Walking tour reveals well-kept secrets of Quiapo
By Tina Santos
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:05:00 07/19/2008
THE JEEPNEYS THAT PLY the streets of Quiapo, Manila, offer an easier and more comfortable way of getting around the area.
But traveling on foot will enable one to see Quiapo’s well-kept secrets, including some significant cultural landmarks of Filipino heritage that people often fail to notice, said tour guide Teresita Obusan.
“Some people think that pirated goods, herbs and amulets are the only things that can be found in Quiapo. Unknown to them, this place has actually a lot of cultural treasures,” she added.
Obusan has made it her personal mission to take curious and adventurous tourists—locals and foreigners alike—on a fun and educational tour of the historically and architecturally rich but often unappreciated Quiapo.
A former nun, Obusan began offering walking tours—aptly called “Lakaran, A Quiapo Walking Tour”—of the place sometime in 1995 shortly after working on a dissertation on the people of Mount Banahaw.
“The contrast between my experience in the religious life and that of living with the religious groups of Mount Banahaw led me on a lakaran to many people, places and events, revisiting our living legacy—the tao, the ordinary Filipino,” she explained in her article, “A Multi-religious Filipino Heritage” which appeared in the book “Quiapo: Heart of Manila.”
“The lakaran truly is the experience of human kindness among fellow pilgrims, from all walks of life ... an experience of a ‘classless society,’” she added. “In Quiapo, the lakaran is contextualized within the Filipino’s religious and cultural heritage which I wanted to share with my fellow Filipinos.”
Symbolic journey
But Obusan stressed that the tours she leads are more than just a physical activity. “It’s a pilgrimage, a symbolic journey of each one of us.”
Instead of the usual day tours which either confine travelers to a bus or rush them from one site to another, Obusan bonds with everyone in her group during the two to three-hour walkabout. “The walking tours are interactive. We all learn from each other,” she stressed, pointing out that the majority of those who sign up for the tours are locals, particularly students. The rest are tourists and expatriates.
She added that each tour becomes livelier and interesting because some of the participants share a thing or two regarding a particular cultural site.
Unlike other tour guides, the 70-year-old Obusan doesn’t follow a fixed itinerary. “The tours vary depending on the interest of the tourists,” she said.
“Some scholars are interested in popular culture, urban renewal or urban development, while history students want to know more about the historical context of the place. I bring architecture students to beautiful period houses and churches; and social science students to the poor sector of the area.” she told the Inquirer.
The meeting place for those going on a tour of Quiapo, a vibrant commercial center, is at the Bahay Nakpil-Bautista on A. Bautista Street. “But sometimes, we start at the gothic San Sebastian Church to get a glimpse of its resplendent metallic glory or observe wed ding ceremonies,” she said.
Bahay Nakpil-Bautista was built in 1914 as the home of Dr. Ariston Bautista, a noted propagandist deeply involved in the Philippine Revolution, and his wife, Petrona Nakpil, according to Obusan.
It was also where Julio Nakpil—Petrona’s brother and composer of the secret society Katipunan’s patriotic pieces—and wife Gregoria de Jesus—widow of working class hero and Katipunan founder Andres Bonifacio—raised their family.
Now owned and run by the Nakpil heirs, the house that stands on a 500-sq m lot has been converted into a museum where “memories” of its original occupants and of the Katipunan are kept, added Obusan, who serves as its curator.
Katipunan museum
The “lakaran” route also includes the Golden Mosque on Globo de Oro Street where the tour group observes Muslims facing toward Mecca deeply engrossed in prayer. A thriving community of traders, largely Maranaos and Tausugs, now surrounds the mosque built during the time of former President Ferdinand Marcos, Obusan noted.
Another stop is Quiapo Church for a quick look at folk Catholicism, particularly the faithful’s devotion to the Black Nazarene, the most popular image associated with the suffering Christ. Outside the church, tour members interact with healers, fortune tellers, palm readers and vendors who offer an array of wares to the faithful, including religious icons, flowers, candles as well as amulets and herbal medicines.
Obusan also allows tourists to walk through history as they visit heritage houses on R. Hidalgo Street.
“We drop by the old houses in the area that have withstood time, with the ground floors built of stone and the second floors made of wood,” she said, noting that although most of the structures are now covered with grime and in obvious neglect, they retain traces of their former grandeur and beauty. These are the houses of Manila’s old families like the Paternos, Zamoras, Santiagos, Ocampos, Enriquezes, Zaragosas, Genatos and Padillas, she added.
While her guests get a chance to talk with the owners or caretakers of the old houses, Obusan said she encourages them to interact with other residents in the community as well.
“I don’t want the residents to feel that they are like specimens being ogled,” she explained. “At the same time, I want my guests, especially the students from private schools, to feel at ease while exploring the place. I want them to be aware—but not afraid—of their surroundings despite the negative image that Quiapo has acquired through the years.”
Making their way through the streets of Quiapo, the group passes by homes of religious congregations as well as “bisita” or chapels. Near the San Sebastian Church is the Chapel of San Roque on Bilibid Viejo Street built as a family chapel. In 1916, the owner, Doña Lucila Zamora, donated the property to the community of the Hermanas de San Roque.
The chapel contains the Tercera Caida, a life-size statue depicting Christ as He falls for the third time on the road to Calvary. “Christ is realistically portrayed and the artist depicts His pain in the tormented facial expression and tight, twisted veins in His hands,” Obusan observed.
Japanese pagoda
Another interesting part of the tour is a visit to the so-called Pagoda, a Japanese-inspired tower built by Jose Ocampo and completed in 1941. “It was not really intended for Buddhist rituals but its flared roofs and Japanese-inspired motifs made it look like a pagoda to the surrounding community,” Obusan explained.
She added that an extensive garden used to surround the Pagoda. “But the property was divided among Ocampo’s heirs and sold to different buyers.”
Several stone statues that reflected Ocampo’s secular and religious concerns can still be found scattered in the community. The religious statues include that of Saint Augustine and a Japanese-looking Our Lady of Mount Carmel standing on a globe, which to this day, can be seen in an alley, surrounded by houses. The Pagoda now serves as a boarding house, Obusan disclosed.
Tourists can also drop by and shop at Carriedo and at Quinta Market where a hodgepodge of vendors thrive; or at the market under the bridge (“Ilalim ng Tulay” or “Ils de Tuls” in pop lingo), which is popular particularly among foreigners looking for various handicraft and native products.
During her tours, Obusan said she makes it a point to show her guests not only the best of what Quiapo has to offer but its “dark side” as well. “It’s a no-holds-barred introduction to the place. I show them everything, even the not-so-pleasant sights like the murky estero (waterway) behind the Bahay Nakpil-Bautista,” she revealed. “They may not be your ideal tourist sites, but these patches have their own stories to tell, too. And I realized I couldn’t hide them anyway.”
Obusan also gives the tourists insights on even the most trivial things, including a neighborhood street and historic street name that nobody pays attention to, or an old mami (noodle) house.
“These are actually details that give Quiapo its unique identity,” explained Obusan, who is one of those striving to revitalize and revive the place’s old charm. After the tours, she takes the group to hole-in-the-wall restaurants that serve food that have retained that distinct Quiapo flavor.
Food trip
“I take them to Globe Lumpia House on Raon Street known for delicious fresh lumpia (spring rolls), or to the very popular Ma Mon Luk on Quezon Boulevard which basically serves siopao (dumplings) and mami,” she said, adding that the food makes the trip more interesting as they are a big part of making history alive.
Obusan said she finds fulfillment in knowing that most of those who joined her tours now have a better appreciation of the place. “Many people go back and I feel happy knowing that they treasure good memories of Quiapo,” she said. “Others who found it an exciting place to explore even return with other tourists in tow.”
She added that these reactions are coupled with expressions of regret since most structures in the area show obvious signs of neglect. “But that’s fine,” she said. “At least the experience not only makes people realize that Quiapo is certainly a culture-filled destination. It also becomes an eye-opener on the need to conserve our heritage.”
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