Asia's MELTING POT
The City of Manila recently launched a campaign for cultural revival with a heritage circuit comprised of Intramuros, the National Museum, Rizal Park, Binondo and other districts in the city that are linked together
One’s experience of Manila will not be complete without retracing its cultural heritage.
Historical spots abound in this city that has been the nation’s capital since the days when the country was a colony of Spain nearly 500 years ago.
Sometime next year, the world will celebrate 500 years of the first circumnavigation of the world, a feat credited to Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who died in the Philippines when he crossed paths with the warrior Lapu-Lapu.
The occasion carries with it several historical milestones for the Philippines, since it was when the Roman Catholic religion was introduced and the
Spaniards developed Manila as the capital of Las Islas Filipinas, the name given to the country.
The City of Manila recently launched a campaign for cultural revival with a heritage circuit comprised of Intramuros, the National Museum, Rizal Park, Binondo and other districts in the city that are linked together to stoke pride in its rich history.
The centerpiece of the restoration effort is
Jones Bridge that has been rebuilt to its old glory at a cost of P20 million.
Jones Bridge, once known as the Queen of Bridges in Manila, spans the Pasig River and connects Binondo and Intramuros.
Lamp posts of pre-World War II designs can now be found on the bridge, which were the result of a collaboration with Jerry Acuzar, the architect behind the historical resort Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bataan.
Three historical sculptures, including “La Madre Filipina,” or “Mother Philippines,” were returned to their original locations at the bridge’s end points.
“La Madre Filipina,” part of four pieces by sculptor-painter Ramon Lazaro Martinez, once adorned the pillars of the bridge when they were unveiled in 1921. One of the sculptures was destroyed during the Japanese invasion of Manila.
The sculptures symbolize democracy, justice, gratitude and progress. Filipinos consider the artworks as links to the rich unique tradition that makes the Philippines a point of convergence.