Heritage Sites

Manila, Philippines
San Agustin Church, which
was built in 1587, one of the country’s
four Baroque churches, collectively
designated in 1993 as UNESCO World
Heritage Sites. This title is currently in
peril with the construction of a Binondo-
Intramuros Friendship Bridge nearby. The
bridge’s construction is on pause as
the Department of Public Works and
Highways conducts an "Archaeological
and Heritage Impact Assessment."  and-desist order in May to preserve the
Luneta Park is one of the city’s few
parks, allowing people to walk around and
enjoy open space and greenery before
going back to their busy day. It’s also a
very important part of our history: It's the
site of Jose Rizal’s execution, which
ignited the Philippine Revolution against
the Spaniards.
One of the last things that Joseph Estrada
did before his term as mayor ended was
to approve the demolition of yet another
cultural site in the city, the Sta. Cruz
Building, on the corner of Escolta
Street and Plaza Sta. Cruz. The National
Historical Commission of the Philippines
(NHCP) intervened and issued a cease-
the post-war building.
A little over 50 years ago, Quiapo was
home to Times Theater, one of
the most luxurious cinema houses in
Manila. Another Art Deco building, it
showed films straight from Hollywood,
with Manuel Conde’s Genghis Khan being
the first Filipino-made film to screen there.
When the Manila Metropolitan
Theater opened its doors in 1931, it
immediately became the center of arts in
Manila, hosting zarzuelas, operas,
musicals, and plays during its heyday.
The Art Deco building survived wars,
multiple closures and reopenings, and
internal conflict in ownership before it
was officially deemed unusable in
2012. Finally, in 2015, the Government
Service Insurance System sold the
property to the National Commission for
Culture and the Arts, and a full-on
renovation of the building started.
Built in 1914, El Hogar was a wedding
present from Spanish businessman Don
Antonio Melián Pavía to his wife Doña
Margarita Zóbel y de Ayala. Despite its
current state, it shows examples of both
Renaissance and Neoclassical
architecture styles and is one of only two
remaining American-era buildings along
the once-grand boulevard of the Pasig
River. Its remaining tenants were asked
to vacate the building in 2014. According
to a report by the Philippine Daily
Inquirer, the new owners in July 2015
requested that the building be declared
condemned on grounds that it is
"structurally unsafe and dilapidated."
Designed by Manila Cathedral’s
architect, Fernando Ocampo Sr.,
the Calvo Building was constructed
in 1938 with a design that was inspired
by French architectural styles of the
19th century. It was also the first home
to post-war radio station DZBB, which
eventually became what we know today
as GMA Network.
Also known as the "Intendenicia," the
Aduana Building was built
sometime in the 1820s but incurred
damage during a 1863 earthquake. It
was rebuilt in the 1870s to house
government offices. It was again
damaged during World War II, but rebuilt
and used until a fire in 1979, after which
it was finally abandoned. There’s news
of restoring the building after it was
bought by the National Archives of the
Philippines.