QUIAPO, MANILA: FAITH, FOOD AND TRADE
There
is beauty in chaos. The streets filled
of thievery and piracy, of wares unthinkable to be peddled, cultural properties
of the country harbored, contrasting religious congregations co-exist and the
birthplace of varied innovative cuisine is what the Old Downtown of Manila is
today.
It
was a Sunday afternoon. The weather
cooperated for this street photography session with my constant weekend travel
buddies. The destination: Quiapo
District of Manila.
The
long walk commenced at the San Sebastian Church. There’s so much to know about the church -
from its history, architecture and its being a constant venue of weddings. In fact, a wedding ceremony was taking place
when we arrived. San Sebastian Church,
as the only all-steel temple in the Philippines and the only prefabricated
steel church in the world is designated as a National Historical Landmark by
the Philippine Government and included in the Tentative List for possible
designation as a World Heritage Site.
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| WHAT THE CHURCH IS MADE OF |
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| THE MARKET |
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| THE CEILING |
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| SAN SEBASTIAN CHURCH FACADE |
After
a few minutes, we walked towards another venue for professing religious
faith. Along the way, old ancestral
houses complemented by dangling electric wires is a necessary façade. All sorts of merchandise are peddled on the
streets with varied modes of transportation competing for space on one narrow
alley. It was a chaotic scene that not
all would appreciate. It takes extra
caution and vigilance when passing by the alleys that lead to the predominantly
Muslim section of the Quiapo District.
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| RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL SPACE IN ONE ALLEY HOUSED IN HERITAGE HOUSES |
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| THE WELCOME ARCH TO THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY OF QUIAPO |
We
visited the largest mosque in Metro Manila known as The Golden Mosque. The mosque incorporates a mixture of foreign
and local influences. The prayer hall
was full of Muslim devotees and we just have to observe to respect
solemnity.
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| THE MOSQUE' FACADE |
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| THE PRAYER HALL OF THE MOSQUE |
The
imposing and conspicuous golden dome as part of its façade makes the mosque
easy to locate. Within the vicinity are
restaurants serving halal food and
varied street food finds and wares.
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| THE GOLDEN DOME |
From
Globo de Oro Street, we move forward leaving the Muslim community and into the
center of Quiapo, where the Quiapo Church sits. Indubitable (?) number of
fortune tellers fronts the church along the Plaza
Miranda with herbal products that surround its vicinity as well.
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| FOR SALE |
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| ENTERING PLAZA MIRANDA TO QUIAPO CHURCH |
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| BUSINESS AS USUAL |
In a
15-minute session, I tried the skill of one fortune teller using ordinary cards. You will hear what you expect for a bargained
fee of PhP50.00 and PhP100.00 (for tarot card reading). Everything that surrounds the church is sold
for bargain. Quite ironic, but minor
crimes do exist within the vicinity.
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| THE QUIAPO CHURCH |
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| WHO WOULD BUY THIS ONE? |
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| THE CROWDED SQUARE OF QUIAPO |
As a
melting pot of culture and dubbed as the Old Downtown of Manila, the Quiapo
District is home to authentic specialty cuisine. The likes of mami and goto, are
aligned at Hidalgo Street. Quiapo stands
witness as well to birth of known brands in authentic Chinese cuisine.
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| MAMI TO BE SERVED |
The
Globe Lumpia House that operated for about five decades and known for its fresh
Chinese spring rolls, lumpiang sariwa (PhP18.00), has only one stall and that is in Raon
in Quiapo District. A long queue awaits
as my friends’ line up to place their orders.
I am not a fan of lumpiang sariwa so
I leave the taste test to them. I can
see from their faces how satisfied they were and their want for more but have
to fall in line once again.
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| WHAT IT TAKES TO OPERATE FOR MORE THAN 5 DECADES |
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| LUMPIANG SARIWA (PhP18.00) |
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| MA MON LUK'S SPECIALTIES - SIOPAO AND MAMI |
It was an exhausting day that deserves an iced cold beer. Quiapo is indeed not for the faint-hearted but the infinite of discoveries for a single day is priceless.
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| ONE OF QUIAPO DISTRICT OFFERINGS |
740
Raon Street, Brgy. 307,
Zone
030, Sta. Cruz, Manila
R. MA MON LUK RESTAURANT
Quezon
Blvd., Quiapo,
Manila
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