I noticed that I don’t have much material on Manila except for my kinda controversial “Manila Dream.” So I decided to ask Ivan of BatangLakwatsero. Boy, I tell you this kid is a promising travel blogger.
So I present to you the last installment of his “Manila Landmarks Trilogy”: 6 Misplaced Landmarks of Manila
HISTORY 101: The so called “Benevolent Assimilation of the Philippines” by President McKinley happened after the Spanish-American War wherein the US will take control of the whole Philippines Islands (part of the Treaty of Paris) marked the beginning of the American Era of the Philippine History. So much have changed when the Americans arrived in the city of Manila. They rapidly “Americanized” the “Old Spanish Ways” of the city from 1901 until the second world war broke out. The Classic Old Manila was about to transform into the New “not-so-pretty” Manila we know today.
By the end World War 2, almost nothing from the old Manila remained intact. Most of the century old buildings were destroyed by the destructive 1945 Liberation of Manila. Luckily the few that survived the bombings were preserved and reconstructed.
Misplaced No. 1 – Arch of Centuries
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the old arch-door of the university before the second world war |
Misplaced No. 2 – La Madre Filipina
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“La Madre Filipina”, the sculpture located a few meters from the Rizal Monument in Rizal Park. |
Misplaced No. 3 – Kilometer Zero Reference Point
Current Location:Independence Flag pole in front of Rizal Monument in Rizal Park
During the Spanish era, the zero kilometer reference point for all locations in the Philippines was placed on the cross atop the central dome of Manila Cathedral. The Americans moved the reference point to its current location upon the completion of the beautification of Bagumbayan sometime in the early 20th century.
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the Kilometer Zero reference point used to be on top of the dome of Manila Cathedral |
Misplaced No. 4 – Carriedo Fountain
Original Location: Nagtahan Rotunda, Sampaloc, Manila
Current Location: Plaza Sta. Cruz in front of Sta. Cruz Church
A “public-spirited citizen,” Don Francisco Carriedo y Peredo was a Basque from Santander who during his life conferred immense benefits on the Philippines, having migrated in the Philippines early in the 18th century. One of his “obras pias” (pious works), was a legacy he left in his will for the building of a Manila water system. Though Señor Carriedo did not live long enough to see his legacy since he died in 1743, Manila was to be without running water for more than a century longer. Thanks to Governor Moriones who acted on providing Manila with running water that the Carriedo Legacy was finally fulfilled.- Traveler on Foot
The old Carriedo Fountain was originally located at the intersection of Legarda, Nagtahan and Ramon Magsaysay street, but the construction of the Nagtahan flyovers during the late 70’s caused the transfer of the fountain first to MWSS Building in Quezon City then finally to Plaza Sta. Cruz fronting the Church of Sta. Cruz.
Misplaced No. 5 – Statue of Queen Isabel II of Spain
Current Location:Front of Puerta de Isabel II in Intramuros
From the bodega of the old Ayuntamiento, this bronze statue of Queen Isabel II stood in Malate Square fronting the Malate Church in 1896. But after a typhoon blew it down, it was moved to its current location in front of the Isabel II Gate in Intramuros in 1975. The Malate Square now have a fountain and a dramatic statue of Rajah Sulayman.
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old photo of the statue in Malate Square. |
Misplaced No. 6 – MacArthur Monument
Original Location: PLM main gate
Current Location: at the foot of MacArthur Bridge
Unknown to many PLM students (batches after 1997) that this statue of Gen. Douglas MacArthur used to stand at the façade of PLM at the main gate. Having no relevance to the Pamantasan, the statue was brought to its current location in 1997 at the foot of MacArthur Bridge. It was replaced by the PLM Flame but again replaced recently by a bust of Jose Rizal.
So there you have it, 6 Misplaced Landmarks in Manila.
You can read the first on his series: 10 Pieces of Something in Manila (My fave!) followed by Manila Then and Now and of course this one 6 Misplaced Landmarks in Manila.
Ivan Briñas Cultura aka Batang Lakwatsero is a Biology Student and wants to become a medical doctor someday. He loves to travel the 80 provinces of the Philippines. Follow him on Twitter: @ivanlakwatsero and connect with him on Facebook: Batang Lakwatsero
Thanks again Ivan for the very informative post.

hey, nice read!
thanks kim, ivan is a good writer and researcher.
ayos to sir james,.napuntahan ung 4 out 6 nung college ako 🙂
nice to know rosejane! anu yung 2 hindi pa, baka naman napuntahan mo na or nadaanan mo na, di mo lang pinansin?
visit the other 2 bago sila ilipat uli (baka lang naman)
thanks again sir james..
interesting! lalo na yung arch of the century sa UST.. sabi ko na nga ba eh, naligaw lang yun dun, super out of place eh.. hehehe..
iba talaga ang knowledge ni ivan about Manila. one time nga nung nag binondo kami we ended up touring intramuros and si Ivan di maubos ang trivia.
good job Ivan and James!
salamat jerome 😀
asteeeeg! i wanna try that binondo food tour, gusto ko si ivan lakwatsero ang guide
Love this post! Kudos Ivan and James!
hihi.. salamat kuya angel..
hehe, naabutan ko yan si Mac Arthur sa Pamantasang Mahal 🙂
lol.. so by 1997 PLMAYER ka na? haha.. ang tanda mo na kuya. hehe
really? 2001 kasi ako pumasok ng plm.. di ko alam to
haha.. ako din hndi ko din alam yan dati.. kay kuya angel ko lang nalaman na si MacArthur ay dating nasa PLM 🙂
Learned something new today! Thanks, James. This is a good read.
Ang galing nitro Ivan! You already!
this is an impressive post james doing all the research. astig!
thanks dong! thanks to ivan, very very good writer and researcher
I love the Statue of Queen Isabel II. If not for a Bureau of Immigration visit, I wouldn’t have seen it.
Thank you for sharing this post about Manila. I miss this city so much.
ipapamahagi ko din tong natutunan ko sa iba 🙂
Godbless and more power!
mag aabang ulit ako ng info mo 🙂
Thanks!
thanks stian! yep, do visit back, and also visit ivan lakwatsero’s blog. you’ll learn more there!
Astig ang post nato… Galing… 🙂