Oldtimers remember Recto Avenue as Azcarraga, named after the only Spanish Prime Minister of Filipino descent. Baby boomers who studied in the University Belt probably tried the manually operated Azcarraga Bowling Lanes during their break time. I personally remember hitting the manual operator unintentionally who was not finished setting up the duckpins. I never came back! The iconic Glenmore Shoes has been transferred. Maxim, Miramar and Gotesco Theaters are gone but Cartimar Recto still stands.
Activists and rallyists would converge at the end of Recto facing Mendiola to express their discontent during the First Quarter Storm. In the book “Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage” written by Jose “Pete” Lacaba, he vividly described how the activists scampered during violent dispersals passing through esquinitas and esteros to escape police brutality. One of the escape routes, I highly suspect, was the Pasaje Licauco. This is a private property but students from San Sebastian and St. Rita used to pass here unnoticed. There is now a wall separating the property from the schools. What is surprising is I never noticed this secret lane despite studying in this area. What is even more astonishing is that it is only now that I discovered the Licauco House, the last remaining bahay na bato along Recto Avenue which is right beside San Sebastian College.
Licauco Ancestral House
The Licauco Ancestral House may have a narrow frontage making it inconspicuous but it has six accessorias or row houses when you go inside the compound. Built in the late 1920s, they were originally Chinese shophouses. It survived World War II and martial law and preserved many of the features of its house including ventanillas and capiz windows. The house has been inherited by the children of Mariano Licauco, a noted interior designer and freemason. It is now occupied by one of Mariano’s sons, Jay. Being located in the business zone has been a bane for the family of Jay Licauco since they are burdened by an astronomical annual real estate tax of P300,000 despite being a mere residence. Declaring Quiapo a Heritage Zone might ease their burden if they get exempted from real estate tax or at least get a reduction. Unfortunately, the Licauco siblings are divided. The Laperal Apartments just across the street may serve as an inspiration. It is now an excellent example of adaptive reuse when it reinvented itself from a row of small shops to an adequate, decent student dormitory and a food hub while preserving its Art Deco heritage. It is now called “The Youniversity Suites.”
Calle San Sebastian
Another “escape route” for scampering activists along Recto is Calle San Sebastian. This is across University of the East and exits at San Sebastian Church. This Gothic church with steel spires is actually the first basilica in the Philippines. The Recollects who built it have the distinction of bringing the first image of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel which was donated by Mexican Carmelites. During the feast of Nazareno in January, the religious procession stops in San Sebastian for the “dungaw” wherein the statue of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is placed in a balcony where it can “see” the statue of the Black Nazarene.
Calle San Sebastian itself has five ancestral houses, two of which are century-old. While walking around, we met one of the owners of the century-old houses, Nicky Legazpi, heritage conservationist and retired art curator of the National Museum for 42 years. Beside Legazpi’s house is another century-old house, Casa Consulado. This former consulate of Monaco used to be open to the public until the death of one of the descendants, Paul Iturralde.
Hidalgo Street
After a merienda of giant turon, we were now in Plaza del Carmen fronting Hidalgo Street. Hidalgo was once described as the most beautiful street in Manila during the Spanish times. Although a far cry from its former glory days, there are still patches of grandeur if you look closely. Looking at old maps, we found out that there used to be a tranvia on Hidalgo which ended at San Sebastian. UP College of Fine Arts and College of Music campuses used to be on Hidalgo. The good news is the local government through Congressman Chua’s initiative has started a road improvement project on Hidalgo with matching street lamps.
Ocampo Pagoda Mansion
From Plaza del Carmen, we walked towards Bilibid Viejo until we reached the Raon Interior. Between two rows of accessorias and at one corner, you will find a glass encased statue of Jesus Nazareno. Walking past small houses in a crowded, narrow street, you will be astounded with a unique sight looking somewhat like a pagoda. It is, in fact, an eclectic form of architecture from the exterior to the interior. A tower which looks like a part of a European castle seems out of place but is integral in the structure. It used to be surrounded by a beautiful garden which is now a concrete basketball court.
The Ocampo Pagoda Mansion was constructed from 1936 to 1941. The owner, Jose Mariano Ocampo, meticulously designed the mansion based on books he has read. The interiors have elaborate design inspired from Japanese, Chinese, Mongolian, and Western cultures. He loved Japanese culture, spoke and taught Nihongo. This language proficiency helped him survive the war. Although he never went abroad, he could visualize ornate designs from other countries. He hired several artists who followed all his caprices. He paid painters by the hour. He also commissioned sculptors Anastacio Caedo, Graciano Nepomuceno, and Pacifico Perez to make statues.
The Ocampo Mansion is safe and stable, what with seven layers of reinforced concrete. During WWII, it was used as an air-raid shelter. This 3-storey, 7-storey tower was one of the highest structures in Quiapo during the war.
Quiapo is many things to many people. From the devout Catholic and Muslim to the ultimate bargain hunter, it is always in living color and full of life. We will always remember what Quiapo can do for us in the present but forget its role in the past. The remaining ancestral houses remind us of its genteel past and its role in Philippine history. As Martin Luther King has said, “We are not makers of history, we are made by history.” So the next time we walk in Quiapo, let us treat it with respect and honor.
Thank you to Kapitbahayan sa Kalye Bautista atbp. Lugar, Inc. – KKB for organizing Lakbay Lakaran Walking Tour.
JP Ordoña (Manilakad) leads Manilakad Walks in Intramuros, Binondo, Quiapo and more. Let him guide you to several walking destinations in Manila. Manilakad (Jing Ordoña) can be reached on Facebook Messenger or through text at 0916-3597888 and Viber (George Ordona) at 0960-6975930.