Hola, amigos! ¿Cómo estás? I'm greeting you in Español or Spanish. It's the month of April, in the year 2025. More than five years since the COVID-19 pandemic changed our lives. I hope you are winning your silent battles. Many things have changed globally, including advancements in technology, new Presidents, and shifts in social norms.
And talking about changes and improvements, one example that I can share to you is about the nice things that are happening now in Intramuros, and its surroundings.
Welcome to Intramuros!
Intramuros, known as the "Walled City" in Manila, is famous for its well-preserved Spanish colonial architecture, historical landmarks like Fort Santiago and San Agustin church, and its role as a living museum showcasing Philippine history.
Welcome to "Museo ni Rizal", inside Fort Santiago
I've been seeing a lot of vlogs and reviews about Intramuros and Binondo, on YouTube and TikTok since last year, showing their improvements. New attractions like Pasig River Esplanade, Centro de Turismo Intramuros, an interactive museum, and the Binondo-Intramuros bridge.
The videos were mainly from local vloggers and there were also from foreign tourists. They were all refreshing to watch, I can't wait to go back to Intramuros and Binondo, to see these new attractions. Honestly, I was in Binondo, just last year, but the last time I was in Intramuros, was during the pandemic.
It was the year 2022, to be exact. This happened when things were getting better, when government officials eased pandemic restrictions. When we thought we could go out and smell the air outside freely, me and my friend decided to visit Intramuros and Binondo.
These places are nearby, they are very accessible from our houses. Initially, we were really planning to do long-distance walking there, our way to exercise. We were able to do it, but not only that. We strolled the streets, went inside the walls of Fort Santiago, visited Rizal Museum, and had our dinner at Ying Ying Tea House.
Portrait of Dr. Jose Rizal, national hero of the Philippines
Initially, I had mixed emotions, happy and excited, but at the same time, I felt worried, because of the COVID-19, and honestly, everything seemed uncomfortable still. I didn't have leisure travel for almost two years, from April 2020 to roughly January 2022. I felt that, our trip to Manila's two famous places, was my first time again.
Well, it was our first "Revenge Travel" by land. We were lucky, because me and my friend were working from home, we had enough rest before going to Intramuros, our first stop. The afternoon greeted us with humid, hot weather. From the Intramuros entrance, we walked directly to Manila Cathedral.
I've been to Intramuros multiple times, and I think my first visit was in high school. I honestly visited most of the well-known sites inside, even created blog articles about them, like Casa Manila Museum, San Agustin Church, Baluarte de San Diego, and Fort Santiago, but I've never seen "The Dungeons of Fort Santiago." You know what? It was creepy, and at the same time, a very heavy sadness filled the place inside.
According to intramuros.gov.ph about Fort Santiago Dungeons, the current dungeons were originally the fort's powder magazine, which the Spaniards used to store gunpowder. Due to its original purpose as gunpowder storage, the regular flooding of the dungeons to drown its prisoners is clearly a hoax. The powder magazine became prison cells for guerrillas and civilians arrested during World War II.
During the Battle of Manila in 1945, hundreds of prisoners squeezed inside the dungeons were abandoned by the Japanese. Owing to the combined effects of lack of food, air circulation, and sanitary conditions, the prisoners succumbed and none survived. Several corpses were discovered after the battle. They were given a decent burial in a mass grave near the dungeons. The white marble cross marks their final resting place. -https://intramuros.gov.ph/2022/09/30/dungeons/
The entrance rates for Fort Santiago are 75 Php each(roughly 1.34 USD) for adult and 50 Php each(roughly 0.62 USD) for children, students, faculty, senior citizens, and PWDs. (Must present valid ID upon entry). Opening hours: 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
We explored a variety of sites and attractions within Fort Santiago. Like the Plaza Moriones, based on the site https://visitfortsantiago.com/amenity/01/, it was a traditional open grounds for military review, drill, and parades. This served as an important clearing for the Fort Santiago in an event of siege or foreign attack. Moat and Bridge, this man-made canal joined the Pasig River and Manila Bay, making Fort Santiago a formidabe fortress-island. The moat was filled-in with earth by the early 20th Century, and eventually re-dug and restored by the Intramuros Adminitration in the 1980s.
Fort Santiago Gate, featured are the arms of Castile and Leon, and a wooden relief of the Fort's patron, Santiago Matamoros. It serves as the main iconic entrance to the Fort Santiago. Plaza Armas, the traditional open grounds for military drills and parades within Fort Santiago.
Almacenes Reales, Royal storehouses in ruins since World War II. Prominent are the surviving freestanding stone arches, a legacy of traditional architecture. Falsabraga Santa Barbara, similar with the Media Naranja, this rampart served as an additional layer of wall protecting the strategic tip of the Baluarte de Santa Barbara, which historically faced both the river and the Manila bay. Falsabraga Media Naranja, Falsabraga means falls wall, while Media Naranja refers to its half orange shape as seen from above.
Welcome to Binondo Chinatown!
We also went inside Rizal Shrine, according also to this site, https://visitfortsantiago.com/activities-amenities/, it is formerly a military barracks, it was partially reconstructed and now houses a shrine to Jose Rizal. Rizal, a Philippine national hero-martyr, was incarcerated here in 1896 while on trial for charges of subversion against the Spanish colonial regime.
iMake History Fortress Learning Center, the creative facility is a LEGO Education Center that aims to promote innovation, creativity, and love for Philippine heritage. The center was opened in 2018. Lastly, the Rajah Sulayman Theater, the mural, created in 2018, pays homage to Rajah Sulayman, the 16th Century lord of Manila who bravely but unsuccessfully defended his land against Spanish invasion.
*all this information came from this site, https://visitfortsantiago.com/
Next, we're moving on to Binondo. I remember, we walked from Intramuros to the Binondo Chinatown Arch, passing Jones Bridge instead of taking a jeepney. Based on the article of South China Morning Post, Binondo has gone from financial hub to culinary hotspot boasting amazing restaurants. -https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3306728/history-worlds-oldest-chinatown-binondo-manila-now-foodie-paradise
From hotels.com, it is said that, Binondo is the Chinatown area of Manila. The name comes from the Tagalog word binondoc, which means 'mountainous' due to its hilly landscape. Founded by Spanish Governor Luis Perez Dasmarinas in 1594, it was originally meant for Chinese immigrants who converted to Catholicism, making it the world's oldest Chinatown district. -https://www.hotels.com/go/philippines/binondo-manila-chinatown
Since it was already afternoon, we decided to have dinner at Ying Ying Tea House. Anticipating a long queue at the popular Binondo Chinese restaurant, we first visited the Eng Bee Tin Binondo Flagship Store to purchase my favorite hopia, a chinese pastry.
The food was great and came with big servings! I think it was my third time eating at Ying Ying. However, despite the slow service and long wait times for orders, the food is consistently tasty and delicious.
It's often described as having a cozy, old-school Filipino-Chinese teahouse feel. Some note the presence of both Chinese and Catholic decorations, creating a unique setting.
Super thanks for reading my blog posts. Expect to see more travel blog posts in the coming months.
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." - Saint Augustine
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