Landmarks

San Sebastian Church

The Minor Basilica of San Sebastian (Filipino: Basilika Menor ng San Sebastian), better
known as San Sebastian Church or San Sebastian Basilica, is a minor basilica of the
Roman Catholic Church in Manila, Philippines. It is the church of the parish of San
Sebastian. Completed in 1891, San Sebastian Church is noted for its architecture. An
example of the Gothic Revival architecture in the Philippines, it is the only steel building
church in the Philippines. It was designated as a National Historical Landmark in 1973
and as a National Cultural Treasure in 2011. San Sebastian Church is under the care of
The Order of the Augustinian Recollects, who also operate the San Sebastian College
adjacent to the basilica. It is located at Plaza del Carmen, at the eastern end of Recto
Avenue, in Quiapo, Manila.
 Malacañang Palace

Malacañang Palace (officially "Malacañan Palace"; Filipino: Palasyo ng Malacañang (or

Malakanyang), pronounced Spanish: Palacio de Malacañán, pronounced is the official
residence and principal workplace of the President of the Philippines. It is located in San Miguel,
Manila and is commonly associated with Mendiola Street. The term "Malacañang" is often used
as a metonym for the president and his advisers. The sprawling Malacañang Palace complex
includes numerous mansions and office buildings designed and built largely in bahay na bato
and neoclassical style.
The original structure was built in 1750 by Don Luís Rocha as a summer house along the Pasig
River. It was purchased by the state in 1825 as the summer residence for the Spanish
Governor-General. After the June 3, 1863 earthquake which destroyed the Palacio del
Gobernador (Governor's Palace) in the walled city of Manila, it became the Governor-General's
official residence. After sovereignty over the Islands was ceded to the United States in 1898, it
became the residence of the American Governors, with General Wesley Merritt being the first.
Since 1863, the Palace has been occupied by eighteen Spanish Governors-General, fourteen
American Military and Civil Governors, and later the Presidents of the Philippines. The Palace
had been enlarged and refurbished several times since 1750; the grounds were expanded to
include neighboring estates, and many buildings were demolished and constructed during the
Spanish and American periods.
 Quiapo Church

The Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene (Spanish: Basílica Menor del Nazareno Negro;
Filipino: Basílika Menor ng Itím na Nazareno), known canonically as the Parish of Saint John
the Baptist, and also known as the Quiapo Church (Spanish: Iglesia Parroquial de Quiapo), is a
prominent basilica in the district of Quiapo in the city of Manila, Philippines. The basilica is
famous home for the Black Nazarene, a dark statue of Jesus Christ said to be miraculous. The
basilica is under the Archdiocese of Manila and its current rector is Rev. Msgr. Hernando M.
Coronel.
 Mendiola

Mendiola Street (simply known as "Mendiola") is a short thoroughfare in San Miguel, Manila,
Philippines. The street is named after Enrique Mendiola, an educator, textbook author and
member of the first Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines. As a street close to
Malacañang Palace, the President of the Philippines' official residence, it has been the site of
numerous and sometimes bloody demonstrations.
On the north end of the street is the Chino Roces Bridge, named in honor of Chino Roces, a
well-known figure during the Philippines' Martial Law years. (An illuminated street sign above
the intersection of Recto and Mendiola erroneously refers to the latter street as Chino Roces
Avenue).
Mendiola Street starts at the intersection of Legarda Street and Claro M. Recto Avenue and
ends at José P. Laurel Street, just outside Malacañang Palace. Four colleges and universities
which form a part of the University Belt are in Mendiola Street.
To protect Malacañang Palace, the part of Mendiola Street that starts at the sentinel gate in
front of the College of the Holy Spirit and La Consolacion College Manila is closed to vehicles.
Vehicles are diverted to Concepcion Aguila Street, a narrow side street that passes through
residential areas of San Miguel district.
 Ayala Bridge

Ayala Bridge was originally a wooden structure when it was first built in 1872 by Don Jacobo
Zóbel de Ayala of Ayala Corporation. Steel replaced wood as main material in 1908, and Ayala
Bridge became the first steel bridge in the Philippines. Its current form is attributed
reconstruction in the 1930s.
Ayala Bridge was closed to the public in early 2015 to undergo rehabilitation and structural
repairs to ensure structural integrity. It was raised by 70 centimetres, enabling it to withstand a
7.2 magnitude earthquake. The bridge fully reopened to the motorists on November 2015.