MANILA -- Quiapo, the Old Downtown of Manila, was a renowned district where prominent families built their homes in the past. But its gloomy state today has become more evident than ever, with most of its architectural heritage earning little to no attention from the Filipino society and government.

The place has more to offer aside from the historical Church of the Black Nazarene. From being a cluster of islands with marshlands and shallow waters during the Spanish colonial period, Quiapo has become the grounds for religious legacies, devastating disasters, political events, and migration of some Muslims throughout the succeeding generations.

To give locals and tourists a glimpse of the district's heritage zone, cultural organization Renacimiento Manila partnered with Kapitbahayan sa Kalye Bautista (KKB) to organize a heritage walk last July 13, Saturday.

Quiapo Heritage Walk started at the Bakerite Bakery on July 13, Saturday. Photo by Ched Gatchalian, ABS-CBN News

The meeting place of the tour itself is a historical figure in Quiapo, the Bakerite Bakery. Established by Chinese immigrant Wong Tong Liong in 1946, it started after his negotiation with a trader who offered him a truckload of flour which he managed to actively sell as bread.

These warm breads became the hope of families traumatized by the rapid changes in the city and the ravages of war. From then on, Bakerite braved the wave of modernity, while staying committed in serving fresh breads for about 70 years, and it now has over 15 branches across the metro and its nearby provinces.

San Sebastian Basilica 

The first stop was the San Sebastian Basilica, the only all metal church in East Asia with pointy architecture. A San Sebastian wealthy devotee donated the land for the said church in 1621, paving way for a wood structure.

But it was burned in 1951 during a Chinese-Filipino uprising and was reconstructed using bricks and stone, only to be destroyed again by earthquakes around 1800. People began to realize that the church needed a material as solid as metal, thus it was assembled in late 1800s with steel — featuring variety of paintings and designs that will seemed like stone and gave the visitors an illusion.

Inside the San Sebastian Basilica.

Inside the San Sebastian Basilica.

Today, it is still a sanctuary for religious services despite the challenges of corrosion from Manila Bay's salt air, water infiltration, and evident rusting. Groups like the San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Foundation, Inc. are raising funds to restore and continuously beautify the said historical architecture.

Casa Consulado at the San Sebastian Street.

Near the church were over six old heritage houses at the San Sebastian street. One of these houses was the Casa Consulado (House Consolate), a "bahay na bato" ancestral property of the Iturralde family, which once served as the office of the appointed Honorary Consul of the Principality of Monaco to the Philippines, Dr. Augusto Alvaro Iturralde. 

The group was able to meet Lola Miles Iturralde, the widow of the house's previous owner Paul Itturalde.

"In the Philippines, we have our indigenous houses called "bahay kubo" or nipa huts. They are bamboo houses that are square, usually on stills. Through the years, that bahay kubo was upgraded into "bahay na bato" heritage house. So, a heritage house is (made up) of stones in the first floor, and the 2nd floor (is built) of wood. Having that mixture of stone and wood — the house would be able to dance along the earthquakes," Peter Rallos said while introducing the structure, the tour guide from Renacimiento Manila and KKB.

Rallos revealed that a part of the tour's earnings goes into the preservation of these ancestral houses, since the owners already have a long-standing plight in taking care of them just on their own.

"A heritage is a very expensive investment. You cannot convince everyone to restore their house especially if it's owned by multiple parts of the family, or if the family doesn't have money. We really need to continue supporting these public-private initiatives. The tours that we do, most of these are going to the homeowners, and the organization to continue its movement. We do this to promote the story of the community, in incentives for them while the government is trying to work on theit own incentives," he added.

Other ancestral houses at the San Sebastian Street. 

The cultural organizations behind the tour has no contact yet with the owners of other old houses in the area, since some of them value their privacy more — but the groups are hopeful that with rightful incentives and appropriate legislation, the homeowners will be able to open their doors to tour involvement, structural preservation, and historical discussions.

Rallos told ABS-CBN News that the efforts they are waiting are the full passage of House Bill No. 8664, a bill authored by Manila Representative Joel Chua which seeks to declare Quiapo as a heritage zone; and a similar bill, No. 2324 authored by Senator Loren Legarda, which aims to safeguard and preserve the historical landmarks and infrastructures in the country.

Tour guide Peter Rallos showed an old photo of Hidalgo Street. 

Former building of Jose Rizal College. 

Sisters of Holy Face of Jesus shrine 

Now over at the Hidalgo Street, formerly known as Calle San Sebastian before being renamed in 1913 into its present title inspired by renowned painter Felix Resurreccion-Hidalgo, plenty of historic houses could also be seen. The said street was dubbed as "the most beautiful street in Manila" in the late 19th century.

The group stopped at the former building of Jose Rizal College back in 1921, the neoclassical-themed Paterno Mansion, and the Sisters of Holy Face of Jesus shrine which was founded by Rev. Mother Mary Therese Vicente. The first two has different uses now while the latter is still continuing its religious services.

Other old houses in Hidalgo street. 

A couple of other ancestral houses and property were already serving as home for tenants, or space for vehicle parking. The dirt, dust, and rusting were apparent, calling for immediate action themselves.

Quiapo Church. 

Sacred image of the Black Nazarene. 

Of course, the Quiapo walk won't be complete without gracing the Quiapo Church or the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene. From being a simple chapel made of bamboo and thatch over the late 1500s, the church suffered fires and earthquakes, then became the recipient of the image of the Black Nazarene in 1787 —  making it famous for the annual Traslacion, where millions of devotees gather at the heart of Manila to see and touch the sacred image.

The center of the church itself and what fronts it is called Plaza Miranda, a historic public square that has been a site for violent, political events in the history. On this area — former president Manuel Roxas faced an assassination attempt in 1947, the Black Wednesday carnage happened in January 1971, as well as the bombing during a political rally on August 1971 that killed 9 and wounded over a hundred.

110-year old Bahay Nakpil-Bautista.

The last stop of the tour was the Bahay Nakpil-Bautista, or the "Tahanan ng mga Katipunero", a 110-year old ancestral house that once sheltered Andres Bonifacio's ex-wife Gregoria "Oryang" de Jesus and her husband, Julio Nakpil, the Vice President Supremo of Katipunan. 

Nowadays, Bahay Nakpil is serving as a community center for Quiapo; a venue for exhibits, a meeting place for advocacy groups, and a destination of walking tours. The house has retained some historical motifs like the water plant Kiapo (Quiapo) design of the tracery of the room dividers and the noticeable hole below windows for natural ventilation during Spanish colonial era.

Scanned copies of Andres Bonifacio, Julio Nakpil, and Emilio Jacinto's letters to each other. 

Room for Oryang. 

It is also a home for several Katipunan-related materials such as scanned copies of KKK members' letters for each other, Julio Nakpil's music, a room dedicated to Oryan and more.

Bobby Nakpil Santos-Viola, the granddaughter of Oryang and Julio, said they also want Bahay Nakpil to be a learning spot for kids. In fact, the team was able to meet several Muslim kids in the house as they were having an educational session that time.

Bobby Nakpil Santos-Viola, the granddaughter of Oryang and Julio Nakpil. 

"We've been doing this thing but this year, we wanted to have modules to be followed. We had sessions on who we are, why we are. We want to promote (Filipino) values. That's our starting module," she stressed.

With the unique tales of historical landmarks in Quiapo and even around the country, it is clear that only active legislation and proper integration of tourism and history could help save the footprints and souls of ancestors that could guide the Filipinos' way of life. At the core of it, an immediate action is necessary especially in a time when almost everything can be sacrificed in the name of urbanization.

For more cultural walks and tours in Manila, Renacimiento Manila's activities can be found on https://www.facebook.com/RebirthManila.