RAZON, RAYMUND GERARD D.

LIT102A PHILIPPINE LITERATURES

3K-PH DECEMBER 5, 2017

THE QUIRKS AND CHAOS OF QUIAPO

One afternoon, after class hours, when we are walking along the streets of Quiapo. It was
at this overpass, on November 29, 2017 when the Quiapo Church caught my attention. The
Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, this is where the feast is held and millions of people are
attending the occasion annually. It is location where the shrine of the statue of Jesus Christ can
be found that numerous people claim to be miraculous. Situated in the heart of Manila its unique
architectural style which is Mexican Baroque and the throngs of devotees from all walks of life,
from all over the country that flock to the Church began to develop my interest and made me
inquisitive about the place and tradition.

It was a bright sunny day in Quiapo yet it is bustling, busy, and crowded around the area.
Its street corners have stalls that offer religious relics, herbal products, an army of fortune tellers,
and shops for pirated media. The place is deafening, almost all of the people are shouting from
the jeepney barker to even the people who make fake identification cards and certificates. On a
positive note, it is very much alive starting from its people, the historic old buildings, and the city
itself. It is place that is not pretentious but instead it is genuine.

Quiapo is one of the districts of Manila, Philippines. Quiapo derived its name from a
floating plant named kiapo that grew abundantly around that area. Quiapo before was referred to
as the old downtown of manila because it was the hub for Manila's social elites as it is the center
for trade, fashion, art, and higher learning and currently it is known for marketplace bargain
hunting and thrift finds. There are also cultural heritages like Bahay-Nakpil Bautista House
which is one of the oldest houses in the district of Quiapo, Manila. As we continue exploring the
streets of Quiapo, weve passed by this pioneering Chinese restaurant located along the crowded
Quezon Boulevard in Quiapo named R Mamon Luk Restaurant. We sat along its old-fashioned
open-aired hall and noticed that the restaurant itself is a throwback to Quiapos glory days. After
eating, we also discovered that the Quezon Bridge is a combined arch together with concrete
girder bridge that connects the Manila districts of Quiapo and Ermita across the Pasig River.

Quiapo is a place where people from the different walks of life converge. Metro Manila,
highlighting Quiapo, has its own heritage areas. The affective quality of the city was the
historical buildings and heritage areas because they made me appreciate the architecture and
grandeur of the buildings as well as our culture. Before I look at Quiapo as a typical city but as
we explore and discover what is inside it, I realized that as citizens we tend to forget our
heritage. Quiapo does not only have numerous old houses that last decades and even centuries
but they have the remnants of history to form its own heritage district but sad to say these
heritages are not given importance. The challenge here is for us and local government to
recognize and step up its efforts to preserve these historical treasures from further urban decay.
Through our initiative this would not only be a good pull for tourism but will also be a huge step
towards making the younger generation feel proud of our rich history and culture. Lastly, there is
a young soul who fell in love with the quirks and chaos of Quiapo and that is me.

Reference:
Damo, I. N. (n.d.). Manila's Oldest District. doi:http://www.choosephilippines.com/do/history-
and-culture/3928/how-well-do-you-know-quiapo/