Boundaries, Spaces and Populations

in the Study of Binondo, the Manila Chinatown

by Dr. Catherine Guéguen

Geographer

Associate Researcher to ENeC

Paris IV-Sorbonne University

Many labels or clichés are embodied in Chinese areas, for instance, everybody can think of the old
Chinese shopkeeper standing at the back of his shop.

The notion of space is rarely mentioned in the study of Chinatowns, consequently the use of large-scale
maps is rare. However different scale maps show Chinese areas by a zoning, as in Manila tourist maps
where the name of the Chinese district is clearly called “Chinatown” or Binondo, which is the local name
of the area. When limits are shown, they are mostly inaccurate. Another aspect that has to be taken into
account in a spatial study is the notion of limits or boundaries, which are visible or invisible in the urban
landscape. Chinese writing in the streets is proof of the presence of a Chinese population but it is also
used in other places where Chinese characters are reserved to domestic areas. These boundaries are a
kind of psychological or spatial frontier, which reflect traditional divisions within the city.

Qualifying an area as “Chinatown” can be compared to giving it a label. Many labels or clichés are
embodied in Chinese areas, for instance, everybody can think of the old Chinese shopkeeper standing at
the back of his shop. When entering this district, a visitor can feel a certain identity and get an overall
impression of the resident community. Nevertheless, a numerical domination is not a true criterion to
qualify a district as Chinese. In Manila, the Chinese are not the largest community in the city but they
still manage the place economically. The evolution in space and time of a Chinese settlement in a city
does reflect the changes that have occurred in that city.

worship

Worship at the corner of San Lazaro and Ongpin, that shows the mingling between Christianity and
Chinese tradition.

Labels of the Chinese district and its boundaries on maps.

Large-scale and very large-scale maps, which show space that is occupied by Chinese communities, are
rare. In big cities, like Manila, “the” Chinese district is clearly shown on tourist maps by a zoning. If there
is no zoning, then the name “Chinatown” is often used, for example, on the Nelles map of Manila (scale
1/17 500). The Manila Chinatown is also known as “Binondo”, from its Spanish origins, but the limits of
this district do not equate to the real and precise location of the Chinese community. The delimitation of
the area where Chinese people live must be done with the use of various tools in order to establish a
clear, precise and objective mapping, combined with a field study. The reality of those boundaries, are
both psychological and spatial in the capital city of the Philippines. They include divisions which are
more social than cultural and were created by the urban populations.

Qualifying an area as “Chinatown” or Chinese district can be compared to a type of labelling. E.

Redoutey1 has shown that the label given to a district does not necessary imply that it is mostly
occupied by the population which was at its origin. In his paper about the gay district in Paris, the author
demonstrates that giving a label to an area seems easy to do, but we mostly let our imagination take
over the real demographical characteristics of the district in doing so; those who visit the district do not
necessarily live there. However, it does not mean that such a district is closed to the outside world, it is a
place where people can feel the gay identity and where people try to share in the collective image of a
specific group, an image which is often based on stereotypes. The numerical domination of a population
in an area is not a criterion to name a district. Similarly, the Chinese are not the largest community in
the Chinese district in Manila, but they are still the most active group in terms of economic activities
within the area.

Many publications or studies conducted by English speaking people of Chinese origins, or not as the case
may be, deal with the topic of “Chinatowns”. Their methods and research angles are varied but the
spatial approach, strictly speaking, is never used. Paradoxically, mapping in such studies is poor and not
precise. In most cases, the studies only focus on the population who lives there and not on the district
itself. Everyone knows that Chinese people live in that particular area, and this may be the reason why
such studies do not try to justify the Chinese settlement being there with precise figures or correct
mapping.

Masangkai Street

Buying fruits in Masangkai Street.

Statistics dealing with the notion of ethnicity are not easy to find; for example the National Statistics
Office (Philippines) only uses the mother tongue as an ethnic criterion. However trying to make a
demographical study in a district with no statistics is totally unrealistic! Nevertheless, by establishing
your own statistics and by using the documentation provided by the barangay2 administration, surveys
can be made on urban islets or streets, which have specific activities. Such inquiries can be made in
English for most Filipinos are English speaking. In fact, Chinese people know at least three of the
following languages: Tagalog, English, Fukkien and Mandarin.
Analysing where the Chinese population is located in each barangay within Manila and its surrounding
towns, is a must. In Manila, almost all the districts have lost a number of Chinese inhabitants. However,
when we observe the distribution of the Chinese people per barangay, we can see that their choice of
place of residence has changed over the years. Chinese people are to be found gathered up within a few
barangays. This phenomenon can be seen in all the towns included in Metro-Manila. In spite of the high
number of barangays, the distribution of groups of more than 100 inhabitants of Chinese origins is only
seen in 54 barangays. Chinese people are spread all over Manila but in very different proportions. They
have taken part in the suburbanization movement, which has been really selective since the 1960s, and
such a fact can explain their small number in highly populated cities. The distribution of the Chinese
population within Metro-Manila is as selective as it is in Manila itself. Many residents have left the old
district at the centre of the city to settle in suburban towns. Only 48 barangays in those neighbouring
towns have the highest number of Chinese residents.

passersby in Ongpin

Passersby in Ongpin

The Chinese population ratio within Metro-Manila is very low.

Within the city of Manila, the number of Chinese-speaking people is falling sharply. The low numbers
dealing with this community in local statistics go hand in hand with a fall in Chinese language practice
due to the mortality rate of elderly Chinese people and to the mobility of this population within the
entire metropolis. Another noteworthy aspect is that the younger Chinese generation born in the
Philippines live in a Tagalog and English speaking environment. Nowadays, the only place where they
learn Chinese is at school. In the 1970s, the Filipinization policy3 in Chinese Schools led to the decrease
in Chinese-speaking practice and resulted in a fall of 45% in the number of Chinese-speaking people in
the country in the 1990s. This generation of Chinese-Filipinos can also declare in census surveys Tagalog
instead of Chinese as their mother tongue, which invites less scrutiny from government officers.
Nevertheless, this small ratio in surveys enables us to partially evaluate the distribution of the local
Chinese population.

In Manila, the old centre of the Metropolis was progressively abandoned to the benefit of other towns
where residential villages mushroomed. Large groups of Chinese people can be seen in Quezon City, in
San Juan (nicknamed “the small Hong-Kong”), in Muntinlupa in the southern part of Metro-Manila, and
in the Estate of Alabang in particular.
Chinese ornaments

Chinese ornaments for sale.

This redistribution of the Chinese population can be traced thanks to the 1970 census, which by its
count identified the number of Chinese nationals and Filipinos who were able to speak Chinese. Manila
and its surrounding areas grouped 97,370 people (47,094 Chinese and 50,276 Filipino Chinese). From
the 1990s to 2000, the distribution of the population didn’t change much, but the figures did. In the
1990 census only 3,483 households declared themselves as speaking Chinese in the National Capital
Region; and in 2000, approximately 40,000 people declared Chinese as their mother tongue.

Generally, figures provided by government agencies confirm the results of interviews regarding the
location of the Chinese communities within the city. The official statistics are indicative, unofficially the
figure of 400,000 persons of Chinese origin are evocated for Manila. That’s why large scale study and the
field approach enable us to draw a more precise profile of the Chinese resident population and where
they reside.

The use of visual marks in the delimitation of Chinese areas.

Whatever period we study, Chinese people have always created their own districts, even though their
choice of area was at first imposed upon them by Spanish colonizers. Little by little, the Chinese have
modified them and have created a space where they are the main players in terms of being employers
or residents. The development of the city and the extension of urban activities outside of Manila city
boundaries have led to the multiplication of new centres and the development of commercial activities.
Following the expansion in the city, the Chinese communities have extended their activities and places
of residence.

In Manila itself, the location of the first Chinese district was not of the community’ own choice but that
of the Spaniards who dominated the Philippines archipelago at the end of the sixteenth century. The
“parian”4 was first located nearby the walled Spanish city, and was later transferred to the other side of
the Pasig River. Chinese people have developed this area, particularly in the contemporary period, by
adding value to it in terms of organization and topography by giving symbolic values extracted from
Feng-Shui to the area.
Giving a name to a place introduces the idea of spatial appropriation. This naming is specific to a group.
When analysing the names of the streets in Binondo, few things indicate a Chinese settlement. In the
district (San Nicolas ) where the Chinese are the biggest group, all the street names have been inherited
from the Spanish period or extracted from the nationalist era at the end of the nineteenth century. This
written mark, which traces the colonial era proves that Chinese people do not have the power or the
will to change the names of the streets (Ongpin street was formerly known as calle Sacristia,. Ongpin is a
Filipino national hero of Chinese origins; and in 2004, Nueva Street was renamed Yuchengco Street after
a business man who became a politician).

archway in Binondo

One of the Archways in Binondo.

The first signs of Chinese influence in the Chinese district are the Arches, which are used as gateways to
Chinatown. There are four arches in total but two of them are in Ongpin Street. Manila City Hall and the
Chinese Chamber of Commerce were involved in their construction. Those Arches are quite recent
(dating from the seventies and eighties) and show the will of the mayor of Manila to tie links with the
Chinese population by giving them a symbolic and well-delimited area. They also chose to underline the
Chinese identity by using specific street furniture: the signs that indicate the names of the streets are
both written in the Chinese characters and in the English alphabet, they are painted in green and are
decorated with small dragons.

In spite of such limits, which seem easy to trace, setting boundaries to the Chinese areas in Manila
brings more difficulties. Some Chinese people may live outside of the Chinese district, and the National
Statistics Office can not establish if a Chinese person lives in the area or not if that person does not
declare him or herself as speaking Chinese.

Even in the old Chinese district, marks on buildings are mostly of a religious nature. Landmarks are
churches, squares, and commercial streets. Everybody knows how to get to the district. There is no
typical Chinese architecture visible in Binondo. To find “pagoda style shapes”, you have to look at the
top of the new residential condominiums, which have replaced the old style buildings or traditional shop
houses.
Street furniture clearly indicate the presence of Chinese people living in the area. These signs first
appeared in the Eighties and it was a way of accentuating the Chinese character of the place and of
attracting tourists. Taoists or Buddhist temples sometimes occupy one or two floors of a building, and
there usually is a sign at the entrance to indicate the way in. Contrarily, the Chinese settlement is clearly
visible through the street furniture in some streets, like in Ongpin, Benavidez and Gandara streets, and
in some others, where signs are written in Chinese characters. Shops can be recognised as Chinese-
owned, but most of their written identity is in English and Tagalog.

The use of at least two languages reveals two basic facts: firstly, Binondo is the place to shop in
Chinatown, where good transactions can be made and it is the place that attracts people from all over
Metro-Manila, whether they are Chinese or not. Secondly, the combination of the two languages can be
explained by the fact that the new generations of Chinese Filipinos do not know how to read or write
Chinese. Often, they can only speak their parents’ language, Fukkien (from southern Fujian province).
The use of a single written Chinese language stops them from learning Chinese in its written form, which
remains the only way for Chinese people to communicate amongst themselves. In Binondo, signs
written in Chinese disappear gradually when you leave the main streets. Only a few specialised
restaurants use the writing in the dual languages (President Tea House in Salazar Street or Wan Chai Tea
House in Benavidez Street).

Wanchai

Dim Sum time at Wanchai’s, Masangkai Street.

The use of Chinese characters is more common in a few streets in Binondo, especially in the Santa Cruz
district, where some clan associations have established their head offices. In front of many buildings, at
the top, the names of the associations are clearly visible. Most of them are located in Salazar (3), in
Masangkai (7), in Tomas Mapua (3) and in Juan Luna (4)5streets.

However, the survival of Chinese newspapers and the fact that they are sold in various shops in the
district implies that the resident population can speak and read Chinese. They can either be long-term
residents born in Mainland China, people educated in local Chinese schools, where the curriculum is
delivered in Chinese, or they are newcomers who find all the traditional aspects of a Chinese district in
Binondo, where they can live without having to speak English or the vernacular. To meet this demand,
new shops, specialising in Chinese videos, have opened. Undoubtedly, this regular wave of new migrants
from Mainland China contributes to the survival of many aspects of the Chinese culture in this overseas
Chinese community. These migrants can be workers, small shopkeepers or teachers who were hired in
China or in Taïwan and sent to work in local Chinese schools.
Salazar Street

Salazar Street mostly dominated by food activities.

The varied use of space within Binondo

In Espeleta Street, i.e., barangays 298 and 297, [see map location below] Chinese Filipino families
generally live in the same building that houses the family business. Most heads of families have a
business activity, but we do not know much about it. This activity can be in shops or in trade offices,
which are numerous in the area. Many Chinese Filipinos work in family businesses, but other
professional profiles can be found: insurance agents, sport educators, or chauffeurs. The wives of
businessmen are described as jobless or housewives, when in fact they work with their husbands. A
Chinese woman who is single is frequently called a “businesswoman”. There is a medical clinic in
Espeleta Street, but the lady doctor in charge doesn’t live in Binondo any more. She has chosen to live in
a residential village in Quezon City.

This barangay progressively has become a “residential area”. There are less shops and workshops, which
used to be on the ground floor of the buildings. Nowadays, many buildings are in a state of decay and a
few are being renovated; they can be demolished and replaced by smaller buildings, three or four
storeys, built by high standards. They are used as residential units for the Chinese owner, his family and
his domestic staff. Wealthy Chinese Filipinos undertake renovations but poorer families mostly
“mestizas” (children of intermarriages) cannot afford to do so. In their case, their buildings are in a state
of “slumization” due to the additional walls built in order to accommodate their growing families.

main entrance of Binondo

Board indicating the main entrance of Binondo through Ongpin street.

The high number of Filipinos living there and who are of modest means, underpins the residential nature
of this area. They are employees living in their bosses` buildings: men are workers or janitor (all around
workers). Women are employed as childminders (yaya) or housemaids (catulong) in wealthy Chinese
Filipino families. The others live in low quality housing, in old houses without maintenance, transformed
into shanties. The rents are expensive: a room can be rented for 2,000 to 3,000 pesos a month (31 to 46
euros), and bedsits for 5,500 per month (77 euros). So, creating your own job can be a solution: many
small street restaurants named carinderias can be found at the intersections of streets or in alleyways.
Clients come from building sites located in the surrounding areas, and they can have a meal for 20 pesos
(30 centimes of euro). Those Filipinos can be pedicab drivers, they carry passengers or goods for a short
distance ride in a vehicle equipped with three wheels and a box. Sales ladies working in Ongpin Street
and its neighbourhood, live there too. A few itinerant sellers operate all over the district and sell taho
(soya cream mixed with maïzena beans). Taho is prepared in a couple of traditional Chinese workshops
in the area.

The Chinese settlement and their selective use of space.

Not very far from barangay 298, we find barangay 297, which has a different profile. In this particular
barangay, 423 voters can be found, and 286 of them have Chinese roots (around 67% of the voters). The
streets of the barangay are really specialised, for example, people in Tetuan Street deal with electric
items, water pumps and pipes. Almost all the shops in Gandara are specialised in hardware goods:
mechanical spare parts, electrical machines, D.I.Y. items. According to the interviewees, the population
of the barangay is increasing, Chinese people from Mainland China live there, but they do not stay for
more than one or two years. Yet the number of voters is decreasing: some voters have moved to Cavite,
Laguna, or Novaliches in the far-flung areas of Metro-Manila. Rents in the barangay are expensive and
the high cost of land does not allow people to buy, so residents prefer to move to a more affordable
area. In Espeleta Street (part of barangay 297), the rent for a bedsit (with a small kitchen and a
bathroom) is around 7,000 pesos (110 euros/month). In Bahamas street, the same kind of housing costs
5,000 to 10,000 pesos per month (160 euros per month).

The dynamic aspect of this street, at the heart of old Manila, is due to the Chinese population who know
how to preserve their activities, finding ways to adapt them to the current economic period. This street
specialisation reflects the association between the work place and the place of residence, which is a
characteristic of the traditional way of life of Chinese families involved in business, but they do
modernize their homes. High standing condominiums have been built here, like the Grande Mansion
located at Number 818, Gandara Street, where most of the Chinese Filipinos have their homes. There
are not so many empty spaces for squatters (no slums), for the barangay is almost entirely dedicated to
business and residential use.

street vendor
Street vendor at the corner of Mapua and Ongpin.

The specialised nature of the shops meets the needs of individuals such as wholesalers. Tetuan Street
deals with the selling or repairing of electrical goods and water related materials, which takes place in
family run workshops. Those buildings are also their homes: the house shelters not only the owners but
also their employees (janitors and catulongs, who are a trustworthy labour force).

Gandara Street creates activities within the barangay, this clean street is dominated by traders. There
are not so many Filipinos there and we can see that Chinese Filipinos do not have so many helpers at
home for childminding or caretakers (only 14 people lived in their employers` homes for those reasons).
Chinese Filipinos are shopkeepers in commercial centres in Divisoria or on the ground floor of their
condominiums in Gandara Street. Professional profiles vary; they can be involved in paper related
businesses, or they can be insurance agents, DVD dealers or restaurant managers or owner. All those
businesses have a family background.

Gandara Street

Gandara Street dominated by commercial activities

Bahamas Street has a different profile due to its architecture and the composition of its resident
population. Indeed, this street is home to the majority of the Filipinos in the district; numerous women
who are employed in the shops of the surrounding areas live there. Bahamas Street can be compared to
a “residential quarter” in the same way as the portion of Espeleta Street, already mentioned, which is
located in barangay 298. This street is out of the way, that is why there are not any new shops opening
there. This street is not attractive and shows almost no sign of urban renovation; a few wooden houses
are in a state of decay and when they have been rebuilt, the quality of the work is poor.

Yet, in this street, Chinese Filipinos families are the biggest group (34 voters). They are involved in
traditional Chinese activities: laundry services and food workshops specialized in taho and tokwa (a kind
of tofu). Those two products are made from soya and are used by Chinese families in cuisine (tofu) but
Filipinos prefer taho for their snacks. They can be found all over the city and are especially sold in the
supermarkets, which are near Chinese areas. In this type of small family business, Chinese Filipinos do
not have any employees, but they meet the local needs of individuals or restaurants with this Chinese
product.
Carvajal Street

Esquinita activities in Carvajal Street dominated by fruits and

fresh product stalls, and small eateries.

Barangay 297, with its attractive Gandara Street, has preserved the traditional association between
workshops and housing. The popular Ongpin Street, with its activities related to hardware goods and
mechanical spare parts, has also attracted a high proportion of Chinese Filipinos in this part of Binondo.

Conclusion : Renewal and revitalization in the old Chinese district.

The study of those two barangays, which are different in their constitution, has increased interest in
conducting large-scale surveys in order to make a proper portrait of the local Chinese resident
populations in Binondo. This community has made a selective use of space by choosing to separate or
not their place of work and their homes. The presence of the Filipino population is necessary to this
district: they work as temporary workers (in Divisoria market area or in numerous shops located in
Ongpin street). They also live alongside the Chinese in their domestic space, taking care of their children
or they are employed in shop houses, which are also their homes.

Calle Gandara (corner Ongpin) is dominated by businesses oriented for the residents and wholesalers in
the hardware and spare-parts industry. The Kalesa (a traditional horse and carriage) is still the means of
transportation for short distance within Binondo.

The profile of the populations within the area implies a reflection on the urban dynamics on the scale
not only of downtown Manila but also on the scale of the entire Metropolis. The flight of the Chinese
population to various suburban areas and the creation of multiple city centres around Manila brought
specialization to several streets in Binondo. The residential specialization of a few backyard streets like
Espeleta implies a reflection on the economic activity of the Chinese who live in the area. The skyline of
those streets is dominated by medium high-rise buildings for long-term family residence and also allow
for leased spaces. The opening of video stores, groceries, and beauty parlours indicate the enforcement
of the residential specialization.

Binondo skyline
Changing landscape of the Binondo skyline (condominiums projects arise in the district that confirms the
residential function of the area for the Chinese).

Highlighting those two streets show the differences in the geography of the areas occupied by the
Chinese in Binondo. Other changes occur, i.e., the rise of many commercial centres around Divisoria
tend to transfer part of the trade activities to the northern part of the district resulting in a kind of
economic decline in other parts of the district.

In the evolution of the urban landscape, the internal dynamics had to be taken into account. For
example, many buildings are in decay, improper for residential living or any type of commercial
occupancy; and vacant lots are used as parking areas or garage, sometimes utilized as warehouses only
waiting for a demolition ordinance.

Yet, tracing the profile of Binondo implies dealing with centres and peripheries which are basic concepts
in geography within a perimeter. The uses of the spaces within Binondo become more selective and
specialized within the last ten years: a few types of spaces could be determined by:

laid back streets with traditional activities where the residential function is enforced.

commercial streets, highly specialized like Ongpin and Gandara.

streets where trade activity combines malls and condominiums (around Divisoria).

Many estates projects being planned are mushrooming in Binondo, i.e., luxurious condominiums
replacing the traditional shop-house buildings. These projects target their promotion towards enticing
the Chinese population in the suburbs and those in the outlying provinces to consider a move back to
Metropolitan Manila. Attention has also focused on the residential requirements of new migrants from
Mainland China. Smaller condominium units are being built to accommodate their various incomes.
Through these estates projects and the transformation of residential housing as a new way of living
inside the district, Binondo would be far from the stereotypical image of the past and is envisioned by
city planners as a modern Chinese district. For many heads of family entrepreneurships and businesses,
the downtown area is still one of the dominant business centres within Metro-Manila, with its proximity
to universities and famous education centres. The influx of Chinese population variances has revitalized
the old centre and a gentrification phenomenon emerges from this new intra-city and international
mobility.
Binondo: the oldest Chinatown

By: Enrique Soriano - @inquirerdotnet Philippine Daily Inquirer / 06:19 AM February 11, 2017

Binondo remains an undisputed center of wholesale and retail trading for commodities

Binondo remains an undisputed center of wholesale and retail trading for commodities

Binondo has become place to be, not only for the Chinese New Year festivities, but for all the
celebrations of your life’s milestones.

What can you find in Binondo and what makes it an ideal home investment? Let’s explore.

Every major city in other countries may have a Chinatown, but there is no Chinatown quite like Binondo
in the city of Manila.

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Founded in 1594, it is the oldest Chinatown in the worId. It has become the melting pot of almost all the
commercial endeavors of both Chinese and Filipino merchants.

It is the undisputed center of wholesale and retail trading for commodities because of its strategic
location—being near the harbor centers namely North Harbor, South Harbor, and the Manila
International Container Terminal.

The district was also the first stop of the Chinese immigrants who settled and found a new life in Manila.
With the coming of these immigrants, a new culture was introduced.

The baby boomer generation, who grew up with nothing in their pockets after World War II (migrants
from Mainland China). had set up their businesses, became successful, and have always stayed in
Binondo because they are part of closely-knit families who wanted to stay close to home.
They get to enjoy all the urban trappings of a modern residential development where neighbors and
friends are nearby, while still feeling connected or rooted in historical Chinatown. In addition, top
Chinese schools and educational institutions in the university belt area are also just around the corner.

Choosing Binondo

Today, people from all walks of life can find lots of reasons to choose Binondo as their home and place
of business.

For one, land values have been consistently appreciating despite the crowded and seemingly low
compliance on zoning guidelines. Malls, office buildings, and condominiums have also sprouted in
Binondo, which further boosted real estate value in this important section of downtown Manila.

It has transformed from a busy, commercial district into an ideal residential neighborhood that’s slowly
attracting those who have an affiliation for the past and the present.

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Notably, despite the rise of modern infrastructure in the area, Binondo has retained its cultural and
historical identity. Binondo blends the past and the present with the future.

Meanwhile, as the population and local economy continue to grow, so is the demand for better living
and working conditions.

Most Chinese businessmen, for example, are converting their property into high-rise buildings to meet
this demand. The trend is to make the place of work the same place where one lives.

Great investment

Teeming with hundreds of commercial and retail establishments, multinational financial institutions, as
well as med ical and educational institutions, Binondo provides a high return on investment.
Besides, one can easily access the vibrant shopping havens around Binondo such as the famous Lucky
Chinatown Mall, Cityplace Square, 168 and 999 Shopping Centers among others.

People, especially the millennials, are now open to living in high-density locations such as Binondo
because they crave social engagement and prefer to live in homes that truly cater to their lifestyle.

Another reason why Fil-Chinese investors pick Binondo as the place to settle and start their families is its
proximity to key facilities and lower-priced food essentials found especially in Divisoria, known for its
wide assortment of low-priced goods as well as wholesale and bargain shopping.

For those who want to avoid the crowds, frenzied atmosphere and maze-like set-up, there are several
air-conditioned malls such as the Tutuban Mall and the 168 Mall, among others.

With all the modern amenities it offers, there is no doubt that anyone who wants to build and grow a
business while raising a closely-knit family will definitely find Binondo as the place to be: secure,
convenient, and comfortable.

Start-ups can structure and scale their ventures so they get a relatively stress-free environment
conducive for increased success. As feng shui masters say, it’s a great way to roost your brood in the
Year of the Fire Rooster.

Read more: http://business.inquirer.net/224378/binondo-oldest-chinatown#ixzz5PABdbZsj

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BINONDO: CHINA OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

Binondo Manila - Chinatown (photo courtesy: Krista Monica Garcia, @kristamgarcia on Instagram)

The city of Manila, Philippines has a local version of Chinatown. This is historically referred to as
Binondo. It has become the melting pot of almost all the commercial endeavors of both Chinese and
Filipino merchants, alike especially during the American Occupation in the country. However, due to the
numerous atrocities of the Second World War a lot of the flourishing business establishments in this
place had been unfortunately wrecked. Therefore, some of the most notable business firms in Binondo
had to be transferred to a much more peaceful and progressive hub for business, which was no other
than but Makati, the second to none financial capital of the Philippine Republic.

Though many entrepreneurs of today are not so familiar with Binondo, Manila, they are positively
asserting the undeniable reality that this particular part of Manila is a self–made center point of financial
prosperity and mixed cultural heritage of the Pinoys and the Tsinoys. The succeeding sections of this
article will beautifully chronicle and trace back the humble beginnings of Binondo, until she had
blossomed into a new breed of business climate and an enlightening avenue of struggling but
economically sound business people, like the Chinese.

Binondo Manila - Chinatown (photo courtesy: Krista Monica Garcia, @kristamgarcia on Instagram)

Binondo Manila - Chinatown (photo courtesy: Krista Monica Garcia, @kristamgarcia on Instagram)

Binondo’s Colorful and Timeless History Relived

The architectural creation of Binondo was brilliantly conceived by a debonair and dynamic Spanish
governor general, who was christened with the name Luis Dasmarinas. This tremendous and culturally
lasting idea of his had started in the year 1584. At first, this historical nook was only constructed for the
main purpose of having a simple settlement for Chinese immigrants in the Philippines, who were
commonly alluded to as Sangleys. As for the latter, they had been lovingly wooed with an invigorating
domicile by the enticing head of Binondo; for them to be permanently converted to Catholicism through
the forceful initiative of the Spanish Dominican Fathers. Unfortunately, the tyrannical hand of the
Spanish authorities was again in full force. It was due to the fact that the Chinese immigrants were
deliberately coerced to be converted into full-fledged Catholics.

Due to this very complex issue of religion, Dasmarinas was alleged to be the mastermind of the mass
execution of 24,000 Chinese people in 1603, after these innocent persons had launched their own
revolution against the rule of the Spaniards. Moreover, the ultimate reason for the said inhumane act
was to rebel against the death of his father under the powerful influence of the Sangley’s. Despite of all
these conflicts between China and Spain, Binondo has never lost “Mida’s touch” to the genres of
Chinese Mestizos. To date, these bio-cultural conglomerations were the unique genial creations of
intermarriages between Catholic Chinese and Filipinos. From then on, the ancient and elegant district of
Binondo is widely-recognized as the birth place of the Chinese Mestizos.

Interesting Facts about Binondo

A travel experience need not be expensive. For those of you out there, who do not have the financial
capacity to circumnavigate an Asian destination like China, all you have to do is to prepare your rugged
get up and hop around a jeep; which will journey towards the magnificence and glamour of Binondo.
Once you are there, you are definitely sure that is truly going to be a one-stop shop and a haven
ultimate pleasure for everyone. To begin our travelogue, let us discover some of the most enlightening
and intellect-enriching trivia about the sister country of Chinatown. Some of them are randomly
enumerated as follows:

Binondo is the oldest Chinatown

It is the native home of the first Filipino painter Tomas Pinpin

Binondo was the place, where a Good Samaritan like Roman Ongpin had lived and generously helped
the revolutionaries during the chaotic years of Philippine Revolution in 1896

Binondo in Escolta Street, was the premiere business and commercial districts before Makati

Binondo, Manila was the birthplace of the first Filipino saint, Lorenzo Ruiz

What Can You Find in Binondo?

People from all walks of life, can always find a second home in Binondo. From the pages of its inspiring
ancestry, it can be clearly perceived that her inherent beauty and charm lies in between her
unquestionable historical role and integrity in fashioning the Philippines’ commercial principles and
economic awakening. Also, the so-called ancient Chinatown in the Philippines is very much notable
when one speaks of a formidable religious foundation. Descriptively, she is a genuine replica of
untainted purity and chastity. Since, this was the holy place where the first Filipino saint was born; it had
proven one certain and irreversible fact. Genuine religion is not a precursor of who you are; but what
you are inside. Therefore, in Binondo you can gratifyingly find the peacefulness of a soul without being
compelled of doing any religious obligation. Just by merely looking at her ancient churches which
serenely encompass the fullness and spiritual vibrancy of Binondo, you will definitely find Rome in the
Philippines.

Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz, Binondo Manila (Photo Courtesy: Carlo Lim @carlothekingslayer on
Instagram)

Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz, Binondo Manila (Photo Courtesy: Carlo Lim @carlothekingslayer on
Instagram)

More so, it offers a wide array of famous landmarks and historical tourist attractions which will make a
Filipino realize that a country like the Philippines is a haven, no matter what tides might bring forth,
before her majestic cultural endowments. Fascinatingly, Binondo has these man-made jewels to
distinctively signify the blessedness and prosperity of this Chinese- Filipino rendezvous; which will
remain to be forever unchangeable till the end of time. Hence, these are the precious gems of hers
which are really challenging to visit, explore and be integral parts of.

The Arch of Goodwill- This is an exemplary work of art that symbolizes the essence of goodwill among
Filipino and Chinese. For those who are interested to see this towering brilliance of man, just proceed to
Ongpin and Plaza Sta. Cruz.

The Calle Escolta- This is historically known as the “Old Central Business District”. Among the marvelous
architectural structures that one can find in this nostalgic and awesome place, are old buildings, like, the
Regina, Burke and the Samarillo buildings

Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz- It was the former Plaza Calderon del Barca. Currently, it was named after the
first Filipino saint of the Philippines

Roman Ongpin Monument- In honor of a wealthy, Chinese merchant and philanthropist, the Roman
Ongpin monument which is an astonishing Binondo landmark was built for him, to lovingly remember
his noble deeds in helping the Filipino revolutionaries to financially support their nationalistic advocacies
and ideals; through a well-orchestrated Philippine Revolution Strategically, his legendary and famous
monument stands at the end of Ongpin Street
Binondo beams with pride and confidence, upon the mutual syncretism or the reconciliation of religion-
related diversities between Catholicism and Buddhism. This was evidently exhibited by a shrine which is
located at the corner of Ongpin and San Nicolas Streets. Specifically, it goes by the name of Santo Cristo
de Longos. Inside, worshippers and believers alike can beautifully find a Holy Cross which is gracefully
ornamented with sampaguita garlands; and a jar that is especially designed for the sacred burning of
incense sticks to immediate grant your fervent prayers and special petitions.

According to the anecdotes which had surrounded the portals of this shrine, the place on which it now
stands was a former artesian well. Also, there had been a documented miracle which had happened to a
Chinese businessman, who had received total and complete healing, when he had a rare chance to have
a glimpse of the Holy Cross of Santo Cristo de Longos.

Banking System in Binondo

The banking system of Binondo had proven much in the world of Philippine economy. With such an
unprecedented distinction in the complex world of banking, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking
Corporation had gladly opened their first –ever branch in the bustling district of Binondo, in 1876. In
this way, Chinese and Filipino bankers had taken advantage of a strong and progressive Philippine
economy; as the sugar industry bolters in its own special way towards limitless growth and productivity.
Hence, the Chinatown of the Philippines was really gunning for a stable economy after the closing years
of foreign and external invasions.

Marcos Years: The Economic Turmoil Hits Binondo

It was too unfortunate that during the heydays of the Marcos dictatorship; Binondo had devastatingly
suffered a major and troublesome drawback in its supposedly surging economy. This had bitterly
transpired during the early circa of 1980’s. Allegedly, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas got bankrupt and
the national treasury of the Filipino nation; had been consciously plundered in the real sense of the
word.

As a consequence, Binondo had surprisingly assumed the moniker of being the surrogate Bangko
Sentral. In effect, businessmen in the varying districts of the “second Chinatown of the Philippines’, had
unwittingly engaged themselves into the dirty tricks of US dollar black marketing scheme. This
debilitating economic strategy had maliciously dictated the unscrupulous movement of the Philippine
Peso against the American green bucks. At that time, Marcos wants to control everything. To finally
resolve the issue of an impending economic instability, the Chinese entrepreneurs had given into the
request of the fallen Ilocano Martial Law executioner. They had heartbreakingly infused fresh and active
funds to the drying coffers of the Republic. Miraculously, Binondo was able to bounce back after the
EDSA Revolution of 1986. Today, it remains to be the undisputed commerce hub of the Philippines.

Truly, Binondo has incredibly survived the odds before her. In religion, the unpredictable façades of the
Philippine economy and a lot more. With all these victories, the sweetest taste of genuine fulfillment
had become its steering wheel towards a more colorful, inspiring and prosperous Binondo which has
remained to be steadfast, in the face of resolvable socio-cultural conflicts. Thus, it makes her like a
glowing sun which is engulfed with HOPE and OPTIMISM all- year round.