitation here in Binondo to enable the tourists to come here and give jobs to Manileños,” Estrada said.