The Quiapo of Old
March 31, 2008 at 12:19 am (Random memories, The Manilenos)
Today, one goes to Quiapo, “sa ilalim ng tulay” under the bridge, to avail of beautiful Filipino handicrafts at sometimes reasonable, sometimes still touristy, prices. One goes to the Chinese wholesalers of foodstuffs and kitchen equipment along Carlos Palanca Sr. Street [ formerly Calle Echague ]. When one is desperate and penurious, one goes to the Quiapo Church, to pray before the miraculous image of the Black Nazarene, to Him who is the most burdened of the burdened [ when one is desperate and rich, one goes to the Santuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park, to the Chapel of the Asian Institute of Management, and to any Chapel of the "Opus Dei" ].
Contemporary, bustling Quiapo still resonates with the names of the old Filipino families who continue to own commercial properties in the area. Despite congestion and disorganization, it is still the seat of several, highly-lucrative, family-owned real estate empires worth Php billions. One is actually surprised to see a veritable registry of old, prominent families — Paterno, Araneta-Zaragoza, Padilla-Bibby, de los Reyes, Ongsiako, Villonco, Cu-Unjieng, Escaler — alongside the New Chinese Rich owning much of the commercial real estate of the Quiapo District.
But Old Quiapo, specially that aristocratic stretch of Calle San Sebastian [ later Calle R. Hidalgo ] from the 1850s until the PreWar, was actually an elegant place…
In the Quiapo of the olden times, it was actually a convenience and even a pleasure to have a house beside an “estero,” for these then-pristine streams supplied water for the gardens as well as an efficient route of transportation.
Like an Empress Dowager, the Paterno mansion — one of the most classically beautiful of the old Manila mansions — reigned over Calle San Sebastian from the 1850s onwards. The immense Paterno fortune was founded by a series of industrious and fortunate Chinese forebears. It spawned a life of high learning, luxury, and leisure for the younger members of the family. The palatial Paterno residences were noted for their European-style opulence, filled as they were with splendid furniture and exquisite decorations. By the late 1800s, the Paterno siblings were the most cultured and refined of Manilenos as personified by the “ilustrado” Don Pedro Alejandro Paterno and his artistic sisters Dona Paz and Dona Adelaida. A part of the fabled Paterno fortune survives to this day through the family of Dona Susana Paterno de Madrigal [ Mrs. Vicente Madrigal ], a descendant who doubtless possessed the same incisive business acumen of her industrious Chinese forebears.
The affluent Tuason-Legarda-Prieto-Valdes Clan had various grand residences along Calle San Sebastian and the nearby streets. When the famous arts and antiques collector Marie Theresa “Bebe” Lammoglia-Virata [ Mrs. Leonides Virata ] first saw the grand “Sala” of the “Museo De La Salle” in 2001, She remembered that it was as big — albeit with a higher ceiling — as the “Sala” of an old Prieto-Valdes residence of friends of hers along Calle R. Hidalgo that she had frequented as a young lady during the PreWar.
The Zamora Family also had several grand residences along the same street.
The celebrated, Neoclassical, Don Felix Roxas y Arroyo-designed mansion of the altruistic aesthete Don Rafael Enriquez was also located along Calle San Sebastian, a few houses to the left of the Paterno mansion.
On the same street was the very elegant mansion of Don Ramon Genato, renowned in its time from the 1880s-90s as a gathering place of “alta sociedad de Manila.” [ Don Ramon Genato also owned an older mansion along nearby Calle Evangelista. ] The raconteur Don Felix Roxas y Fernandez waxed nostalgic: “December 31 of every year, or the New Year’s Eve Ball, was traditionally held in the commodious and luxurious house of the Ramon Genatos whose children, out of love for their father, fondly took care of the lavish preparations for the festivity. By entering the portals of this unusual mansion on R. Hidalgo Street, the guests were brought face to face and impressed with the fine taste and artistic traits of the Genato children; and this impression was augmented when one passed through the artistically decorated and elegant rooms and halls of the mansion. The dining room appeared very splendid, not only because of the profusion of decorative plants and flowers and of fountains prepared with blocks of luminous ice, but also because of the regal appearance of the dining table decked with the latest in the decorative art.”
Near the bridge at # 1034 was the famous 1900s mansion of Don Gregorio Araneta y Soriano Dy Ching and Dona Carmen Zaragoza y Roxas [ now the site of the Quiapo Parochial School ]. Don Gregorio Araneta was an immensely successful lawyer whose first big case was the legal representation of the heirs of the tragic Don Francisco Roxas y Reyes who was executed for sedition in January of 1897. Dona Carmen Zaragoza was the daughter of the bon vivant publisher Don Jose Zaragoza y Aranquizna and Dona Rosa Roxas y Arce, an astute businesswoman who greatly expanded her inherited holdings. The very Filipina-looking Dona Rosa Roxas de Zaragoza* was a second cousin through the Roxas line of the aristocratic [ the de Ayala of Alava, Spain ] Spanish mestiza heiresses Dona Carmen Ayala de Roxas [ married to Don Pedro Pablo Roxas y Castro ] and Dona Trinidad Ayala de Zobel [ married to Don Jacobo Zobel y Zangroniz ].
Also along Calle San Sebastian was the mansion of the Ilustre Family.
On Calle Barbosa [ now Bautista Street ] was the relatively modern, Vienna Secession-inspired mansion of Don Ariston Bautista y Lin and Dona Petrona Nakpil designed by the architect Arcadio Arellano in 1914. The writer Gilda Cordero-Fernando, who grew up in the area, recalled that the Nakpil ladies had very good taste and that they had exceptionally beautiful things.
At the corner of Calle San Sebastian and Calle Barbosa was a large but rather plain 1850s mansion which served as the Manila residence of a very rich Pampanguena who pioneered the acquisition of valuable Manila real estate among her provincial peers in the 1870s [ the large house was one of three she owned in the area ]. The firebrand Dona Matea Rodriguez de Sioco of Bacolor and Sulipan, Apalit buried two rich husbands [ Don Josef Sioco and Don Juan Arnedo Cruz ] and became the top financier of the revolutionary Katipunan in Pampanga in the late 1890s. She had two married daughters: Dona Sabina Sioco de Escaler and Dona Florencia Sioco de Gonzalez. When she died her large estate was divided into three equal parts between her two married daughters Dona Sabina and Dona Florencia along with her favorite grandson, Don Jose Escaler y Sioco. Dona Sabina Sioco de Escaler continued acquiring Manila commercial and residential real estate. She owned several large commercial properties in the Binondo, Santa Cruz, and Quiapo districts. By the 1910s, Dona Sabina owned several houses along Calle Arlegui and Calle General Solano in the fashionable San Miguel District aside from entire blocks in the Ermita and Malate districts.
In front of Plaza del Carmen, across San Sebastian Church, was the 1910s mansion of the Filipiniana ubercollector Don Felipe Hidalgo y Kleimpell. According to everyone who had visited it during Don Felipe’s lifetime, it was literally an “Ali Baba’s Cave” of treasures. For example, the “entresuelo” mezzanine of that house contained Filipino Old Master Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo’s exact replicas of his two prizewinning paintings in Madrid, Spain: “La Barca de Aqueronte” [ "The Boat of Charon" ] and “Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho” [ "Christian maidens exposed to the populace" ]!!! Another masterpiece in that house was the portrait of “Don Narciso Padilla and his grandson Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo” by Filipino Old Master Antonio Malantic**.
Very near Plaza del Carmen were several residences belonging to the Spanish mestizo Zaragoza Family. The brothers Zaragoza y Aranquizna — among them Don Jose the publisher [ of the landmark "La Ilustracion Filipina" ] and Don Miguel the painter — were born in San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, the sons of a Spanish official of the “Tabacalera.” Don Jose Zaragoza y Aranquizna was matched with the young and affluent Senorita Rosa Roxas y Arce [ daughter of Don Mariano Leon Roxas y Arroyo and Dona Carmen Arce ] of Binondo. They built their house along Calle San Sebastian in Quiapo. Don Jose and Dona Rosa had six children: Dona Natividad [ married Don Demetrio Tuason ], Dona Carmen [ married Don Gregorio Araneta y Soriano Dy Ching ], Don Elias [ married Dona Rosario Velez y Rodriguez Ynfante ], Don Salvador [ married Dona Carolina Tuason ], Don Ramon [ married Dona Trinidad Matute; married Dona Juanita Marin ], and Dona Margarita [ married Don Carlos Preysler ]. Dona Rosa Roxas de Zaragoza built splendid houses for all her children. All in all, there were seven Zaragoza residences along Calle San Sebastian.
Approaching San Sebastian Church, to the right, was the fabled mansion of the “Conde de Aviles” the Count of Aviles which was later occupied by Don Benito Legarda. The “Conde de Aviles” was assigned by the Governor General to host King Norodom I of Cambodia during his visit to Manila and the outlying provinces in 1872 [ during those times Malacanang Palace was occasionally in disrepair and could not host visiting dignitaries in style ].
On a side street was the eccentric mansion of the Ocampo-de los Reyes Family, which was remodeled in the 1920s into a Japanese pagoda.
Inside Callejon Llemanzana was an old house owned by Don Felipe Hidalgo which was occupied by Don Alfonso Ongpin which was a veritable museum with an extensive Filipiniana, and Rizaliana, collection.
Expansive Calle Azcarraga [ now Claro M. Recto Avenue ] was lined with splendid mansions. One of them was the 1880s residence of Don Maximino Paterno. A few houses away was one of the inherited residences of Don Trinidad Hermenigildo Pardo de Tavera.
And of course, Old Quiapo was just a stone’s throw away from posh San Miguel District, which became the preferred address of The Rich after the Governor General’s Palace was moved from Intramuros to the Malacanang summer residence following the 1863 earthquake. During the 1880s, Calle General Solano teemed with the more sophisticated, European-inflected mansions — epitomized by the famous Eugster-Moreno Lacalle-Goldenberg — of the Spanish mestizo and Chinese mestizo elite beside the Pasig River.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Notes:
*According to Regina Araneta-Teodoro, [ her great-grandmother ] Dona Rosa Roxas de Zaragoza was very Filipina-looking, as proven by an old photograph among the private papers of [ Dona Rosa's grandson ] Don Salvador Araneta y Zaragoza. Dona Rosa Roxas’ Spanish mestizo husband, Don Jose Zaragoza y Aranquizna, looked like Josef Stalin with his moustache.
**The portrait of “Don Narciso Padilla and his grandson Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo” was definitely painted by an Old Filipino Master: Antonio Malantic, Justiniano Asuncion, or Mariano Asuncion.
Garganta Inflamada said,
April 4, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Those were all before my time — except for the pagoda of the Ocampo family. Herewith are some of the other more pleasant things I remember ( aside from the dirt, noise, the horrendous horde of jeepneys and buses ) about the old Quiapo district:
* I think the original “Ma Mon Luk” was there; around the corner from the Church.
* I now seem to remember Henry Sy’s original footwear emporium in old Carriedo.
* I always looked forward to going to the Hizon Bakery on a side street of the main boulevard. I so looked forward to their “ensaimadas” and those little “pili nut boats.”
* The guitar / music stores on Raon. Rows and rows of guitaras and other instruments. Are they still there?
* One of the first movie houses I was taken to I think was one called the Main — I think where the Mercury outlet now stands.
* Similarly I was always intrigued by another movie theatre on Echague called the Society — which if I remember right, had a somewhat Art Deco lobby.
* Further down on Azcarraga, there was one of the most luxurious Manila movie houses of the ’60s and ’70s — the original Cinerama movie house, the Roman Cinerama. It had many firsts:
I believe it was the first movie theatre in the Philippines:
(i) to be built on a second floor ( or at least above the ground level )
(ii) to have the entire auditorium interior carpeted; and
(iii) the first one to have escalators installed.
*And of course, the Quiapo Plaza was always the heart of Philippine political campaigns, including the site of the 1971? or 1972? fateful “Miting de Avance” where the stalwarts of the then-opposition ( the Liberal Party ) were bombed and nearly decimated. Senators Jovito Salonga and Serging Osmena were badly injured. Senator Gerry Roxas, I believe, was slightly injured; and because of Ninoy Aquino’s conspicuous absence, supposedly the finger of blame pointed at him. ( And his then new brother-in-law, Tessie’s husband, Len Or*ta, was the supposed main culprit ). And of course, all this — ay-yay-ay — was part of the grand scheme and pretext to eventually impose Martial Law. But of course, more knowledgeable people knew who were really behind the dastardly event: the then “residents of a mansion by the Pasig.”
The most common denominator that I remember, in case one got caught in the Quiapo area, was to get the hell out as quickly as one could because of the teeming traffic, the crowds, and even then the mounting exhaust pollution. But I guess that’s true for everywhere in the Manila metro area now, huh?
G.I.
toto gonzalez said,
April 4, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Garganta Inflamada:
Good one!!!
I can always count on you to make sensible and interesting comments. Thank you very much!!!
Cheers!!!
Toto Gonzalez
Garganta Inflamada said,
April 6, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Always my pleasure, Toto.
Interestingly enough, the other day, I came upon another forum with a discussion and photos of war-ravaged Quiapo.
Here are 2 images from that http://www.skyscraper.com site, courtesy of ‘tsinoy,’ a regular and prolific poster on that site:
Times Theater (courtesy of tsinoy)
[IMG]http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c211/hawayano/1945QuezonBlvd.jpg[/IMG]
(As a child in the 50s, I saw a movie or 2 here, including the earlier “Gulliver’s Travels,” a color, US-animated film from the 30s (altho shown at the Times Theatre in the 50s), which film pushed and prompted the late Walt Disney to take the art of animation a few levels higher.)
And an aerial shot of the war-ravaged Quiapo area:
[IMG]http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c211/hawayano/1945destroyedQuiapo.jpg[/IMG]
The topics and readership at the ’skyscraper’ forums might not be as ‘elite’ as they are here (actually, one Zobel de Ayala (if indeed it’s him/her), posts there.
), but there is a REAL treasure trove of photos of pre-war, war-torn Philippines, and TONS more.
Here’s the link to that forum: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=378599&page=27
Enjoy.
G.I.
Paquito said,
April 7, 2008 at 6:11 am
Toto G.:
What fond memories this brings back. As always, thank you for your wonderful reminiscences!
Oh, I remember old Don Jose ( Zaragoza y Aranquizna ) quite well. His brother Miguel was the famous artist, a friend of the Paternos and based in Europe, I believe:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/249/448754993_ad51cb464d.jpg
His son by Doña Rosa ( née Roxas ) was none other than the the famous attorney Don Salvador Zaragoza. He was married to Doña Carolina ( née Tuason ):
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2346/2395324922_ebb60acc51_o.jpg
With their lovely daughter:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3117/2395324992_08ba5ac860_o.jpg
The entire family:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3267/2395324958_48622d444f_o.jpg
I remember Don Salvador’s nephew — the builder — young Don Luis Maria Zaragoza Araneta ( to those who knew him, he was just Don Luis ) and the wonderful effort that he made in helping with the San Agustín Church project — he literally coaxed all of his friends and relatives to donate artifacts from their personal collections and funds ( it’s a great story that I might retell in detail someday, assuming that my memory is still there ). Anything that the Augustinians needed, old Don Luis would provide. People should always remember the family’s warm generosity!
toto gonzalez said,
April 7, 2008 at 6:52 am
Paquito:
Wonderful pictures!!! Thank you so much!!! I’m sure several readers will also want to thank you because the Zaragoza-Tuason are their relatives.
Regina Araneta-Teodoro’s assertion that her great grandmother Dona Rosa Roxas de Zaragoza was “very Filipina looking” was confirmed by the features of her son, [ Atty. ] Don Salvador Zaragoza y Roxas. Dona Carolina Tuason de Zaragoza was a classically beautiful Spanish “mestiza.” And I had no idea that Dona Concepcion “Conchita” Zaragoza de Ortoll was such a beauty in her youth!!!
Paquito, please regale us with more, more, and more of your recollections of “Spanish Manila”!!!
Cheers!!!
Toto Gonzalez
Paquito said,
April 8, 2008 at 6:35 am
Toto G:
I forgot to mention that the gentleman to the left of Don Salvador Zaragoza in the last photo is a Roxas family relative ( as are the others in the photo ). If my memory serves me correctly, he is Don Enrique Brías y de Coya ( of San Miguel fame ), who married Doña Lucina ( née Roxas ). They were the progenitors of the Brías-Roxas clan:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1122/525759460_9319be5eb9_o.jpg
Is this correct?
Regards,
toto gonzalez said,
April 8, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Paquito:
You never fail to amaze…
I have requested FOM to ask her Abuelita CTZ-O to identify the persons in your photographs. I hope she will accede.
You are a treasure trove of information and photographs of Old Spanish Manila. Please keep it up!!!
Cheers!!!
Toto Gonzalez
Paquito said,
April 15, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Toto G:
You are quite welcome. I also had an old photo of our Araneta family relatives:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2210/2397311747_f9f3d18bd5_o.jpg
Regards,
toto gonzalez said,
April 16, 2008 at 4:39 am
Paquito:
Interesting photograph. I wonder if it was taken at # 1034 Calle R. Hidalgo in Quiapo or at “Victoneta 1933″ in Mandaluyong? I can readily identify Dona Carmen Zaragoza de Araneta, Don Salvador Araneta, Dona Victoria Lopez de Araneta, Don Luis Araneta, and Dona Teresa Araneta de Albert. I wonder if the old lady beside Dona Carmen was her mother Dona Rosa Roxas de Zaragoza?
I have requested Regina Araneta-Teodoro to identify the family members in the photograph.
Have you come across the blog post “The Elegance of Old Spanish Manila”? It is mainly about the Spanish mestizo families who lived along Calle General Solano in the San Miguel District. I have included some of Don Felix Roxas’ reminiscences of his paternal relatives. However, it is not yet finished.
Again, thank you so much.
Toto Gonzalez
MRGL-LL-A-T said,
April 16, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Toto and Paquito:
This is my best “guess-timate”:
Seated: ( L to R ) Daddy ( Salvador Araneta ), man beside must be one of the brothers-in-law ( whom, I don’t have a clue ), little boy, my first guess would be Goyez ( Gregorio III ), Lola Rosa ( see, “Pinay na Pinay” ), Lola Carmen ( blind now ), little girl looks like ( Ana Marie Lopez Araneta ) but could also be Nenuca. Couple at end either Vicente and Paching, or Jose and Mercedes. I can’t make out. Woman seated on the rightmost does not look like Mercedes ( Mercedes Lopez-Araneta ) at all; she seems much taller, could be Paching, but she could be Nena ( Margarita Rebullida-Araneta ).
Back: J. Antonio, Lola Mereng ( Remedios Araneta, one of the old maid sisters of Gregorio Araneta ), Mommy ( Victoria Lopez-Araneta ), ?, Francisco, Tina ( Margarita Araneta-Singh ), Teresa ( Teresa Araneta-Albert ),?,?, Luis ( Luis Araneta ), ?
Sorry, this is the best I can do. Never met the other sisters who either died Pre / during WWII or were “spirited away”: Consuelo, Conchita, Pacita, and I don’t really remember Ramon.
toto gonzalez said,
April 16, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Tita Regina:
Thank you so much for taking the time to identify the Araneta-Zaragoza family members for us.
Cheers!!!
Toto Gonzalez
toto gonzalez said,
April 16, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Yes, Dona Rosa Roxas de Zaragoza was “very Filipina-looking.” But she did have the distinct features of the Roxases of her generation. Her first cousins Don Felix Roxas y Fernandez and his sister Dona Lucina Roxas de Brias shared some distinct facial features.
Toto Gonzalez
MRGL-LL-A-T said,
April 17, 2008 at 4:23 am
Toto and Paquito:
Goyez is Gregorio III. But on second thought, I doubt if it is him. Judging by the age of Tito Fritz, this must be someone younger. And I don’t think the girl is Ana Marie. Looks like her but has to be someone younger.
Woman in black dress beside Tito Luis, my hunch is that she is Tita Manchi Valdes-Araneta, wife of Ramon. Woman beside Mommy ( Victoria Lopez-Araneta ) is probably Consuelo. Woman beside Tito Luis is probably Pacita.
Paquito said,
April 17, 2008 at 5:59 am
Dear Regina (and Toto),
I hope you are enjoying this photo. Yes, you have identified most of the family members correctly. I should mention that the gentleman seated to the right of your father Don Salvador is actually a Roxas family relative: Don Antonio Brías y Roxas, Director of Brías Roxas, Inc. and Vice President of San Miguel:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1146/525759410_dff22c669e_o.jpg
Regards,
toto gonzalez said,
April 17, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Paquito:
Thank you for the photograph of Don Antonio Brias y Roxas. I was amused because there is a resemblance to my friend, the uberbanker J*sto “Just*to” Abo*tiz Ort*z of Union Bank. I guess handsome Spaniards / Spanish mestizos resemble each other!!!
Toto Gonzalez
zippo said,
April 18, 2008 at 5:24 am
Does anyone have pictures of Doña Angela Tuason and Doña Maria Valero de Lednicky?
Hope you can post it. Most of our family’s PreWar pictures burned down during the Liberation of Manila when my grandparents abandoned their house in Ermita. These two ladies were very special to our family and were like the second mother and the “older sister” of my grandmother. We have no more pictures of Doña Angela and no more pictures of Doña Maria in her prime.
Thanks.
Z
toto gonzalez said,
April 21, 2008 at 11:42 am
zippo:
Re: Dona Maria Valero de Lednicky.
I wonder if “Lednicky” was pronounced in the Polish manner as “Led-nitz-kah”???
Toto Gonzalez
Monchito said,
April 22, 2008 at 7:43 am
Had the chance to visit the executive offices of Gregorio Araneta, Inc. and Araneta Properties, Inc. at the Citibank Center in Makati and I was most impressed. From the lift lobby and walking along the corridor, you are greeted by two huge wooden doors that bear the seal of the Araneta family, When you enter, it is like you’re entering the office of a storied bank or law office in New York. Very old school and quite elegant. Fronting the door at the end of the room are portraits of Gregorio Araneta and Carmen Araneta, executed by Amorsolo. Dark wood walls all around.
zippo said,
April 22, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Toto:
No dice. They pronounced it the Americanized way: “Led-nih-kee”.
Z
qwerty said,
April 23, 2008 at 8:15 am
I was wondering if that Lednicky is related to the American-era Lednicky family who founded a mining fortune in Baguio/Benguet and then went back to the US.
zippo said,
April 24, 2008 at 3:02 pm
qwerty,
Yes. That’s the one.
Z
zippo said,
April 25, 2008 at 1:08 am
qwerty,
Yes, that’s the one. When the patriarch died, the children started leaving for the US. By the late 70s, all of them were already in the US except for the matriarch of the clan — Maria “Maring” Valero-Lednicky who chose to live out her twilight years in the Philippines. She died in the early 80s.
Z
qwerty said,
April 26, 2008 at 7:27 am
thanks, zippo. i’ve always wondered abt them.
Maldita said,
May 17, 2008 at 2:39 am
Toto and other readers,
I replied to Toto’s blog article on Old Spanish Manila with a link that might interest you:
http://remembranceofthingsawry.wordpress.com/2008/02/22/the-elegance-of-spanish-manila/#comments
Thanks!!!