To many, the hustle, bustle, chaos, and color of Quiapo is the quintessence of Manila, the Philippine capital. You may know it as the crazy market district, home to historic Quinta Market and a plethora of stalls selling everything from cheap wedding decor, to medicinal herbs, to anting-anting (amulet or charm). It encompasses the route of the famous Black Nazarene procession, but also has a thriving Muslim community surrounding the Golden Mosque, the largest Philippine mosque outside of Mindanao.
F.R. Hidalgo Street, known to photography enthusiasts for its many camera shops, was once called the most beautiful street in Manila because of the stately arcades of homes that lined it.
Given all of Quiapo’s unique attributes, many have pushed for protection and conservation of the area. In recent months, progress has been made, with the House of Representatives passing House Bill No. 8664 , a bill that seeks to declare Quiapo a heritage zone.
It is authored by the representative of the district that covers Quiapo, Joel Chua. In the Senate, a similar bill, No. 2324 , authored by Senator Loren Legarda, is still being discussed at the committee level.
But on April 30, Legarda called for a hearing with Chua, heard from heritage advocates, conservation experts, and Quiapo property owners, and agreed to create a technical working group to work on the bills. Legarda and Chua spoke about their bills and the obstacles that line the path to their passage into law during a Be The Good epi.