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All you need to know about Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz in Binondo, Manila.

I don't miss to visit this plaza whenever I am in Binondo. The last time I came here was when I did a food crawl in Binondo.



Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz or Plaza Lorenzo Ruiz is a major public square in Binondo, Manila, bounded by Quintin Paredes Street (formerly Calle Rosario) to the east and Juan Luna Street (formerly Calle Anloague) to the west, parallel to the Estero de Binondo.

A fountain at Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz and Binondo Church in the background

It is the plaza that fronts the Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz (Binondo Church), one of the main churches of the City of Manila, and is considered the center of Binondo as a whole.

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Originally called the Plaza de Binondo, and then Plaza Carlos IV after Charles IV of Spain, the plaza was eventually renamed Plaza Calderón de la Barca (often shortened to Plaza Calderón), after the famous Spanish playwright.

It is believed that the plaza may have been renamed after Calderón either by the then-sitting Governor-General, or by the Dominican friars who were at the time running the Binondo Church, who had adored his works.

Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz is named after Lorenzo Ruiz, whose statue stands at the middle of the square.

The plaza was renamed after Lorenzo Ruiz, one of the Martyrs of Japan and the protomartyr of the Philippines, on September 12, 1981, by virtue of Batas Pambansa Blg. 133.


Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz in Details

Names: Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz, 花園口廣場, (former names: Plaza Calderón de la Barca, Plaza de Binondo, Plaza Carlos IV)
Dedicated to: Saint Lorenzo Ruiz
Owner: City of Manila
Location: Juan Luna Street, Binondo, Manila, Philippines



Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz History

In 1594, the town of Binondo was established on the northern bank of the Pasig River by then Governor-General Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas as a settlement for Chinese migrants arriving in Manila.

With urban planning not as strict as that of Intramuros, compounded by the geography of the newly established settlement which is bounded by numerous streams which drain into the Pasig River, Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz was created to serve as the largest plaza of the settlement, directly fronting the Binondo Church. Similar to Plaza Moriones in Tondo, the plaza was originally an open grass field.

During the Spanish colonial period, the plaza was a hub for economic activity, and was even described by Teodoro Agoncillo as "one of the most impressive open spaces of old Manila". The plaza was surrounded by trees and tipped with two large fountains, both of which still stand today.

1899

With the completion of the Binondo Church in 1854, trade around the area increased, and several large buildings and mansions were built around the plaza. Economic activity continued to grow in Binondo during American rule, and the plaza was a busy center of activity alongside other major plazas in Manila. The plaza was also well-served by Manila's pre-World War II tram network.

Cheapest Flights and Airline Tickets Online Booking

While the plaza was spared from the Battle of Manila in 1945, and economic activity in Binondo recovered thereafter, the area around the plaza started declining around the 1960s, when most business activity shifted from Manila to Makati and Cubao in Quezon City.

By the 1980s, the plaza (and the area in general) was in serious decline, even becoming a repository for monuments moved from nearby Plaza Cervantes and Plaza Goiti (now Plaza Lacson), which were cleared to make room for parking space.

In 1990, the Manila City Council passed an ordinance prohibiting parking around the immediate vicinity of the plaza in a bid to alleviate chronic traffic congestion.

In 2005, Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz was redeveloped by the Manila city government during the tenure of Lito Atienza, with help from the Metrobank Foundation, which donated ₱3 million for the project. Another redevelopment was completed in 2014, under the tenure of Joseph Estrada.



Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz Design and Layout

Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz has an area of 1,200 square meters (13,000 sq ft), which unlike other plazas in Manila is shaped like an ellipse, with a fountain on each end. The plaza is paved with granite tiles and multicolored interlocking concrete bricks, similar to Plaza Miranda in Quiapo.

Park benches have been installed around the plaza's perimeter, and a number of royal palm trees have been planted in the plaza's center, complementing a number of existing narra trees.

The plaza is lit at night with 42 promenade lampposts, 32 floodlights and 24 uplights that have been installed at strategic points around the area. Previously, a perimeter fence circled around the plaza: this was removed in the 2005 redevelopment.

A number of historical markers have been installed at the plaza, two of which are centuries-old. The most notable marker is a statue of Lorenzo Ruiz which in the 2005 rehabilitation was repositioned to face the Binondo Church.

Behind the statue of Lorenzo Ruiz is a memorial to Chinese Filipino victims of World War II erected in 1995 by the Confederation of Filipino Chinese Veterans.

A memorial to Chinese-Filipino victims of World War II erected in 1995 by the Confederation of Filipino Chinese Veterans


At the northern end of the plaza is an obelisk dating back to 1916 which was erected in memory of Tomas Pinpin, the first Filipino printer, which was moved to the plaza from Plaza Cervantes in 1979, when it was cleared to make room for more parking space.

The back part of the obelisk dating back to 1916 which was erected in memory of Tomás Pinpin, the first Filipino printer, which was moved to the plaza from Plaza Cervantes in 1979

At the southern end of the plaza is a monument to Joaquin Santa Marina, the founder of the La Insular Cigar and Cigarette Factory


ATTRACTIONS TO SEE IN MANILA 

Klook.com

Surrounding Buildings and Structures

Aside from the Binondo Church, a number of other notable structures are (or were) located within the vicinity of Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz. The largest building to have been built around the plaza was the La Insular Cigar and Cigarette Factory, which was opened in 1883 after the lifting of the Spanish tobacco monopoly three years earlier.

Destroyed by fire during the Battle of Manila, the site is now occupied by the Wellington Building, which was once the headquarters of the Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company (Metrobank), founded by Chinese Filipino businessman George Ty, and still home to the Binondo offices of a number of Metrobank-affiliated companies. Beside it was the Hotel de Oriente, then the most popular hotel in Manila, where José Rizal stayed in Room 22, and which also served as the erstwhile headquarters of the National Library of the Philippines.

Plaza Calderón de la Barca in 1899 with Hotel de Oriente and La Insular Building.

While the Hotel de Oriente, unlike the La Insular Cigar and Cigarette Factory, was only partially destroyed in the Battle of Manila, it was demolished afterward, and the site is now occupied by Tytana Plaza, home to the current Binondo offices of Metrobank. A replica of the Hotel de Oriente today stands in the Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar complex in Bagac, Bataan.

On the northern end of the plaza is a building formerly housing the Binondo offices of Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), which is currently home to the branches of Jollibee, Chowking and Greenwich. While the Binondo branch has moved to a taller building next door, at the corner with Reina Regente Street, BPI currently maintains its main Binondo offices at the BPI Building along Quintin Paredes Street.


ACTIVITIES AND TOURS IN MANILA


Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz in Literature

Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz is mentioned in Chapter 4 of José Rizal's novel Noli Me Tángere, where Crisostomo Ibarra reaches the plaza and its vicinity after attending Captain Tiago's dinner party at his house on Calle Anloague.

While walking around the vicinity and noticing that very little has changed in Manila while he was studying in Europe, Lieutenant Guevarra reveals to Ibarra what happened to his father, Don Rafael, who Father Dámaso slandered during the dinner.


How to Get to Binondo

Going to Binondo, Manila is made easy because of Metro Manila's transport system - where you can ride any of the following mode of transportation:

Via Train

If you are coming from North (Caloocan City) and from the South (Paranaque/Pasay), you can take LRT1 and drop off Carriedo station. Turn left at Rizal Avenue, and walk past Sta. Cruz Church towards Bustos. Turn left at Bustos, and walk about 1 block until you get to Ongpin. Chinatown begins there, right behind Sta. Cruz Church.

Nearest Train Station: LRT1-Carriedo

Via Bus

If you are coming from North (Quezon City), you can take a bus ride en route to Sta. Cruz, Manila or if you are from the South (Muntinlupa), you can take a bus ride en route to Lawton, then a jeepney ride to Sta. Cruz. Then take a short walk as previously suggested above.

Via UV Express

UV express is another option going to Binondo. Here are the available UV Express Routes: Divisoria-Roxas Blvd./Baclaran; Divisoria-Taft/Buendia/Baclaran

Via Jeepney

Here are the following jeepney routes you can take going to Binondo: Cubao-Divisoria; Divisoria-Roxas Blvd./Baclaran; Divisoria-Taft/Buendia/Baclaran; Espana-Divisoria; Morayta-Divisoria; North Avenue-Sta. Cruz; San Juan-Divisoria; Sta. Cruz-Binondo/Divisoria; Sta. Cruz-Taft/Buendia/Baclaran



WHERE TO STAY NEAR BINONDO

Pearl Manila Hotel

Here's a list of hotel accommodation you can book in Manila:



IMPORTANT NOTE: The rates, contact details and other information indicated in this post are accurate from the time of writing but may change without IMFWJ's notice. Should you know the updated information, please let us know by leaving a message in the comment box below.


PLAZA SAN LORENZO RUIZ: Binondo's Public Park in Manila (History and Facts)


All you need to know about Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz in Binondo, Manila.

I don't miss to visit this plaza whenever I am in Binondo. The last time I came here was when I did a food crawl in Binondo.



Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz or Plaza Lorenzo Ruiz is a major public square in Binondo, Manila, bounded by Quintin Paredes Street (formerly Calle Rosario) to the east and Juan Luna Street (formerly Calle Anloague) to the west, parallel to the Estero de Binondo.

A fountain at Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz and Binondo Church in the background

It is the plaza that fronts the Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz (Binondo Church), one of the main churches of the City of Manila, and is considered the center of Binondo as a whole.

Loading...

Originally called the Plaza de Binondo, and then Plaza Carlos IV after Charles IV of Spain, the plaza was eventually renamed Plaza Calderón de la Barca (often shortened to Plaza Calderón), after the famous Spanish playwright.

It is believed that the plaza may have been renamed after Calderón either by the then-sitting Governor-General, or by the Dominican friars who were at the time running the Binondo Church, who had adored his works.

Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz is named after Lorenzo Ruiz, whose statue stands at the middle of the square.

The plaza was renamed after Lorenzo Ruiz, one of the Martyrs of Japan and the protomartyr of the Philippines, on September 12, 1981, by virtue of Batas Pambansa Blg. 133.


Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz in Details

Names: Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz, 花園口廣場, (former names: Plaza Calderón de la Barca, Plaza de Binondo, Plaza Carlos IV)
Dedicated to: Saint Lorenzo Ruiz
Owner: City of Manila
Location: Juan Luna Street, Binondo, Manila, Philippines



Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz History

In 1594, the town of Binondo was established on the northern bank of the Pasig River by then Governor-General Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas as a settlement for Chinese migrants arriving in Manila.

With urban planning not as strict as that of Intramuros, compounded by the geography of the newly established settlement which is bounded by numerous streams which drain into the Pasig River, Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz was created to serve as the largest plaza of the settlement, directly fronting the Binondo Church. Similar to Plaza Moriones in Tondo, the plaza was originally an open grass field.

During the Spanish colonial period, the plaza was a hub for economic activity, and was even described by Teodoro Agoncillo as "one of the most impressive open spaces of old Manila". The plaza was surrounded by trees and tipped with two large fountains, both of which still stand today.

1899

With the completion of the Binondo Church in 1854, trade around the area increased, and several large buildings and mansions were built around the plaza. Economic activity continued to grow in Binondo during American rule, and the plaza was a busy center of activity alongside other major plazas in Manila. The plaza was also well-served by Manila's pre-World War II tram network.

Cheapest Flights and Airline Tickets Online Booking

While the plaza was spared from the Battle of Manila in 1945, and economic activity in Binondo recovered thereafter, the area around the plaza started declining around the 1960s, when most business activity shifted from Manila to Makati and Cubao in Quezon City.

By the 1980s, the plaza (and the area in general) was in serious decline, even becoming a repository for monuments moved from nearby Plaza Cervantes and Plaza Goiti (now Plaza Lacson), which were cleared to make room for parking space.

In 1990, the Manila City Council passed an ordinance prohibiting parking around the immediate vicinity of the plaza in a bid to alleviate chronic traffic congestion.

In 2005, Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz was redeveloped by the Manila city government during the tenure of Lito Atienza, with help from the Metrobank Foundation, which donated ₱3 million for the project. Another redevelopment was completed in 2014, under the tenure of Joseph Estrada.



Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz Design and Layout

Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz has an area of 1,200 square meters (13,000 sq ft), which unlike other plazas in Manila is shaped like an ellipse, with a fountain on each end. The plaza is paved with granite tiles and multicolored interlocking concrete bricks, similar to Plaza Miranda in Quiapo.

Park benches have been installed around the plaza's perimeter, and a number of royal palm trees have been planted in the plaza's center, complementing a number of existing narra trees.

The plaza is lit at night with 42 promenade lampposts, 32 floodlights and 24 uplights that have been installed at strategic points around the area. Previously, a perimeter fence circled around the plaza: this was removed in the 2005 redevelopment.

A number of historical markers have been installed at the plaza, two of which are centuries-old. The most notable marker is a statue of Lorenzo Ruiz which in the 2005 rehabilitation was repositioned to face the Binondo Church.

Behind the statue of Lorenzo Ruiz is a memorial to Chinese Filipino victims of World War II erected in 1995 by the Confederation of Filipino Chinese Veterans.

A memorial to Chinese-Filipino victims of World War II erected in 1995 by the Confederation of Filipino Chinese Veterans


At the northern end of the plaza is an obelisk dating back to 1916 which was erected in memory of Tomas Pinpin, the first Filipino printer, which was moved to the plaza from Plaza Cervantes in 1979, when it was cleared to make room for more parking space.

The back part of the obelisk dating back to 1916 which was erected in memory of Tomás Pinpin, the first Filipino printer, which was moved to the plaza from Plaza Cervantes in 1979

At the southern end of the plaza is a monument to Joaquin Santa Marina, the founder of the La Insular Cigar and Cigarette Factory


ATTRACTIONS TO SEE IN MANILA 

Klook.com

Surrounding Buildings and Structures

Aside from the Binondo Church, a number of other notable structures are (or were) located within the vicinity of Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz. The largest building to have been built around the plaza was the La Insular Cigar and Cigarette Factory, which was opened in 1883 after the lifting of the Spanish tobacco monopoly three years earlier.

Destroyed by fire during the Battle of Manila, the site is now occupied by the Wellington Building, which was once the headquarters of the Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company (Metrobank), founded by Chinese Filipino businessman George Ty, and still home to the Binondo offices of a number of Metrobank-affiliated companies. Beside it was the Hotel de Oriente, then the most popular hotel in Manila, where José Rizal stayed in Room 22, and which also served as the erstwhile headquarters of the National Library of the Philippines.

Plaza Calderón de la Barca in 1899 with Hotel de Oriente and La Insular Building.

While the Hotel de Oriente, unlike the La Insular Cigar and Cigarette Factory, was only partially destroyed in the Battle of Manila, it was demolished afterward, and the site is now occupied by Tytana Plaza, home to the current Binondo offices of Metrobank. A replica of the Hotel de Oriente today stands in the Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar complex in Bagac, Bataan.

On the northern end of the plaza is a building formerly housing the Binondo offices of Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), which is currently home to the branches of Jollibee, Chowking and Greenwich. While the Binondo branch has moved to a taller building next door, at the corner with Reina Regente Street, BPI currently maintains its main Binondo offices at the BPI Building along Quintin Paredes Street.


ACTIVITIES AND TOURS IN MANILA


Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz in Literature

Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz is mentioned in Chapter 4 of José Rizal's novel Noli Me Tángere, where Crisostomo Ibarra reaches the plaza and its vicinity after attending Captain Tiago's dinner party at his house on Calle Anloague.

While walking around the vicinity and noticing that very little has changed in Manila while he was studying in Europe, Lieutenant Guevarra reveals to Ibarra what happened to his father, Don Rafael, who Father Dámaso slandered during the dinner.


How to Get to Binondo

Going to Binondo, Manila is made easy because of Metro Manila's transport system - where you can ride any of the following mode of transportation:

Via Train

If you are coming from North (Caloocan City) and from the South (Paranaque/Pasay), you can take LRT1 and drop off Carriedo station. Turn left at Rizal Avenue, and walk past Sta. Cruz Church towards Bustos. Turn left at Bustos, and walk about 1 block until you get to Ongpin. Chinatown begins there, right behind Sta. Cruz Church.

Nearest Train Station: LRT1-Carriedo

Via Bus

If you are coming from North (Quezon City), you can take a bus ride en route to Sta. Cruz, Manila or if you are from the South (Muntinlupa), you can take a bus ride en route to Lawton, then a jeepney ride to Sta. Cruz. Then take a short walk as previously suggested above.

Via UV Express

UV express is another option going to Binondo. Here are the available UV Express Routes: Divisoria-Roxas Blvd./Baclaran; Divisoria-Taft/Buendia/Baclaran

Via Jeepney

Here are the following jeepney routes you can take going to Binondo: Cubao-Divisoria; Divisoria-Roxas Blvd./Baclaran; Divisoria-Taft/Buendia/Baclaran; Espana-Divisoria; Morayta-Divisoria; North Avenue-Sta. Cruz; San Juan-Divisoria; Sta. Cruz-Binondo/Divisoria; Sta. Cruz-Taft/Buendia/Baclaran



WHERE TO STAY NEAR BINONDO

Pearl Manila Hotel

Here's a list of hotel accommodation you can book in Manila:



IMPORTANT NOTE: The rates, contact details and other information indicated in this post are accurate from the time of writing but may change without IMFWJ's notice. Should you know the updated information, please let us know by leaving a message in the comment box below.


Binondo Manila Open Space Park Philippines

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