WALKING IN NEW MANILA IS A LESSON IN HISTORY, CULTURE, AND THE PARANORMAL

Most of us, perhaps unknowingly, catch a glimpse of New Manila from the window of LRT-2 as it passes by Gilmore Station. Then teasers of it until the next two, when we hear the catchy announcement of "Paparating na sa Betty-Go Belmonte," which marks the boundary of the former Mariana administrative division in Metro Manila, the Magdalena Estate, and now, New Manila.

The only prior exposure to New Manila I had was limited to nights out watching gigs and attending exhibits at Big Sky Mind, and hanging out with friends at the 77 Bar’s first location along Doña Hemady Street in the early 2000s as a wide-eyed kid out of college.

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ManiLakad in Quezon City

My limited knowledge about New Manila changed when I attended a walking tour led by George "JP" Ordoña, a historian and DOT-accredited tour guide. He is also the operator of ManiLakad, a one-man company that conducts walking tours of historic neighborhoods in and around Metro Manila.

We met early in the morning at a fast-food branch along Timog Avenue, and the first thing he asked me was, "Are you ready for some long walking?" Anticipating a walk of approximately 20,000 steps, I enthusiastically responded, "Yes, sir."

Before we headed to New Manila, we passed by several intriguing places along the way. Our first stop was Tahanan Pottery Shop & Studio, which is located on Scout Tobias Street.

Tahanan Pottery Shop & Studio at 27 Scout Tobias, Diliman, Quezon City

We were fortunate to meet Rita Badilla-Gudito and her husband, Vicente. The couple established Tahanan Pottery Shop & Studio, a contemporary ceramic space with the vision of promoting the art of pottery through courses ranging from single sessions to brief series, encompassing everything from providing raw materials to firing.

Rita's enthusiasm for the process of making ceramic pottery spilled over into academia, where she assisted in the establishment of a ceramic pottery minor program in the curriculum of the University of the Philippines' College of Fine Arts, as well as the establishment of the FA's own ceramic studio.

This pottery school also functions as an art gallery and showroom where students can display their own works, which range from high-fire stoneware to low-fire earthenware ceramics, as well as works by other well-known potters such as Rita herself.

A few dozen steps later, we entered a room full of creative arts and crafts inspired by Filipino culture. Papemelroti’s main store on Scout Tobias Street instantly captivates you with its beautiful selection of stationery, notebooks, home decor, and other gift items. These items are crafted by various artisans, creators, and suppliers, all of whom the store supports with its proceeds. Of course, many are based on the creations of Papemelroti owner Robert Alejandro, an award-winning graphic artist, illustrator, painter, and crafter.

Resurrection Furniture and Found Objects Gallery at 10-A Alabama Street.

Before stepping foot on New Manila proper, we came across a quirky backyard furniture shop called Resurrection Furniture and Found Objects Gallery. Using commonplace found things as main materials, this unconventional atelier creates one-of-a-kind furniture and artwork by "breathing new life into dead objects" by infusing clever and eccentric designs.

Doña Magdalena Becomes Doña Hemady: Origins of New Manila

One can trace the beginning of New Manila's history to the time of the Americans' occupation of the Philippines when they acquired lands previously owned by Spanish friars and sold them to several wealthy families in Manila.

One such large property in Quezon City, in a strategic spot just outside of Manila, fell into the ownership of an immigrant from Lebanon named Wadi'ah Hashim (later, Doña Magdalena), who was born in 1877.

After marrying fellow Lebanese, Hanna Mansour Gemayel, the couple traveled to Australia in 1905 to escape adverse conditions under the Turkish Ottoman Empire, only to encounter ship engine trouble that necessitated an emergency docking at Davao. (According to Doña Magdalena's great-granddaughter Rosary Ysmael, it was in Iloilo).

Disembarking in the country, the couple fell in love with the Philippines before eventually deciding to move to Manila. Settling in the city and converting to Catholicism, Wadi'ah Hashim changed her name to Magdalena before Hanna Mansour Gemayel followed suit by changing his to Juan Ysmael Sr.

Not long after, Doña Magdalena, along with his brother Faride T. Hashim Sr.—who established the Manila Grand Opera House after migrating to Manila at a much earlier time, became part of Manila's posh circle.

Kemal Hemady and Doña Magdalena (1931)

Years after Juan Ysmael's death in 1908, Doña Magdalena found love again in the person of Kemal Hemady, who was also a Lebanese immigrant. Together, they purchased a vast property in Quezon City, which they named Magdalena Estate, and built their home on 20 Broadway Avenue.

During the 1930s, Magdalena Estate gained popularity among Manila's elite class as a place to build their homes. It gained even more allure in the years preceding and succeeding World War II when prominent members of Philippine society established their home addresses here.

Glitz, Glamour, and Politics

Crossing E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue into New Manila, our tour guide continued his storytelling as we walked along. Ordoña tells us that New Manila was the first exclusive and gated community outside of Manila, akin to a smaller version of Beverly Hills. He adds that other subdivisions marketed for the rich, such as Forbes Park in Makati and Ayala Alabang, drew inspiration from it.

Once upon a time, the streets of Dona Hemady, Broadway, Gilmore, Victoria, and the Filipino horror film staple Balete Drive housed a number of political heavyweights, including former President Manuel Quezon, who recuperated from his illness at Gilmore; former Vice Presidents Emmanuel Pelaez and Teofisto Guingona; as well as numerous lawmakers such as Claro M. Recto, Lorenzo Tañada, Soc Rodrigo, Jose Roy, Quintin Paredes, Benigno Aquino Sr., Eulogio Rodriguez, and the list goes on.

Other political figures who chose New Manila as their address include former Chief Justices Ramon Avanceña and Jose Yulo, as well as pioneering ladies Cecilia Muñoz-Palma, the first female justice of the Supreme Court, and Geronima Pecson, the first female senator. Former President Joseph Estrada once owned the infamous Boracay Mansion, a sprawling lot on 11th Street. However, the Quezon City Reception House, which housed former Vice President Leni Robredo’s office from 2016 to 2022, has since replaced the demolished Boracay Mansion. The late Danding Cojuangco's family still maintains a mansion on Balete Drive, which now houses his vast collection of cars. 

On the glitzy side, legendary figures in Philippine cinema, such as Charito Solis, Pilita Corrales, Amalia Fuentes, Gloria Romero, and Doña Sisang de Leon of LVN Studios, built a home on Broadway Avenue—as well as the office of Sampaguita Pictures on Gilmore Avenue, thus attracting hordes of admirers in their shiny cars on the streets of New Manila back in the day. Ninoy Aquino's sister, Maur Aquino Lichauco, recalls being neighbors with Iglesia ni Cristo founder Felix Manalo when the Aquino family lived at 56 Broadway Avenue during the pre-war years. 

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and other Churches

Ordoña revealed that he got the idea for his New Manila walking tour after the city government of Quezon City unveiled the GORA (Green Open Reclaimed Areas) Lane, which starts along Mother Ignacia, passes through the Scout area, and ends in New Manila, covering more than five kilometers. 

Included in the route of this walkable path are several religious houses, which also have their own fascinating stories to tell. Before crossing E. Rodriguez Avenue, we first stopped by the Diocesan Shrine of Jesus the Divine Word. First built in 1933, this church, notable for its architecture, stands as one of the earliest contemporary churches in the Philippines.

Diocesan Shrine of Jesus the Divine Word

The church's distinctive stained-glass altar is a prime example of the Art Deco movement. The church grounds are home to sculptures by artists like Julian Sta. Maria, Kid Baldemor, and a certain P. Lynn.

The Society of the Divine Word Seminary, which is located right next to the church, also has a striking architectural design. It virtually has the same castle-like element as the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa.

The Divine Word Missionaries, also known as SVD or Societas Verbi Divini, are responsible for overseeing both the church and the seminary. The SVD is the largest Roman Catholic Order of Priests and Brothers that focuses on missionary work. They also founded the many Divine Word Colleges you may see in other places.

We capped off our visit here with a walk around the Garden of the Divine Word, a spacious columbary nestled inside a woodland park complete with a glass chapel located inside the church's vast compound.

After crossing E. Rodriguez Avenue, we came into the premises of St. Joseph Convent of Perpetual Adoration, which is operated by the Sister-Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration, otherwise known as the Pink Sisters because of their fondness of the color pink—symbolizing love and joy of the Holy Spirit. The structure was designed by National Artist Jose Maria Zaragoza, who also designed Sto. Domingo Church and the Meralco building in Ortigas, among others. "Zaragoza earned a diploma in liturgical art from the International Institute of Art in Rome," shares Ordoña.

St. Joseph Convent of Perpetual Adoration

Our visit coincided with an afternoon prayer chant by the Pink Sisters, to which I listened intently while feeling the power of the nun's call for spiritual guidance. 

"The first religious congregation to establish in New Manila was Carmel of Therese of Lisieux on Gilmore Street, in 1926", Ordoña informed us as we inch our way to the Minor Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel located between 4th and 5th street.

National Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Our tour guide noted that this church first opened its doors in 1964. Architect Maximo Vicente Jr., the son of the well-known religious sculptor Maximo Sr., was the architect who designed it.

The National Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel was the Philippines' 15th Minor Basilica, the first under the Cubao Diocese. Marrying couples reportedly find the church's long aisle to be a significant attraction.

True to it, a wedding was taking place while we were there. Following a brief look at the altar, Ordoña guided us to the rear of the basilica, where we beheld a magnificent 30-foot sculpture of Our Lady seated on a globe that was being carried by seven figures hailing from different continents. According to him, "Ina ng Mundo" is the name of the sculpture, which was sculpted in 1937 by Graciano Nepomuceno and painted by Anastacio Caedo.

The sculpture was originally located at Don Jose Mariano De Los Reyes Ocampo’s Pagoda-styled mansion in Quiapo, Manila, before his descendants donated it to the Basilica in 2016.

Just across the Carmel Basilica, one can find the original house of Doña Magdalena Hemady, which is now occupied by the Pastorelle Sisters of the Sisters of Jesus the Good Shepherd from Italy.

Pastorelle Sisters

New Manila offers more than just Christian dwellings of faith; Wisdom Park is another place of interest that boosts the neighborhood’s spirituality. The Universal Wisdom Foundation manages the Wisdom Park, a Buddhist place of worship, which first opened on Broadway Avenue in 2012 as a Buddhist resource center that promotes the teachings of the Vajrayana or Tibetan Buddhist sect.

Wisdom Park

Like Buddhist temples in other countries such as Thailand, it features a worship hall within its three-story building, which also houses a training hall and a library. Visitors will first notice the towering stupa upon entering before being led to the meditation garden where a Bodhi tree planted in 2011 stands. This tree is said to be a direct sampling from an actual Bodhi tree first planted in 288 BC, and where Siddhartha Gautama sat and gained enlightenment.

The Haunting at Balete Drive

Much has been said about Balete Drive, more specifically from the classic horror film Hiwaga sa Balete Drive. The experience I had walking along Balete Drive, albeit not at midnight, was far different from what Pinoy pop culture described it to be. Today, Balete Drive resembles any other affluent neighborhood, adorned with grand mansions with electric fences, such as the one owned by the late Danding Cojuangco, an Opus Dei house, and the Renee Salud-style haven known as Bahay Sentenaryo.

Bahay Sentenaryo

Based on my recent stroll with ManiLakad, I'd say that Broadway Avenue, not Balete Drive, is where you'll find the creepiest homes.  Even in the midday sun, the dilapidated mansion used to be known as Villa Caridad—a favorite filming location of Filipino horror films like the aforementioned Hiwaga sa Balete Drive, Halimaw sa Banga, and Tanikalang Dugo—gave me the creeps. 

Villa Caridad

Originally owned by the relatives of Florencio Lerma, a known zarzuela director who died during the Katipunan Revolution, the house was converted into a Jesuit resthouse before it was used as a Japanese officer's residence during WWII. It was purchased after the war by the families of Manuel Viola Gallego (1893-1976) and Caridad Ongsiaco-Gallego (1896-1974).

The old house remains in ruins even as a new owner purchased it several years ago. It is said that every time workers do a demolition job on the property for the new owner to build a new house, they hear sounds of crying, spooking the owner to just leave it as it is.

Another old house across Villa Caridad also scares me as it looks uninhabited with its shut windows and a three-story tower that appears mysterious, as if someone is always watching those who walk in front of the house.

So, is there really any truth to the haunting at Balete Drive? I’m more inclined to say it probably exists on Broadway Avenue. One thing is for sure, however: the neighborhood of New Manila in Quezon City hides a wealth of fascinating anecdotes about the past, from the glitz and glamour of the elite to the higher echelon of Philippine politics, religious diversity, and even the supernatural.

As I started feeling my legs cramping up, I checked my steps counter on my phone, and I saw it registering 32,000 plus steps. "Wow, this is a lot,"  I told myself. Looking back, the number of steps I took that day may have just balanced the number of new things I learned.

2024-08-02T06:16:14Z dg43tfdfdgfd