58-609: The Benpres Building (Tagalog: Gusaling Benpres ), originally known as the Chronicle Building , was a six-story Filipino modernist heritage building built in 1969 and inaugurated on April 3, 1971, located in Ortigas Center , Pasig . The building was designed by architect Gabriel Formoso and built in 1969 to serve as the new headquarters of the Manila Chronicle . The newspaper formally transferred to
116-541: A malaria epidemic broke out in the area, with many casualties. Following the end of the Philippine-American War, the municipality was repopulated by families coming from Mariquina and San Mateo . The Dominicans had also returned to the municipality to establish their ownership of the Santo Cristo hacienda before the new American colonial government . As a result, much of San Juan del Monte
174-779: A parochial house in the area now known as Pinaglabanan Street. When the Philippine Revolution against Spain broke out in August 1896, the Katipunan revolutionaries led by Andrés Bonifacio and his aide Emilio Jacinto made their way from Pugad Lawin in Caloocan (now part of Quezon City ) to attack the El Polvorín and its military garrison in San Juan del Monte on the morning of August 30, 1896. Defended by
232-590: A building or structure in the Philippines is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Ortigas Center Ortigas Center is a central business district located within the joint boundaries of Pasig , Mandaluyong and Quezon City , within the Metro Manila region in the Philippines. With an area of more than 100 hectares (250 acres), it is Metro Manila 's second most important business district after Makati Central Business District . It
290-676: A great bulk of the remaining hacienda lands, selling it to a Filipino-American consortium developing the San Juan Heights, a series of new subdivision developments all across the area. It was around this time that the municipality's name was contracted to San Juan . A report made by the Rizal provincial government in 1933 noted that San Juan increased in population due to the development of residential subdivisions, such as San Juan Heights, Manila Heights, San Francisco del Monte Heights , Addition Hills, New Manila , and Rosario Heights. At
348-717: A highly urbanized city on June 17, 2007, pursuant to Republic Act No. 9388 ("An Act Converting the Municipality of San Juan into a Highly Urbanized City to be known as the City of San Juan"). Then- Representative Ronaldo Zamora sponsored the Cityhood Bill in the House of Representatives and worked for its approval. Although not officially designated as such, San Juan is noted to be the "City of Philippine Presidents." Five presidents were official residents of San Juan. They were
406-561: A hundred Spanish troops consisting of infantry and artillery , the Katipuneros were able to eliminate the garrison commander and an artilleryman, forcing the remaining Spanish troops to retreat to the nearby El Deposito water reservoir near the San Juan Bautista Church. Sustaining heavy losses, the Katipuneros were unable to capture El Polvorín, and retreated south towards Mandaluyong, where Bonifacio reorganized
464-712: A number of Evangelical churches. Through the APOI (Association of Pastors for Outreach and Intercession), they have contributed to the spiritual atmosphere of the city. Every January, the city celebrates the National Bible Week, where the reading of the Scripture happens during the flag raising ceremony in the City Hall. Through the blessing of the mayor, a bible was planted in the heart of the new city hall during its construction. Major evangelical churches like Jesus
522-599: Is Lord and Victory Greenhills are also found in the city of San Juan. San Juan is also home to two Islamic mosques , namely: Masjid Hamza Bin Ahmed in Balong-Bato and Greenhills Masjid at Greenhills . On the 2024 feast of St. John the Baptist , the local government declared him as patron saint of San Juan City. Poverty incidence of San Juan Source: Philippine Statistics Authority San Juan
580-486: Is also proximity to nearby Robinsons Cybergate Center . The Asian Development Bank Headquarters, The Edsa Shangri-La, Manila , The One Shangri-La Place Towers , The St. Francis Shangri-La Place The Malayan Plaza, The Discovery Suites, and The BDO Corporate Center are also located here. The eastern portion is part of Pasig and is where most of the Ortigas Center's skyscrapers are located. The whole place
638-523: Is bounded by Quezon City on the north and east, Mandaluyong on the south, and the City of Manila in the west. The territory of San Juan was once much larger than it is now, having been adjacent to Caloocan and Marikina prior to the creation of Quezon City . Parts of the present-day Districts 1 , 3 , and 4 of Quezon City, as well as areas of Mandaluyong , were originally within the town's colonial-era borders. This also explains why San Juan Reservoir
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#1732780479855696-700: Is governed by Ortigas Center Association, Inc. Ortigas Center is home to many shopping malls , office and condominium skyscrapers , nightlife bars, restaurants and other building complexes. These include the St. Francis Square , the Asian Development Bank compound, the Oakwood Premier serviced apartments and a Shangri-La hotel. It is also home to the headquarters of San Miguel Corporation , Jollibee Foods Corporation , Viva Communications , Century Pacific Food , and Rebisco . Also present in
754-441: Is in nearby Horseshoe Village, a subdivision now part of Quezon City. San Juan is politically subdivided and comprises into 21 barangays organized into two city council districts: The city also has several notable places of worship. Archdiocesan Shrine of Saint John the Baptist , more commonly known as " Pinaglabanan Church", is where the city's patron saint, John the Baptist , is enshrined. The Santuario del Santo Cristo
812-590: Is politically known as Barangay San Antonio. It is where most of Pasig's financial resources are primarily concentrated. The barangay of San Antonio has the largest income in Pasig, second only to San Lorenzo Village of Makati as the largest single income-generating government unit in the Philippines. Buildings like The Benpres Building (including the Lopez Museum ), One Corporate Centre , One San Miguel Avenue , Orient Square , Wynsum Corporate Plaza , as well as
870-458: Is predominantly residential, mixed with commercial and manufacturing businesses. The Greenhills shopping district is the hub of trade and commerce in San Juan. The shopping complex housed shopping malls, the Virra Mall, Shoppesville, Greenhills Theatre Mall, Promenade Mall, the former Greenhills Bowling Alley, and Unimart. As of 2022, San Juan had the labor force participation rate of 67%,
928-483: Is the centerpiece of the Complex, which also contains the old Central Office and Pastoral House that was the home of the church's first Executive Minister , Felix Manalo , along with other Ministers and Evangelical Workers. When Manalo died in 1963, a mausoleum was constructed on the grounds of the Complex by architect Carlos Santos-Viola. INC adherents in San Juan comprise 4.2% of the city population. San Juan also has
986-635: Is the settlement's oldest existing church, while Mary the Queen Parish in West Greenhills serves the local Filipino-Chinese community. From 1925 to 1971, the Iglesia ni Cristo once headquartered in the town at its former Central Office Complex, now known as the Locale of F. Manalo. It features Art-Deco designed ensembles, crafted by National Artist for Architecture Juan Nakpil . The chapel
1044-533: The Ateneo de Manila University is also located within the financial center. Lourdes School of Mandaluyong is among the secondary schools within Ortigas. MFI Polytechnic Institute which caters to technical and vocational courses can also be found in the financial center. San Juan, Metro Manila San Juan , officially the City of San Juan ( Filipino : Lungsod ng San Juan ), is a highly urbanized city in
1102-748: The Aurora Boulevard (R-6). The city is serviced by J. Ruiz station of the LRT Line 2 in the city proper and indirectly served by Santolan-Annapolis station of the MRT Line 3 , at the city's eastern boundary with Quezon City. The C-3 (Araneta Avenue) also passes through San Juan. Secondary routes include Nicolas Domingo (abbreviated N. Domingo), which heads towards Cubao in Quezon City , and Pinaglabanan Street (which continues as Santolan Road ) leading towards Ortigas Avenue and eventually
1160-520: The COVID-19 pandemic , the festival was reduced to a parade of the image of St. John the Baptist with social distancing and mask mandates in place. In 2022, due to a lower number of COVID-19 cases, the traditional basaan was included again in the Wattah! Wattah! Festival, accompanied by a street dancing competition, a free concert, and a fireworks display. San Juan has a long history with sports,
1218-614: The Department of Education (Philippines) Central Office and Region IV-B/ Mimaropa Headquarters, The Tektite Towers, houses the former trading floor of the Philippine Stock Exchange , Ayala Malls The 30th , The Octagon (Ortigas Center) and The Capitol Commons are located here. The eastern extension areas of Ortigas Center are Ortigas East located at Barangay Ugong along C-5 Road and Capitol Commons located at Barangay Oranbo. Local and foreign companies serve
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#17327804798551276-642: The Dominican Order built a novitiate house in the town for their immediate use, where ageing or convalescing friars stayed. Within the area, the Dominicans also constructed a convent and a stone church, the Santuario del Santo Cristo , dedicating it to the Holy Cross . To this day, the thrice-rebuilt church stands on the same site, adjacent to Aquinas School and Dominican College. Given
1334-504: The El Deposito reservoir, its pumping station road (now Pinaglabanan Street, part of Santolan Road ), and the santuario. Both the revolution and the war caused many of the original residents of San Juan del Monte to evacuate en masse, permanently settling in neighboring towns. This led to many lots becoming abandoned. From 1898 to 1899, some residents returned to the town, resettling in shacks . However, due to unsanitary conditions,
1392-983: The Filoil EcoOil Centre has hosted numerous sporting events, including the Philippine Basketball Association , Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League , Premier Volleyball League , and the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup . The city is also home to the San Juan Knights , which started in the now-defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association and now competes in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League. The Knights have won three league championships in its entire franchise history. Modes of public transportation in San Juan include jeepneys and buses. Jeepney routes ply
1450-540: The National Capital Region of the Philippines . According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 126,347 people. It is geographically located at Metro Manila's approximate center and is also the country's smallest city in terms of land area . The city is known historically for the site of the first battle of the Katipunan , the organization which led the 1896 Philippine Revolution against
1508-569: The Spanish Empire . Notable landmarks today such as Pinaglabanan Shrine and heritage homes are located in the city. Other locations include Greenhills and Santolan Town Plaza, making the city a major shopping hub with a range of upscale, boutique and bargain retail. "San Juan" is a contraction of the city's traditional name of " San Juan del Monte " ( lit. ' Saint John of the Mountain ' ). As with numerous other places in
1566-525: The Taft Commission . San Felipe Neri later became the capital of Rizal for several months in 1904. In 1907, San Juan del Monte was reconstituted as an independent municipality through Act No. 1625. In 1916, the municipal government purchased the land along the intersection of N. Domingo and F. Blumentritt Streets, where the town market (present-day Agora Market) was located. Likewise, in 1919, businessmen Eusebio Orense and Florencio G. Diaz purchased
1624-419: The Baptist goes down the streets. San Juan City Ordinance No. 51 series of 2018 prohibits dirty water, ice, water in glass bottles, and water or ice in other materials that will incite pain or injury upon impact from being used in the festival. Physical violence, inciting of threats, and deliberately entering public transport vehicles to douse commuters is also not allowed. However, in 2020 and 2021, due to
1682-658: The Benpres Building after Eugenio Lopez, Sr. 's parents—former Iloilo governor Benito López, and Presentación Hofileña López. In 2016, the Lopez group of companies announced its intentions to redevelop the property on which the Benpres building stood, with two buildings planned to rise on the property. The building was demolished in 2019. 14°34′57″N 121°03′46″E / 14.5825°N 121.0629°E / 14.5825; 121.0629 This article about
1740-570: The CBD, such as the Amberland Corporation, Aventis Pharma, Banco de Oro , Bank of Commerce , China State Construction Engineering Corp , Citibank , Digital Telecommunications Philippines , JG Summit Holdings and its affiliates (Robinsons Land Corporation, Robinsons Bank , and Robinsons Malls ), Meralco , Neville Clarke Phils., PCCW , San Miguel Corporation , 7-Eleven , Sykes Enterprises , TÜV SÜD Phils, Inc., Union Bank of
1798-680: The Camino de Mariquina (now N. Domingo Street), which connected Manila and the nearby barrio of Santa Mesa across the San Juan River Bridge to the pueblo of Mariquina (now Marikina ). In 1783, San Juan del Monte was promoted to a municipality , separating it from the Santa Ana parish and giving it its own local government as a barrio of the Province of Manila . As a result, the old poblacion at Santuario del Santo Cristo
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1856-526: The Famous EDSA Shrine . The western portion of Ortigas Center is part of Mandaluyong . It is in the eastern side of Barangay Wack-Wack Greenhills. Mandaluyong is known for being the "Shopping Capital of the Philippines" because it is home to a cluster of shopping centers which stand side by side. This is where most of the shopping malls in the area located like SM Megamall , The Podium , Shangri-la Plaza Mall and St. Francis Square Mall . It
1914-533: The Joint Commission on International Accreditation. Ortigas Center is surrounded by Ortigas Avenue to the north, EDSA to the west, Meralco Avenue to the east, and Shaw Boulevard to the south. Ortigas Center began as the 4,033-hectare (9,970-acre) "Hacienda de Mandaloyon" (also known as "Mandaloyen," "Mandaloyong," or "Mandaloya"), an estate from the Augustinian Order that spanned
1972-473: The Macapagal père et fille , Diosdado (1961–1965) and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (2001–2010); Marcos père et fils , Ferdinand Sr. (1965–1986) and Ferdinand Jr. (2022–present); and Joseph Estrada (1998–2001), who also served as Mayor when San Juan was still a municipality. San Juan is the least-extensive city in the Philippines with a total area of just 595 hectares (2.30 sq mi). San Juan
2030-545: The Philippines , South Asialink Finance Corporation, Callhounds Global BPO Corporation, Vertiv , VeriFone , Asia United Bank (AUB) , White Cloak Technologies, CARMA, and other companies. Among the universities and colleges situated within Ortigas are St. Paul College Pasig , University of Asia and the Pacific , and the Saint Pedro Poveda College . The Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health of
2088-558: The Philippines, the name combines a patron saint and a toponym ; in this case Saint John the Baptist with the locale's hilly terrain and relatively higher elevation compared to surrounding areas. The city's official name is "Dakilang Lungsód ng San Juan" ( lit. ' Great City of San Juan ' ). During the pre-Hispanic period , the area of what is now San Juan was a part of the Kingdom of Namayan , whose last recorded rulers were King Lakan Tagkan and his consort , Bouan. In
2146-603: The Philippines; and prominent journalist Maximo Soliven , who was imprisoned when President Marcos first declared Martial Law in September 1972. When Presidential Decree No. 824 establishing the National Capital Region was signed on November 7, 1975, San Juan was among the towns excised from Rizal Province into the newly created metropolitan area. Club Filipino , which had relocated to San Juan in 1970 from its original location in Santa Mesa, became an important part of
2204-533: The area are Philippine offices of prominent engineering firms such as Parsons Brinckerhoff , Sinclair Knight Merz , and WSP Group . It is also home to the Banco de Oro main office owned by mall tycoon Henry Sy, Sr. , as is the SM Megamall he owns—one of the largest malls in the nation—along EDSA. Also located near the Ortigas Center is The Medical City , one of the three hospitals in the nation accredited by
2262-836: The area is part of Quezon City . It is situated south of Ugong Norte. The EDSA Shrine and Robinsons Galleria is situated here. Robinsons Galleria is a mixed-use complex composed of two high-rise office towers namely the Galleria Corporate Center and the Robinsons Equitable Tower , the Holiday Inn Manila Ortigas and Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria , the Galleria Regency and a 5-level shopping mall . Before Robinsons Galleria , this mall used to be an open land owned by SSS within Ortigas Center. In 1986, they used
2320-592: The building in February 1971 and the building was formally dedicated on April 2, 1971. However, President Ferdinand Marcos ' declaration of Martial Law less than two years later saw the closure of the Chronicle , and the newspaper did not return to the building even after Marcos was deposed. After the People Power Revolution of 1986, the building was returned to the Lopez family and was renamed
2378-507: The country's Martial Law era under President Ferdinand Marcos . This included several Armed Forces of the Philippines generals, including Romeo Espino , Alfredo Montoya, and Romeo Gatan, who would later be tagged as members of the " Rolex 12 "; Imelda Marcos’ secretary Fe Jimenez Roa; Presidential Assistant on Legal Affairs Ronaldo Zamora , who would later become a congressman for the lone congressional district of San Juan; San Juan Mayor Joseph Estrada, who would later become President of
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2436-636: The establishment of the Fifth Philippine Republic when Corazon Aquino was inaugurated there on February 25, 1986, the last day of the civilian-led 1986 People Power Revolution . In 1992, San Juan had the fewest informal settler families out of all the municipalities and cities in Metro Manila based on data from the National Housing Authority . Residents ratified the conversion of the municipality into
2494-585: The event at the turn towards Blockhouse 7 along Sociego Street, currently the corner of Sociego Street and Tomas Arguelles Street in the present-day Quezon City . Throughout the war, various regiments of the United States Volunteer Army carried out multiple skirmishes against militias and soldiers of the First Philippine Republic in towns along the Camino de Mariquina, where they had cleared out Filipino forces at
2552-539: The isolation that the town had from the city of Manila , the colonial government decided to establish a heavily fortified gunpowder magazine called the Almacén de Pólvora (also known as El Polvorín ) in San Juan del Monte in 1771. The gunpowder magazine (located at present-day San Juan Elementary School) was situated along the banks of the Salapang River (now known as Salapán Creek ), with access provided by
2610-437: The land for the People Power Revolution. In 1987, John Gokongwei bought the large portion of the land from SSS. It started construction on mid-1988 and finished on late-1989. The mall opened in 1990 being the first mall of Robinsons Malls . Buildings like the UnionBank Plaza , Marco Polo Ortigas Manila , The Robinsons Cyberscape , The Orient Square , The Joy-Nostalg Center , The Meralco Theater are located here, as well as
2668-417: The late 16th century, the kingdom and other polities in the islands were absorbed into the Spanish Crown , with the realm of Namayan christened as the parish of Santa Ana de Sapa . (present-day Santa Ana , Manila ) The present area of San Juan was meanwhile re-classified as the small encomienda (town) of San Juan del Monte in 1590. In 1602, along the Camino de Mandaluyong (now F. Blumentritt Street),
2726-503: The management, headed by Atty. Francisco Ortigas Jr., who was president and chairman at that time, turned it into a progressive industrial, commercial and residential urban complex. It would only take until the 1960s for development to begin in the district with the building of the first structures. In 1997, the price of land within Ortigas Center ranged from ₱150,000 to ₱220,000 per square meter, equivalent to ₱405,681 to ₱594,999 per square meter in 2021. The northern portion of
2784-415: The most in the Philippines. Since 2003, San Juan celebrates the feast of its patron saint , St. John the Baptist every June 24 with its Wattah Wattah Festival , a festival with dancing, parades, and its traditional basaan or water dousing along the city streets. The festival and its activities are usually held along N. Domingo Street and Pinaglabanan Street as the procession of the image of St. John
2842-425: The municipalities of Rizal merged alongside Manila and Quezon City to form the City of Greater Manila as an emergency measure by President Manuel L. Quezon . It became a municipality of Rizal once again when the City of Greater Manila was dissolved by President Sergio Osmeña effective August 1, 1945. San Juan, especially its exclusive subdivisions in Greenhills , was home to many prominent personalities during
2900-401: The occupying American forces that were arriving in droves, with both sides wanting to engage in combat. On the morning of February 4, 1899, Filipino troops from the 4th Company of the Morong Battalion under Captain Serapio Narvaez were fired upon by American troops of the 1st Nebraska Infantry Regiment from their defense line on the Santa Mesa side (now part of Sampaloc ). The first shot
2958-406: The present-day cities of San Juan , Mandaluyong , Quezon City , and Pasig . On January 20, 1920, the Augustinian friars sold this property to Dr. Frank W. Dudley and Don Francisco Ortigas. Dudley later surrendered his interest to Phil C. Whitaker, and the company became known as Whitaker and Ortigas. In the following years, there were several changes of partners. Then, on July 10, 1931, the company
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#17327804798553016-418: The surviving Katipuneros and issued a war manifesto, leading Katipuneros in other places to organize Filipinos to rise up in arms against the colonial government as revolts spread all across the archipelago. Following the end of the Philippine Revolution and the Treaty of Paris in 1898 that seceded the Philippines to the United States , the First Philippine Republic that succeeded the Katipunan distrusted
3074-406: The time, the municipality consisted of the nine barrios of Poblacion , Andres Bonifacio, Ermitaño, N. Domingo, Rincon, San Francisco del Monte, Sapang Camias, Sulapan, and Tibagan. Between 1939 and 1941, the barrios of Cubao, Diliman, and San Francisco del Monte , as well as Camp Crame , were ceded from San Juan to the newly established Quezon City . On January 1, 1942, San Juan was one of
3132-474: Was being leased to the municipal government by Dominican hacienda owners until these lands were eventually purchased by the municipal government. In 1901, the municipality was incorporated into the new province of Rizal through Act No. 137, with former Katipunan San Juan chapter sanggunian Andres Soriano serving as its first municipal president . In 1903, it was merged into the municipality of San Felipe Neri (present-day Mandaluyong ) through Act No. 942 of
3190-452: Was exchanged by Private William W. Grayson , an American sentry from the 1st Nebraska Infantry Regiment of the United States Volunteer Army , who killed Filipino corporal Anastacio Felix and another Filipino soldier of the Philippine Revolutionary Army , firing the first shot of the Philippine–American War . This prompted lines of Filipino troops in San Juan del Monte to open fire at the line of American troops in Santa Mesa. The first shot
3248-417: Was incorporated as "Ortigas, Madrigal y cia., S. en C." as a limited partnership by shares ( Spanish : sociedad comanditaria por acciones ). The parties to the partnership were Francisco Ortigas (Don Paco), Vicente Madrigal, B.C.M. Johnston, Fulgencio Borromeo, Clyde A. Dewitt and future President Manuel L. Quezon . When Ortigas & Company acquired the estate, it was a virtual wasteland. The vision of
3306-410: Was moved to the Camino de Mariquina, where a new municipal hall (now the San Juan Medical Center) and a town plaza (now the San Juan Plaza Mayor) was constructed. In 1892, Father Bernardino Nozaleda , the Archbishop of Manila , approved the creation of a new parish for the municipality of San Juan del Monte, with the Franciscans establishing the San Juan Bautista Church (now Pinaglabanan Church) and
3364-427: Was previously believed to have been exchanged at the San Juan River Bridge until studies by Filipino historian Benito J. Legarda concluded that the shot was not fired at the bridge, but was instead fired at what is now the corner of Sociego Street and Silencio Street in Santa Mesa. Later, a study done by Ronnie Miravite Casalmir that came out in 2023 solidly debunked the Sociego-Silencio location, and instead placed
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