By Raymund Magno Garlitos and Mae Lorraine Rafols Lorenzo
Images by Jovel Lorenzo and Noel Pabalate
For the smartphone-thumping, selfie-obsessed generation, the mention of “Escolta” is one for the books—the history books, that is. Escolta, after all, is one of the country’s oldest districts, once the center of commerce and industry during colonial times and the turn of the 20th century. After World War II, the country’s most bustling district had turned to worse, its once magnificent structures had been in a grave state of decay and disrepair, made worse when businesses gravitated to newer places elsewhere, away from the capital.
But has Escolta’s vitality been truly siphoned out of its charm, hence the need for a revival?
Glorious past
Escolta, one of the oldest streets in Binondo, Manila, played a vital role in the development of Manila’s first business ventures. It served as a commercial hub of Manila during the early 1900s wherein many innovations were first established like the first movie house, and where the electric tram first roamed the streets.
Located parallel to the Pasig River, the street was a major network where early businessmen (mostly from China) would set up shop and sell products from the Mainland, Europe, and Latin America brought in via the nearest port of San Nicholas.
The street was a symbol of early affluence, and it would be symbolized as a place of prestige by the construction of beautiful Art Deco buildings that now serve as sentinels of the district’s glorious past.
Among these buildings is the First United Building or the Perez-Samanillo Building. It holds historical claim as having been designed by Andres Luna de San Pedro, the son of world-renowned painter Juan Luna. He would also design the First United’s “twin sister”—the Regina Building, a neo-classical style edifice located right across.
Chinese businessman Sy Lian Teng brought the German department store brand, Berg Department Store in the 1930s, making Escolta the high-end shopping districts of that time.
A renaissance for the capital
In 2012, the Heritage Conservation Society, which is composed of artists and culture impresarios, met regularly in Manila to discuss about the idea of bringing to attention the plight of Old Manila structures, many of them candidates for demolition or massive renovation.
Artist Daniel Palma Tayona, one of the artists invited to the meetings, recalled that HCS meetings included the owners of the vintage buildings in the area in the discussions, including the couple Roberto and Lorraine Sylianteng, who currently own and manage First United Building.
“I told Architect Richard Bautista (one of the members of HCS) about my dream of owning an apartment at the old Azucarera building, by the Pasig River,” he said. “They were also discussing about zoning, trash collection, traffic. I broached them the idea of reviving Escolta through the arts—invite small artists, entice them to have studios there at a very low rent.”
Bringing new life to the old
Robert Sylianteng shared that for years, there have been efforts to revive the street of Escolta, mostly from the city administration to “revive the fortunes of everybody.”
“The City of Manila has always had a project that aims to benefit everyone living in Escolta and to make it relevant again,” he said. He admits that some of the efforts (one instance was the beautification of the street where First United is located), are often unappreciated even by those based in Escolta because there wasn’t much unity and vision to do anything about it. Ironically, it was through ‘outsiders’ that they have begun seeing Escolta under a whole new light.
“For me, what’s really interesting, is that people are getting involved, those that are not from here, especially the artists. Although they are not equity owners, they are not really stakeholders, and have no other interests other than the fact that they want to revive the heritage of Escolta and make it relevant once more in the lives of the Filipinos, they are the ones who end up investing a significant portion of their fortune to give Escolta a much-needed hype,” Sylianteng said.
Make Lab, not war
Enter 98B COLLABorative, one of the pioneer art groups that started to set up shop in First United, composed of visual artist Mark Salvatus, curator-researcher Mayumi Hirano, artist-curator Marika Constantino, and magazine art director Gabriel ‘Gab’ Villegas. Looking for a place to “incubate” their ideas, they found the perfect place at First United. They held weekend flea markets where artists exhibit their work, sell prints, and other creative artisanal products.
These ideas are encapsulated in Hub: Make Lab, a collective space where artists showcase installation pieces, photographers hang their works, and business start-ups can try out a venture for a short period of time. The space has proven to be an effective way of enticing the public, both young and old, rich and poor, to explore a different side of Escolta.
Various events have been staged to attract more visitors to the place. Aside from regular art showcase, there are regular events like the Escolta Block Party, during which the whole street is closed for a night of street party and appreciation.
“We (98B) would host many of these block parties, but in time, we encouraged other stakeholders to organize it so we share the responsibility of reviving Escolta,” Villegas said, who also manages The Den, a coffee shop.
These events have proven to attract many individuals: Artists, designers, writers, musicians, filmmakers, educators, history buffs, students, and professors, among others. But the best take about it is that even those who have lived in Escolta all their lives are finding new reasons to appreciate the historical street.
Soon, not only the artists and the culturati have begun gravitating toward Escolta’s weekend art and culture market. They also included young entrepreneurs who wanted to test the market with their innovative, unorthodox ideas and products. In 2015, 98B started The Hub Make Lab, which serves as a platform to launch new creative business ideas.
One of those who found opportunity at the Escolta Hub is Brian Corella, who started Folk 1006, a barber shop that also sells his Maverick Pomade. “I was looking for a new place to start a business that I am most passionate with, which is grooming,” he said. “I was drawn to Escolta because it has character, the people who live here have a character that is truly rich and fascinating.”
‘Escolta never died’
Despite the fascination with the people and the shops, Gab Villegas admits to feeling uncomfortable when people refer to all their efforts as ‘revival.’
“What we’re doing is not reviving. Escolta has always been alive, it never died. The residents are there, the traders are there, the streets vendors are still here. I don’t think we are reviving anything, but rather, we are helping revitalize one of Manila’s most historical sites,” he said.
Despite this humble statement, one cannot deny that for the past two years, Escolta, considered a major thoroughfare of Manila’s very first and oldest business districts, has been enjoying a sudden resurgence when it comes to commerce, culture, and the arts.
“It’s forcing us to come out of our shells! But we’re open to it,” Sylianteng said. “We’re hoping that this organic movement would be infectious and, if it succeeds, then it would do the job of an organic revival of Escolta and once more establish its identity.”
For the smartphone-thumping, selfie-obsessed generation, the mention of “Escolta” is one for the books—the history books, that is. Escolta, after all, is one of the country’s oldest districts, once the center of commerce and industry during colonial times and the turn of the 20th century. After World War II, the country’s most bustling district had turned to worse, its once magnificent structures had been in a grave state of decay and disrepair, made worse when businesses gravitated to newer places elsewhere, away from the capital.
But has Escolta’s vitality been truly siphoned out of its charm, hence the need for a revival?
Glorious past
Escolta, one of the oldest streets in Binondo, Manila, played a vital role in the development of Manila’s first business ventures. It served as a commercial hub of Manila during the early 1900s wherein many innovations were first established like the first movie house, and where the electric tram first roamed the streets.
Located parallel to the Pasig River, the street was a major network where early businessmen (mostly from China) would set up shop and sell products from the Mainland, Europe, and Latin America brought in via the nearest port of San Nicholas.
The street was a symbol of early affluence, and it would be symbolized as a place of prestige by the construction of beautiful Art Deco buildings that now serve as sentinels of the district’s glorious past.
Among these buildings is the First United Building or the Perez-Samanillo Building. It holds historical claim as having been designed by Andres Luna de San Pedro, the son of world-renowned painter Juan Luna. He would also design the First United’s “twin sister”—the Regina Building, a neo-classical style edifice located right across.
Chinese businessman Sy Lian Teng brought the German department store brand, Berg Department Store in the 1930s, making Escolta the high-end shopping districts of that time.
A renaissance for the capital
In 2012, the Heritage Conservation Society, which is composed of artists and culture impresarios, met regularly in Manila to discuss about the idea of bringing to attention the plight of Old Manila structures, many of them candidates for demolition or massive renovation.
Artist Daniel Palma Tayona, one of the artists invited to the meetings, recalled that HCS meetings included the owners of the vintage buildings in the area in the discussions, including the couple Roberto and Lorraine Sylianteng, who currently own and manage First United Building.
“I told Architect Richard Bautista (one of the members of HCS) about my dream of owning an apartment at the old Azucarera building, by the Pasig River,” he said. “They were also discussing about zoning, trash collection, traffic. I broached them the idea of reviving Escolta through the arts—invite small artists, entice them to have studios there at a very low rent.”
Bringing new life to the old
Robert Sylianteng shared that for years, there have been efforts to revive the street of Escolta, mostly from the city administration to “revive the fortunes of everybody.”
“The City of Manila has always had a project that aims to benefit everyone living in Escolta and to make it relevant again,” he said. He admits that some of the efforts (one instance was the beautification of the street where First United is located), are often unappreciated even by those based in Escolta because there wasn’t much unity and vision to do anything about it. Ironically, it was through ‘outsiders’ that they have begun seeing Escolta under a whole new light.
“For me, what’s really interesting, is that people are getting involved, those that are not from here, especially the artists. Although they are not equity owners, they are not really stakeholders, and have no other interests other than the fact that they want to revive the heritage of Escolta and make it relevant once more in the lives of the Filipinos, they are the ones who end up investing a significant portion of their fortune to give Escolta a much-needed hype,” Sylianteng said.
Make Lab, not war
Enter 98B COLLABorative, one of the pioneer art groups that started to set up shop in First United, composed of visual artist Mark Salvatus, curator-researcher Mayumi Hirano, artist-curator Marika Constantino, and magazine art director Gabriel ‘Gab’ Villegas. Looking for a place to “incubate” their ideas, they found the perfect place at First United. They held weekend flea markets where artists exhibit their work, sell prints, and other creative artisanal products.
These ideas are encapsulated in Hub: Make Lab, a collective space where artists showcase installation pieces, photographers hang their works, and business start-ups can try out a venture for a short period of time. The space has proven to be an effective way of enticing the public, both young and old, rich and poor, to explore a different side of Escolta.
Various events have been staged to attract more visitors to the place. Aside from regular art showcase, there are regular events like the Escolta Block Party, during which the whole street is closed for a night of street party and appreciation.
“We (98B) would host many of these block parties, but in time, we encouraged other stakeholders to organize it so we share the responsibility of reviving Escolta,” Villegas said, who also manages The Den, a coffee shop.
These events have proven to attract many individuals: Artists, designers, writers, musicians, filmmakers, educators, history buffs, students, and professors, among others. But the best take about it is that even those who have lived in Escolta all their lives are finding new reasons to appreciate the historical street.
Soon, not only the artists and the culturati have begun gravitating toward Escolta’s weekend art and culture market. They also included young entrepreneurs who wanted to test the market with their innovative, unorthodox ideas and products. In 2015, 98B started The Hub Make Lab, which serves as a platform to launch new creative business ideas.
One of those who found opportunity at the Escolta Hub is Brian Corella, who started Folk 1006, a barber shop that also sells his Maverick Pomade. “I was looking for a new place to start a business that I am most passionate with, which is grooming,” he said. “I was drawn to Escolta because it has character, the people who live here have a character that is truly rich and fascinating.”
‘Escolta never died’
Despite the fascination with the people and the shops, Gab Villegas admits to feeling uncomfortable when people refer to all their efforts as ‘revival.’
“What we’re doing is not reviving. Escolta has always been alive, it never died. The residents are there, the traders are there, the streets vendors are still here. I don’t think we are reviving anything, but rather, we are helping revitalize one of Manila’s most historical sites,” he said.
Despite this humble statement, one cannot deny that for the past two years, Escolta, considered a major thoroughfare of Manila’s very first and oldest business districts, has been enjoying a sudden resurgence when it comes to commerce, culture, and the arts.
“It’s forcing us to come out of our shells! But we’re open to it,” Sylianteng said. “We’re hoping that this organic movement would be infectious and, if it succeeds, then it would do the job of an organic revival of Escolta and once more establish its identity.”