In the Walls of History: Intramuros, Manila

      In the Walls of History: Intramuros, Manila

                                                          Alliyah Nicole Bondoc

A city enclosed in a wall with multiple buildings and establishments, mixed with cobblestone paths and colonial Filipino architecture, and finally immersed with so much history than you could ever imagine – this is Intramuros, Manila.

I was seated in the car when I first saw the arch of Intramuros which signified that I was about to enter the walled city of Manila. The arch is low; approximately two cars high, not as high as the usual arches that welcome us to places. It is made of bricks that seemed to be covered in grime, moss, and dirt due to its greenish brown black color. This simply verifies that it has been standing there for indeed a really long time. Entering this arch signaled the start of an adventure.

The arch of Intramuros

Intramuros literally means “within walls” in Latin and was built by the Spaniards in the 16^th century. During the Spanish colonial era, it served as the center of the Spanish rule because the Catholic churches, schools and the Palacio del Gobernador – the equivalent of today’s Malacañang Palace – are located here. The walls of Intramuros have withstood numerous calamities and wars. However, during the World War II, majority of the buildings in Intramuros were destroyed. Former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos ordered the reconstruction during his term so not everything that is in Intramuros today stood since the 16^th century. Today, Intramuros contains many universities, business establishments, churches, and sadly, informal settlers.

The Heart of Intramuros: Manila Cathedral

The first thing I noticed as I stepped out of the car was the Manila Cathedral. Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica, commonly known as Manila Cathedral, is a place of worship for Catholics where Eucharistic celebrations, weddings, baptisms and the like are held. It has been destroyed, built, and restored multiple times already. In fact, according to Artes de las Filipinas, the current Manila Cathedral that is standing in Intramuros right now is its 8^th reincarnation.

Manila Cathedral

In my exploration of Intramuros, the Manila Cathedral seemed like the center of the walled city. Its architecture is intricate that you have to look at it for at least a minute to absorb its grandeur. Once you go inside, you are welcomed by a massive church with a high ceiling, pillars, and arches. It is air-conditioned and there are numerous rows of pews. You could mistake Manila Cathedral to be one of the churches in Europe because of its detailing. Various statues of saints are also found inside but I did not take pictures because it is disrespectful for me. I was personally star-struck by the church because it was absolutely beautiful inside and out. “I did not choose to work here because we were just assigned, but still, the experience is delightful due to the beautiful sceneries and views,” said the security guard who was stationed in front of the Manila Cathedral. Together with its beauty, the Manila Cathedral is a good place for reflection since it is peaceful, and the atmosphere is just right.

Inside Manila Cathedral

The Hands of Intramuros: Casa Manila

Next stop, Casa Manila. By foot, the travel time from Manila Cathedral to Casa Manila is only around 10 minutes more or less, depending on the pace. According to its brochure, it is a “colonial lifestyle museum” that is part of the Plaza San Luis Complex. Despite being a commercial complex due to its different shops and establishments, the place has a Spanish-colonial façade that gives you the colonial history vibe.

Outside Casa Manila Museum

In the Casa Manila Museum, you get a glimpse of how old colonial Filipino houses looked like. There are different rooms inside, with furniture and fixtures that are made out of wood and indeed look like items from the Philippine colonial era. However, tourists are limited to walking around the part of the house where there is red carpeting. Touching anything is also not allowed. There are plaques with labels for each room, wherein the name and function of the room is indicated. The different items have sophisticated details and almost everything is made out of wood, including the floor and walls. The administration seems to take good care of this place because there are around four guards who are stationed here. Once inside, I felt what it is like to be a doña of old Manila. I even actually imagined people, wearing their baro’t saya and all, simply living a normal day in a house like this. Sadly, tourists are not allowed to take pictures of the inside, but it just signifies that there are multiple beautiful things that can not be captured by pictures, instead they can only be captured by our senses and stored in our brain.

A bamboo bike from Bambike Ecotours

Bambike Ecotours Intramuros is located in Casa Manila. They offer services where you get to tour Intramuros while riding a bamboo bike made by the Bambuilders from Gawad Kalinga, and at the same time gain information on the different sites of Intramuros. I was not able to avail of its services but I was given the opportunity to interview one of its tour guides, Ian Salaysay. He has been to different places in the Philippines so I asked him what makes Intramuros different from the other historical places in the Philippines and he answered, “Intramuros is a place with multiple cultures. Also, if you live in Manila, you don’t have to travel far to see Philippines’ history.”

The Backbone of Intramuros: Fort Santiago

Fort Santiago is the last and the farthest stop in this short Intramuros exploration. It took me around 20 minutes more or less to walk from Casa Manila to Fort Santiago. Fort Santiago is part of the wall that surrounds the city of Intramuros. You have to pay first in order to explore and walk around in Fort Santiago but do not fret because it is not expensive. Entrance fee only costs P50 for children, students, and teachers, P75 for adults, and free for senior citizens and the disabled. Once you enter the gate, you will not be able to see Fort Santiago immediately but a large beautiful garden with a fountain in the middle will catch your eyes first. Carriages pulled by horses or kalesas circle the garden in the middle. It is good to walk around here and stroll, and maybe take a few pictures here and there. Beyond the garden was Fort Santiago itself.

The garden before Fort Santiago

Fort Santiago

The garden beyond Fort Santiago

According to VirtualTourist, Fort Santiago is “one of the oldest fortifications in Manila.” It was first ordered to be built by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, in 1571, after the establishment of the city of Manila under the Spanish rule. Together with the Spanish, the British, Americans, and Japanese forces occupied Manila with their forces operating in Fort Santiago. Rizal Museum is also located here, and the actual place where Rizal was imprisoned before killing him in Bagumbayan. Many information about our national hero is mentioned here through the paintings and posts.

The view of Pasig River from Fort Santiago

After climbing multiple sets of stairs, I was able to reach the seemingly highest part of the fortress. At this point, I was able to see the Pasig River but the view was not as breathtaking as I thought it would be. However, I kind of expected to see the river flowing with aquatic plants and multiple ragged buildings beyond the river, considering the urban setting of Intramuros. Despite the dirty river, there was not any foul odor coming out of it. Nevertheless, I was amazed by the construction of Fort Santiago, despite being only a reconstruction that occurred during former president Marcos’ rule.

Fort Santiago

It was around 12 noon already by the time I have reached Fort Santiago so the heat was hard to bear, but my fascination still overpowered the physical pain I was feeling. There were many tourists, both Filipino and foreigners, who were strolling around just like me. “I will return to Intramuros because I like the feeling of reliving our history, imagining Jose Rizal walking in the same streets, and I think everything there looks wonderfully ruined,” said Mikka Navarro, 17, a Filipino tourist who ended up touring Intramuros when the original plan was to go to Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church.

Although there are still other places in Intramuros that I was not able to visit, these three places, as well as the others, embody Intramuros in their own unique ways. Each site has a different history but have the same origin; the Philippines.

Intramuros can be identified as an urban place but at the same time, a historical site. There are many things that you can do there for leisure. You can attend mass or simply reflect inside the Manila Cathedral. You can shop for some souvenirs in Casa Manila, visit a house from the Spanish-colonial period, and even maybe go on a tour. You can walk around Fort Santiago and gaze upon the walls that make up the fortress and gain knowledge on our national hero, Jose Rizal.

Walking around and exploring Intramuros does not cost as much as going to commercialized buildings and buying different items. Not that going to malls and shopping centers is bad, it is just that maybe at this age and era, it is time for us to learn more about our history in a leisurely manner. Besides, even if we don’t notice it, we gain more happiness from spending money on experiences rather than spending it on different items.  

Picture Sources:

1.    Arch of Intramuros: http://www.philippinetraveldestinations.com/intramuros-manila/

2.    Bambike Ecotours: http://www.wazzuppilipinas.com/2014/07/bambike-ecotours-of-intramuros-coolest.html

*all other pictures are taken by yours truly

Content Sources:

Bachrach, Emil. "La Fuerza de Santiago (Fort Santiago)." 15 May 2013. Manila Nostalgia. 1 October 2015 <http://www.lougopal.com/manila/?p=635>.

Bambike. "Bambike." Bambike. 1 October 2015 <http://bambike.com/company>.

Bambike. "INTRAMUROS ECOTOURS." Bambike. 1 October 2015 <http://bambike.com/ecotours>.

Intramuros Administration. "Casa Manila." 2015.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. "KLM Travel Guide - Intramuros: Manila's walled city." KLM. 1 October 2015 <http://www.klm.com/destinations/hr/en/article/intramuros-manilas-walled-city>.

Montero, R. Intramuros Alliyah Bondoc. 19 September 2015.

Navarro, Mikaella. Intramuros Alliyah Bondoc. 19 September 2015.

Philippine Country. "Intramuros Manila Philippines." 2006. Philippine Country. 1 October 2015 <http://www.philippinecountry.com/philippine_tourist_spot/intramuros.html>.

Salaysay, Ian. Intramuros Alliyah Bondoc. 19 September 2015.

Sanchez, Jorge Juan. "Fort Santiago - Intramuros, Manila." 18 June 2015. VirtualTourist. 1 October 2015 <http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Philippines/City_of_Manila/Manila-1391614/Things_To_Do-Manila-Fort_Santiago_Intramuros-BR-1.html>.

Santos, Jericho Paul. "The History of the Manila Cathedral." Philippine Art, Culture and Antiquities. 1 October 2015 <http://www.artesdelasfilipinas.com/archives/117/the-history-of-the-manila-cathedral>.