Quiapo, Manila

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Quiapo

Quezon Boulevard near Quiapo Church

Country Philippines

Region National Capital Region

City Manila

Congressional districts Part of the 3rd district of Manila

Barangays 16
 Founding Date August 29,1586

Population

 (2007[1])

 • Total 23,138

Façade of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene

Basilica of San Sebastian

Manila Golden Mosque

Quiapo ([ˈkjapɔʔ]) is a district of the city of Manila, in the National Capital Region of
the Philippines. It was named after the water cabbage (Pistia stratiotes) that floated out
of the Pasig river. Early Indian merchants, specifically the Tamils, entered through the
mouth of the river and observed the abundance of floating aquatic plants that resembled
bitter lettuce called Kayappu (கயப்பு) in their language, particularly between the months
of August and February. The name has caught on with the locals and was hispanized to
present-day Quiapo.[citation needed] The Tagalogs, or the inhabitants of the river, later adopted
the name to mean the lily-like plants of the river. Its Tamil name written in Baybayin has
endured for almost 2,000 years before the spelling Kiyapo was assigned to the plant
after the Spaniards' introduction of the Roman alphabet. [citation needed]
Referred to as the "Old Downtown of Manila", Quiapo is home to the Quiapo Church,
where the feast of the Black Nazarene is held with millions of people attending annually.
Quiapo has also made a name for itself as a place for marketplace bargain hunting.
Plaza Miranda, in the heart of the Quiapo district, is a town square named after Jose
Sandino y Miranda, who served as secretary of the treasury of the Philippines from
1853 to 1863.[2] It is located in front of the Quiapo Church, and has become a popular
site for political rallies. On August 21, 1971, while the Liberal Party held its miting de
avance in the plaza, a bomb exploded, killing nine and injuring almost 100 civilians.
The Quiapo district is also home to a sizable Muslim population. The Golden
Mosque and Green Mosque are located here.
Stores offering herbal products, and a large population of self-described fortune tellers,
surround the Quiapo church. Thievery and sales of illegally copied media[3][4] are
prevalent in the district.
In recent years, the local government of Manila, spearheaded by then-Mayor Lito
Atienza, launched the Buhayin ang Maynila("Revitalize Manila") project which greatly
rehabilitated Quiapo and its vicinities, most especially Plaza Miranda, Quinta Market,
the Arsenio Lacson Underpass and the University Belt. Parts of Rizal Avenue, starting
from Carriedo Street to Recto Avenue, were converted into pedestrian shopping
arcades.
Quiapo is geographically located at the very center of the city of Manila. It is bounded by
the Pasig River and Estero de San Miguel to the south, San Miguel to the east, Recto
Avenue to the north and Rizal Avenue to the west.