Escolta Street is a historic east-west street located in the old downtown district of Binondo in Manila,

Philippines. It runs parallel to the Pasig River, from Plaza Santa Cruz to Plaza Moraga and Quintin
Paredes Street. The street is home to several fine examples of early skyscraper design in the Philippines.
In Spanish, it is known as calle de la Escolta.
History
One of the oldest streets in Manila, Escolta was created in 1594. Its name was derived from the Spanish
word escoltar, meaning "to escort". Escolta was known for its concentration of immigrant merchants,
mainly from Fujian, China, who came to make their fortune during the Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade.
The street was lined with shops and boutiques selling imported goods from China, Europe and
elsewhere in Latin America that arrived in the nearby port of San Nicolas. By the late 19th century,
Escolta flourished into a fashionable business district hosting the city's tallest buildings as well as the
Manila Stock Exchange. The shops were replaced by modern department stores and an electric tram line
known as tranvia plied the street. Escolta served as the city's primary commercial district until its decline
in the 1960s when the center of business gradually shifted to Makati.

Architectural Establishments
Don Roman Santos Building
A neo-classical building fronting Plaza Goiti (Lacson) in the eastern end of Escolta Street. The building
once housed the headquarters of Monte de Piedad and Prudential Bank before it was sold to Bank of
the Philippine Islands.
The Don Roman Santos Building is a Neoclassical building located along the historic Escolta Street
in Binondo, Manila, Philippines. It frontsPlaza Lacson (formerly Plaza Goiti) which leads to directly to
Carriedo Street or to Rizal Avenue. It was built in 1894 and expanded in 1957.
The site has been the original offices for Monte de Piedad Savings Bank from 1894 to 1937. It then
became an American Red Cross-operated hospital from 1945 to 1947 after which housed Prudential
Bank and South Supermart. Currently, since 2005, the ground floor serves a branch for the Bank of
the Philippine Islands.





First United Building
One of the few surviving examples of art deco architecture in Manila, it was the tallest building in Manila
at the time of its completion in 1928. Designed by Andres Luna de San Pedro, the building was
previously named Perez Samanillo Building.
The First United Building, formerly known and still commonly referred to as Perez-Samanillo Building, is
an Art Deco building on Escolta Street in Binondo, Manila, Philippines. It was designed by Andres Luna
de San Pedro, the son of renowned painter Juan Luna, and was the tallest building in Manila when it was
completed in 1928.
The First United Building was designed by Andres Luna de San Pedro with a rectangular plan. On the
main facade is a central tower flanked by two chamfered corner towers on both ends of the building.
The three towers have the same ornamental treatments of thin cylindrical moldings running up to the
square plates and continued by beveled arches that relate to the windows at the sixth floor. There are
octagonal windows flanked by stout finials above the arches. A pergola with protruding rafters
originating from the girder connected the bevels. The central tower which contains the main entrance of
the building has a rigid arch and capped by elongated octagons that bordered a display. The parapet on
the topmost part has floral arrangement on an urn with equally distant low-relief medallions. The main
entrance is located below the central tower which leads to the elevator and the stairwell. The side
towers are both cut in the corners to open up the intersection.






First United Building Regina
Regina Building
Built in 1934, this four-storey building was designed in the neo-classical style by Andres Luna de San
Pedro.
Regina Building, previously known as Roxas Building, is a historic building located along Escolta Street in
Binondo, Manila, Philippines. It was designed sequentially by Andres Luna de San Pedro and Fernando
Ocampo. The neoclassical beaux-arts commercial structure was built in 1915.
Regina Building, originally known as Roxas Building was designed by Andres Luna de San Pedro, son of
Juan Luna and was built in 1915 at the corner of Escolta Street and Calle David in Binondo, Manila. The
design combined the styles of neoclassicism and beaux-arts. It was a three-storey structure during the
time it was built but was later expanded into a fourth floor by Fernando Ocampo when the De Leon
family bought if from the Roxases. The building was renamed Regina Building in 1926.
This building is surrounded on its two sides by two bodies of water, Estero de la Reina and the Pasig
River.
Madrigal Steamship company owned by the former senator Vicente Madrigal had its main office in the
building. The senator also rented a room here for his staff. Many insurance companies also occupied the
structure during its heyday including one of the first Filipino-owned insurance companies (now is
Spanish-owned Mapfre Insular Insurance), the Provident Insurance Corporation in 1934. The building
now houses several freight forwarding companies.
Natividad Building
A beaux arts style building that housed the Insurance Commission in the 1950s.
Natividad Building is a historic building along Escolta corner Tomas Pinpin, Binondo, Manila, Philippines.
Designed by Philippine-born Spanish architect Fernando de la Cantera Blondeau, it is an outstanding
example of beaux-arts architecture. It once housed the Philippine Insurance Commission. During World
War II, the building was spared from destruction albeit suffered some damages.







Natividad Burke

Burke Building
Named after philanthropist, William J. Burke, the building is known as the location of the first elevator in
Manila.
Burke Building is a historic building along Escolta corner Burke, Binondo, Manila, Philippines. First built
in 1739, it survived World War II and has gone major remodeling since. Named after philanthropist,
William J. Burke, the building is also known as the location of the first elevator in Manila.
Calvo Building
Another fine example of beaux arts style architecture, it was built in 1938 by Edificio Calvo and designed
by Fernando Ocampo. In 1950, the building was also the location of the first radio studio of DZBB-AM (a
flagship AM radio station of GMA Network) until 1957 before the transferring of the DZBB studio in GMA
Network Center (the current headquarters of GMA 7) along EDSA corner Timog Avenue, Diliman,
Quezon City.
The Calvo Building is a historic building along Escolta corner Soda Streets, Binondo, Manila, Philippines.
Built in 1938, it is an outstanding example of beaux-arts architecture. It served as the home of the radio
station DZBB-AM before moving to its present location in Diliman, Quezon City. It now houses the
Escolta Museum which contains memorabilia from the past. The building is designed by Fernando H.
Ocampo.






Calvo Capitol
Capitol Theater
Designed by Juan Nakpil and built in the 1930s, this theater had a double balcony, which is a rare
architectural design. The theater's facade has reliefs of 2 muses done by Francesco Monti. The theater is
now closed, its location serving as a venue for a few commercial establishments and restaurants.
The Capitol Theater is an Art deco theater in Manila, Philippines. It was built during the 1930s along
Escolta Street, part of the city's primary commercial district, together with the Lyric Theater. It was
designed with a double-balcony by National Artist Juan Nakpil and was considered a rare feat during
that era.
A decorative tower, located over the main entrance, was intentionally designed to be different from the
rest of the building. The tower facade is symmetrically composed with lines offsetting each other to
emphasize the strong and rigid geometric forms; this is most especially shown at the top, with recessed
tiers resembling a ziggurat and the geometric details at the top corners. At the center of this is an art
deco grillework that is made up of squares and circles surrounded by two pilasters on both sides. Both of
the vertical surfaces have low-relief figures depicting two Filipina muses which are portrayed wearing
native dress or 'traje de mestizas' and local fauna which include carabao head. This was done by
Francesco Riccardo Monti, also known for his works in some of the famous buildings in Metro Manila.
Strong lines and soft curves outline the pleats of the gowns wore by the muses. To represent its use as a
theater, both muses each hold a mask and a lyre, associated with theater arts and music, respectively.
The external elements found in the building relate to the function of the structure as a cinema and the
Art Deco style with its strong geometric forms. Crowning the top of the central tower is the world
"Capitol," the name of the structure in concrete. Due to natural and human-caused damage, only the I
and T remain.
The national flower, sampaguita was the underlying motif of the interior spaces shown in wrought-iron
grills on the stairs, the lobby, the foyer and the proscenium arch.[3] Also found in its lobby is a mural
entitled "Rising Philippines" done by Victorio C. Edades, Carlos V. Francisco and Galo B. Ocampo. The
theme also is evident in the proscenium arch, featuring sampaguita flowers in bloom finished in white
seashell. Four concentric circles of short bamboo nodes and internodes radiate from the sampaguita
flowers.
The theater accommodates 800 seats in its air-conditioned double-balcony interior.

Write-ups
MMDA: Manila To Lead Escolta Revival
By Mike Frialde (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority finally agreed with the
position of Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and allowed the city government to take the lead in
the proposed revival and redevelopment of Escolta, MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said
yesterday.

Tolentino said he met with Estrada last week. He said the MMDA will now only play a supporting
role in Escoltas revival as a transport, tourism, business, and cultural hub, with the city
government of Manila in full charge of the planned initiative.
Naturally, the city government of Manila should lead the redevelopment of Escolta and
whatever major projects in their territorial jurisdiction. MMDA will only be on hand to assist
them, Tolentino said.

Tolentino earlier proposed the creation of an Escolta Redevelopment Association that will
handle the revival and restoration of Escolta following a meeting with the Escolta Heritage
Association early this month.

Tolentino said the idea to revive Escolta came about after the reopening of the Escolta ferry
station along the Pasig River that made the area known as Manilas old business district
more accessible to the public.

The MMDA noted that during the first two weeks of operation of its Pasig River ferry system,
Escolta was the most popular destination of passengers and tourists going to Binondo,
Chinatown and Divisoria.

The proposal is aimed to remember Escolta not just as a historical footnote but as part of the
continuing Philippine economic progress, said Tolentino.
The city government of Manila, Tolentino said, should utilize its redevelopment blueprint in the
proposed improvement and restoration of Escolta and the Chinatown area.
The city government of Manila and the MMDA have pledged to work hand-in-hand in studying
this proposal to revive Escolta. On our part, it will be an honor to be part of this endeavor. Alls
well that ends well, Tolentino said.

Estrada earlier opposed the idea that a national government body be tasked to revive Escolta.
Estrada said the national government has already taken over administration of key Manila
tourism sites such as the Intramuros Administration, which oversees the historic Walled City,
and the National Parks Development Committee, which manages Rizal Park.


#SelfiEscolta: A Snapshot of Manilas Heritage
By Joanne Marie Camello on July 8, 2014

THE Queen of streets of Manila or simply the no-less than Calle Escolta, has been fired up once
again.

The Heritage Conservation Society Youth along with the Escolta Commercial Association Inc.
raised Philippine heritage awareness as they unveiled #SelfiEscolta: The Manila Heritage Festival
last July 5.

Aiming to promote conservation and appreciation of heritage buildings of old Manila, the
whole-day event was far spanking among other fairs as it embraced guided tours, photo exhibit,
bazaar and concert.

Steered interested participants about the resemblance of European facades on the evolving
architectural styles of structures found in Escolta, Clara Buenconsejo, Secretary General of
Heritage Conservation Society Youth (HCS Youth), drew attention on the realization of people
that theres more to Manila than what meets the eye.

A lot of people dont know about Escolta. A lot of people nowadays either think that Escolta
is dead or tipong hindi talaga nila alam kung anong makikita sa Escolta, Buenconsejo said.

The organizers dared to change the perception of the people regarding the once-renowned
center of luxury and urbanization Escolta by gathering the public through an informative and
fun-filled pioneering affair.

The Selfie Campaign

Volunteers from HCS Youth including architecture students from HCS-UST Youth Chapter lead
over the free guided tours for students, travelers, people from the media and entertainment
industry, independent artists and heritage and cultural conservation enthusiasts.

Starting from the Pasig River Station, the ferry, walking and tranvia ride tours transported goers
around the prominent spots of Calle Escolta and its surrounding neighborhood. Participants
were given photo opportunity to take a selfie, or self-taken photographs of themselves, with
the heritage buildings fostered in the world of social media through the hashtag #selfiEscolta.

Through the tours, theyve heard the stories. We told the people some facts about the
buildings, but more than that, we gave them stories within their walls. And through the peoples
selfies, we hope that the rest of the Philippines would like to know the buildings stories as
well, Stephanie Yap, one of the tour guides and Public Relations Officer of HCS-UST Youth
Chapter, explained.

The itinerary includes stops at some of Manilas most historical: First United Building, Regina
Building, Juan Luna eServices Building, Insular Life Building, Uy Chaco Building (the first
skyscraper of Manila), Syvel Dept Store and Capitol Theater (Juan Nakpils masterpieces), the
BPI Escolta of iconic architecture designed by the newly recognized National Artist Maria Jose
Zaragoza, and the renowned 100 year-old El Hogar Building, which is currently at risk of
demolition.

The building is old, but it doesnt mean that if its old, wala na, hindi na interesting,
Buenconsejo said on the increasing consciousness of the people concerning the conservation of
admired facades of Manila that bare the identity of Philippine architecture.

The Art and Vintage Publicity

Aside from the guided tours, the street fair was one of the major attractions as well. Calle
Escolta was filled with food bazaar, shops that sold arts and crafts items, personal pieces and
paintings by independent artists, paintings, posters and old photographs of Manila and photo
printing booths.

The photo exhibit added the cultural cognizance of the sightseers located at the ground floor of
the First United Building where the usual Saturday Market is held. Reprints of photographs from
the J. Tewell collection were displayed to provoke viewers to reminisce the prime of Escolta.
Printed selfie photos were also posted in the exhibit.

An Exhibition of Unique Talents

The entire event was enthused by a wide-range of performances from independent artists and
performers that prove the matchless flair of Filipinos. Ethnic music by Sanghabi, Dance
performance by hoola hoop dancer Star Ore, showcase from Ukulele Philippines Ensemble and
more acts from One Hit Combo, Axie Cano and Slow Sink stirred up the street festival.

Tara Na Sa Escolta Street Concert was held as the whole-day culminating activity was wrapped
in a loud rainy evening. Heard around the event site were performances from artists Gary
Granada, Tres Marias (Cooky Chua, Bayang Barrios, Lolita Carbon), Plagpul, Kuya Kurt,
Persephone, Estribo, Fiona, Geo Ong and Pio Balbuena.



The Heritage Conservation Society Youth aspires to uphold the significance of old Manilas
legacy by imparting treasured history to the community.

Heritage Conservation isnt just about restoring and salvaging beautiful structures; its also
about saving the stories of these buildings. We cannot let them destroy the structures that
made Manila to what it is today, Yap said.

The Future of Escolta
Conclusion of the article Escolta Warriors: Young People Fight for Philippine Cultural Heritage by Greg
Valerio on June 25, 2014

Escolta is facing huge challenges in terms of modernization. Since the district was one of those
neglected areas in Manila, the Escolta neighborhood are having a hard time to coordinate to
public utilities (Meralco, Maynilad, PLDT and cable companies) in improving their facilities. Also,
there are condemned spots in Escolta that the city needs to address in order to adjust to
physical improvement and development like sidewalks, street lights, street signs, lack of
barangay security, issues in parking and vagrancy. All of these are being addressed by the
private sector using the resources that they have to revive Escolta.

The HCS-Youth is maximizing the power of Internet and social media. These channels help us to
extend awareness to our fellow youth, since the online community is comprised mostly by age
under 15-35. Those platforms become an effective means to address issues and receive
suggestions that will help us to create solutions for the advocacy.

HCS-Y Rep. Lem then quips politely I may be ambitious, but with all of these happening, I
believe that Escolta will get the honor that she deserves. As the Manilas Queen of All Streets,
Escolta deserves to regain her glory in principle. We may not bring back the grandeur of
buildings and establishments (since most of them were destroyed by war and neglect) but as a
Manileno, I am excited to see the future of Escolta as one of the model communities of art,
culture and modernity in Manila and in the Philippines. And this will become possible if the
generation of concerned citizens and the government today will work hand-in-hand to return
Escoltas losing identity.

Great changes starts with strong ambitions and these young warriors of the street are not
backing down.