Most
of us, perhaps unknowingly, catch a glimpse of New Manila from the window of
LRT line 2 as it passes by Gilmore station. Then teasers of it until the next
two, when we hear the catchy announcement of "paparating na sa Betty-Go
Belmonte," which marks the boundary of the former Mariana
administrative division in Metro Manila, the Magdalena Estate, and now New
Manila.
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| The eerie Villa Caridad ruins |
The
only prior exposure to New Manila I had was only limited to nights out watching
gigs and attending exhibits at Big Sky Mind and hanging out with friends at the
77 Bar’s first location at Doña Hemady street during the early 2000’s as a
wide-eyed kid out of college.
ManiLakad
in Quezon City
My
limited knowledge about New Manila changed when I attended a walking tour led
by JP Ordona, a historian, DOT-accredited tour guide, and operator of
ManiLakad, his one-man company that conducts walking tour of historic
neighborhoods in and around Metro Manila.
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| Our first stop |
We
met early in the morning at a fast-food branch in Timog Avenue, and the first
thing he asked me was, “Are you ready for some long walking?” Anticipating a
walk of approximately 20,000 steps, I enthusiastically responded, "Yes,
sir."
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| Pottery enthusiasts |
Before
we headed to New Manila, we passed by several intriguing places along the way.
Our first stop was Tahanan Pottery Shop & Studio, which is located on Scout
Tobias Street.
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| Pottery creations of various shapes and sizes |
We
were fortunate to meet Rita Badilla-Gudito and her husband Vicente. The couple
established Tahanan Pottery Shop & Studio, a contemporary ceramic space, so
that the public can learn and appreciate the art of pottery making through
courses ranging from single sessions to brief series, encompassing everything
from providing raw materials to firing.
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| With sir JP of Manilakad and Mam Rita of Tahanan Pottery |
Rita
Badilla-Gudito's enthusiasm for the process of making ceramic pottery spilled
over into academia, where she assisted in the establishment of a ceramic
pottery minor program in the curriculum of the University of the Philippines'
College of Fine Arts, as well as the establishment of the FA's own ceramic
studio.
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| Inside Papemelroti's main store |
This
pottery school also functions as an art gallery and showroom where students can
display their own works, which range from high fire stoneware to low fire
earthenware ceramics, as well as works by other well-known potters such as
Badilla-Gudito herself.
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| The GORA pedestrian map |
A
few dozen steps later, we entered a room full of creative arts and crafts
inspired by Filipino culture. Papemelroti’s main store on Scout Tobias Street
instantly captivates you with its beautiful selection of stationary, notebooks,
home decor, and other gift items. These items are crafted by various artisans,
creators, and suppliers, all of whom the store supports with its proceeds. Of
course, many are based on the creations of Robert Alejandro, who himself is an
artist who has won many awards as a graphic artist, illustrator, painter, and
crafter.
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| Discarded items are given new life here |
Before
stepping foot on New Manila proper, we come across a quirky backyard furniture
shop called Resurrection Furniture and Found Objects Gallery. Using commonplace
found things as main materials, this unconventional atelier creates
one-of-a-kind furniture and artwork by “breathing new life into dead objects” by
infusing clever and eccentric designs.
Doña
Magdalena Becomes Doña Hemady: Origins of New
Manila
One can trace the beginning of New Manila's history to the time of the Americans' occupation of the Philippines, when they acquired lands previously owned by Spanish friars and sold them to several wealthy families in Manila.
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| Re-imagined found objects |
One
such large property in Quezon City, in a strategic spot just outside of Manila,
fell into the ownership of an immigrant from Lebanon named Wadi'ah Hashim
(later Doña Magdalena), who was born in 1877.
After
marrying a fellow Lebanese called Hanna Mansour Gemayel, the couple traveled to
Australia in 1905 to escape adverse conditions under the Turkish Ottoman
Empire, only to encounter ship engine trouble that necessitated an emergency
docking at Davao. (according to Doña Magdalena's great-granddaughter Rosary
Ysmael, it was in Iloilo).
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| Doña Magdalena and Kemal Hemady |
Disembarking
in the country, the couple fell in love with the Philippines before eventually
deciding to move to Manila. Settling in the city and converting to Catholicism,
Wadi'ah Hashim changed her name to Magdalena before Hanna Mansour Gemayel
followed suit by changing his to Juan Ysmael Sr.
Not
long after, Doña Magdalena, along with his brother Faride T. Hashim Sr., who
established the Manila Grand Opera House after migrating to Manila in a much
earlier time, became part of Manila's posh circle.
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| The Hemady's original house is now occupied by the Pastorelle Sisters from Italy |
Years
after Juan Ysmael's death in 1908, Doña Magdalena found love again in the person
of Kemal Hemady, who, like her, was also a Lebanese immigrant. Together, they
purchased a vast property in Quezon City, which they named Magdalena Estate,
and built their home on 20 Broadway Avenue.
During
the 1930s, Magdalena Estate gained popularity among Manila's elite class as a
place to build their homes. It gained even more allure in the years preceding
and succeeding World War II, when prominent members of Philippine society established
their home addresses here.
Glitz,
Glamour and Politics
Crossing
E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue into New Manila, JP Ordona continued his storytelling
as we walked along. He tells us that New Manila was the first exclusive and
gated community outside of Manila, akin to a smaller version of Beverly Hills,
and that other subdivisions marketed for the rich, such as Forbes Park in
Makati and Ayala Alabang, drew inspiration from it.
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| Popularly known as the Church of the Pink Sisters or the Pink Sisters Convent |
Once
upon a time, the streets of Dona Hemady, Broadway, Gilmore, Victoria, and the
Filipino horror film staple Balete Drive housed a number of political
heavyweights, including President Manuel Quezon, who recuperated from his
illness at Gilmore, former Vice Presidents Emmanuel Pelaez and Teofisto
Guingona, as well as numerous lawmakers such as Claro M. Recto, Lorenzo Tañada,
Soc Rodrigo, Jose Roy, Quintin
Paredes, Benigno Aquino Sr., Eulogio Rodriguez and the list goes on.
Other
political figures who chose New Manila as their address include former Chief
Justices Ramon Avanceña and Jose Yulo, as well as pioneering ladies Cecilia
Muñoz-Palma, the first female justice of the Supreme Court, and Geronima
Pecson, the first female senator. Former President Joseph Estrada once owned
the infamous Boracay Mansion, a sprawling lot on 11th Street. However, the
Quezon City Reception House, which housed former Vice President Leni Robredo’s
office from 2016 to 2022, has since replaced the demolished Boracay Mansion.
The late Danding Cojuangco's family still maintains a mansion in Balete Drive,
which now houses his vast collection of cars.
On
the glitzy side, legendary figures in Philippine cinema, such as Charito Solis,
Pilita Corrales, Amalia Fuentes, Gloria Romero, and Doña Sisang de Leon of LVN
Studios, built a home on Broadway Avenue — as well as the office of Sampaguita
Pictures on Gilmore Avenue, thus attracting hordes of admirers in their shiny
cars on the streets of New Manila back in the day. Ninoy Aquino's sister, Maur
Aquino Lichauco, recalls being neighbors with Iglesia ni Cristo founder Felix
Manalo when the Aquino family lived at 56 Broadway Avenue during the pre-war years.
Our
Lady of Mt. Carmel and other Churches
According
to ManiLakad himself, JP Ordona, he got the idea for his New Manila walking
tour after the city government of Quezon City unveiled the GORA (Green Open
Reclaimed Areas) Lane, which starts along Mother Ignacia, passes through the
Scout area, and ends in New Manila, covering more than five kilometers.
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| Diocesan Shrine of Jesus the Divine World |
Included
in the route of this walkable path are several religious houses which also
teems of fascinating stories. Before crossing E. Rodriguez Avenue, we first
stopped by the Diocesan Shrine of Jesus the Divine World. First built in 1933,
this church, notable for its architecture, stands as one of the earliest
contemporary churches in the Philippines.
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| The church's stained glass altar |
The
church's distinctive stained-glass altar is a prime example of the Art Deco
movement. The church grounds are home to sculptures by era artists like Julian
Sta. Maria, Kid Baldemor, and a certain P. Lynn.
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| Society of the Divine Word Seminary |
The
Society of the Divine Word Seminary, which is located right next to the church,
also has a striking architectural design. It virtually has the same castle-like
element as the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa.
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| Garden of the Divine Word |
The
Divine Word Missionaries, also known as SVD or Societas Verbi Divini, are
responsible for overseeing both the church and the seminary. The SVD is the
largest Roman Catholic Order of Priests and Brothers that focuses on missionary
work. They also founded the many Divine Word Colleges you may see in other
places.
We
capped off our visit here with a walk around the Garden of the Divine Word, a
spacious columbary nestled inside a woodland park complete with a glass chapel
located inside the church's vast compound.
After
crossing E. Rodriguez Avenue we came into the premises of St. Joseph Convent of
Perpetual Adoration. Operated by the Sister-Servants of the Holy Spirit of
Perpetual Adoration, otherwise known as the Pink Sisters because of their
fondness of the color pink, which symbolizes love and joy of the Holy Spirit,
it was designed by National Artist Jose Maria Zaragoza, who also designed Sto.
Domingo Church and the Meralco building in Ortigas, among others.
"Zaragoza earned a diploma in liturgical art from the International
Institute of Art in Rome," shares JP Ordona.
Our
visit coincided with an afternoon prayer chant by the Pink Sisters, to which I
listened intently while feeling the power of the nun's call for spiritual
guidance.
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| Our Lady Carmel |
"The
first religious congregation to establish in New Manila was Carmel of Therese
of Lisieux on Gilmore Street, in 1926", JP Ordona informed us as we inch
our way to Minor Basilica of the
National Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel located between 4th and 5th street.
JP
Ordona noted that this church first opened its doors in 1964. Architect Maximo
Vicente Jr., the son of the well-known religious sculpture Maximo Sr., was the
architect who designed it.
The
National Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel was the Philippines' 15th Minor
Basilica, the first under the Cubao Diocese. Marrying couples reportedly find
the church's long aisle to be a significant attraction.
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| Ina ng Mundo sculpture |
True
to it, a wedding was taking place while we were there. Following a brief look
of the altar, JP Ordona guided us to the rear of the basilica, where we beheld
a magnificent 30-foot sculpture of Our Lady seated on a globe that was being
carried by seven figures hailing from different continents. According to JP
Ordona, "Ina ng Mundo" is the name of the sculpture, which was sculpted
in 1937 by Graciano Nepomuceno and painted by Anastacio Caedo.
The
sculpture was originally located at Don Jose Mariano De Los Reyes Ocampo’s
Pagoda-styled mansion in Quiapo, Manila, before his descendants donated it to
the Basilica in 2016.
Just
across the Carmel Basilica, one can find the original house of Doña Magdalena
Hemady, which is now occupied by the Pastorelle Sisters of the Sisters of Jesus
the Good Shepherd from Italy.
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| Wisdom Park |
New
Manila offers more than just Christian dwellings of faith; Wisdom Park is another
place of interest that boosts the neighborhood’s spirituality. The Universal
Wisdom Foundation manages the Wisdom Park, a Buddhist place of worship, which
first opened on Broadway Avenue in 2012 as a Buddhist resource center that
promotes the teachings of the Vajrayana or Tibetan Buddhist sect.
Like
Buddhist temples in other countries such as Thailand, it features a worship
hall within its 3-story building, which also houses a training hall and a
library. Visitors will first notice the towering stupa upon entering before
being led to the meditation garden where a Bodhi tree planted in 2011 stands.
This tree is said to be a direct sampling from an actual Bodhi tree first
planted in 288 BC, and where Siddhartha Gautama sat and gained enlightenment.
The
Haunting at Balete Drive
Much
has been said about Balete Drive, more specifically from the classic horror
film "Hiwaga sa Balete Drive," that evoked fear. The experience I had
walking along Balete Drive, albeit not during midnight, was far different from
what Pinoy pop culture described it to be. Today, Balete Drive resembles any
other affluent neighborhood, adorned with grand mansions with electric fences,
such as the one owned by the late Danding Cojuangco, an Opus Dei house, and the
Renee Salud-style haven known as Bahay Sentenaryo.
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| Bahay Sentenaryo |
Based
on my recent stroll with ManiLakad, I'd say that Broadway Drive, not Balete
Drive, is where you'll find the creepiest homes. Even in the midday sun, the dilapidated
mansion used to be known as Villa Caridad — a favorite filming location of
Filipino horror films like the aforementioned “Hiwaga sa Balete Drive”,
“Halimaw sa Banga”, and “Tanikalang Dugo” — gave me the creeps.
Originally
owned by the relatives of Florencio Lerma, a known zarzuela director who died
during the Katipunan Revolution, the house was converted into a Jesuit
resthouse before it was used as a Japanese officer's residence during WWII. It
was purchased after the war by the families of Manuel Viola Gallego (1893-1976)
and Caridad Ongsiaco-Gallego (1896-1974).
The
old house remains in ruins even as a new owner purchased it several years ago.
It is said that every time workers would do demolition job on the property for
the new owner to build a new house, the workers would hear sounds of crying
spooking the owner to just leave it as it is.
Another
old house across Villa Caridad also scares me as it looks uninhabited with its
shut windows and a 3-story tower that appears mysterious as if someone is
always watching those who walks in front of the house.
So,
is there really any truth to the haunting at Balete Drive? I’m more inclined to
say it probably exists on Broadway Avenue. One thing is for sure, however: the
neighborhood of New Manila in Quezon City hides a wealth of fascinating
anecdotes about the past, from the glitz and glamour of the elite to the higher
echelon of Philippine politics, religious diversity, and even the supernatural.
As
I started feeling my legs cramping up, I checked my steps counter on my phone,
and I saw it registering 32,000 plus steps. “Wow, this is a lot," I
told myself. Looking back, the number of steps I took that day may have just
balanced the number of new things I learned.
This article first appeared on Esquire Philippines.
