Story

Quiapo: "Old Downtown" Manila

August 12, 2011 | Pulitzer Center
image

Eighty-one percent of Filipinos are Roman Catholic. Quiapo Church is an iconic and bustling religious site. Although the present church was constructed in 1939, Franciscan missionaries built the first structure in the early 1600s, which did not survive an earthquake in 1863 and a fire in 1929. Image by Coleen Jose. Philippines, 2011.

image

Quiapo is well known for the vendors and peddlers who sell a wide spectrum of goods—from local vegetables and bootleg DVDs to contraceptives. The market attracts both customers and local police, who attempt to regulate illegal activities and unsafe products. Image by Coleen Jose. Philippines, 2011.

image

Similar to developing nations in and beyond Southeast Asia, Philippine children take temporary jobs to help supplement the family income. Image by Coleen Jose. Philippines, 2011.

image

“If you took out the people in Manila that are originally from the provinces,” said one resident, “there would almost be no one left.” The lack of proper resource management and enforcement of national laws is pushing rural communities to look for jobs elsewhere, mainly in urban locations that are already overpopulated. Image by Coleen Jose. Philippines, 2011.

image

The tricycle is one of the cheapest modes of transportation for many Filipinos. Image by Coleen Jose. Philippines, 2011.

image

A vendor in Quiapo sets up a stage and speakers to demonstrate a product for passersby. Image by Coleen Jose. Philippines, 2011.

image

When Libya’s Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi was scheduled to visit the Philippine capital of Manila in 1976, the then president’s wife Imelda Marcos directed the construction of the Golden Mosque, locally known as the Masjid al-Dahab. Qaddafi was to help facilitate diplomatic talks between a Philippine government concentrated in Manila and Muslim rebel groups in the southernmost region of Mindanao. The trip’s failure to materialize did not stop the Golden Mosque from maintaining a continuing and potent presence in the capital and the lives of the Muslim minority community. Image by Coleen Jose. Philippines, 2011.

image

Before being allowed to enter the gated compound of the Golden Mosque, the security guard and onlookers repeatedly asked whether or not I was Christian. Religious tension continues between the Muslim and Christian population living in Quiapo. Image by Coleen Jose. Philippines, 2011.

image

The only posting on a bulletin board near the entrance of the Golden Mosque was a newspaper clipping dated right after Osama bin Laden’s death. Image by Coleen Jose. Philippines, 2011.

image

The Philippines is considered to be an emerging economy and is known for having one of the most corrupt governments in the region. It is home to a rapidly growing population of 90 million--all in an area about the size of Arizona. Image by Coleen Jose. Philippines, 2011.

A visit to the Philippine capital of Manila is not complete without a trip to Quiapo. This city square is known as the “Old Downtown.” More than 300 years of imperial conquest are manifest in Spanish and Islamic architecture. Numerous Catholic churches and a few mosques dot the district.

Religious life and faith in merchandise converge on Quiapo’s inner streets. The incessant foot traffic is due not only to religious pilgrims, but also the opportunity to purchase lower-priced goods. There is a photographers’ haven in Hidalgo Street where high-end digital cameras and equipment sell for some of the cheapest prices in the region.

Bustling markets at the district’s center sell the latest music and movies, though traditional Filipino products and souvenirs also have a powerful presence. Vendors walk, rent space or establish their businesses on a first-come-first-served basis. Recently, stricter enforcement on unauthorized goods has inspired salesmen to add wheels to their booths. The wheels provide a quick getaway from the police and a suspenseful scene to the Quiapo passersby.

A walk in historic Quiapo bears witness to a Philippines in transition from an imperial past to one of modernity. At times, the streets can seem an attack on the senses. Yet, the dust, the honking jeepneys, the bustle of human commerce and the gentle sound of Friday morning prayer show that the multiplicity of cultures has a permanent place in the Old Downtown.