At downtown Malate

After our early morning tootle in Manila Bay, we proceeded to downtown Malate on foot for breakfast. Malate is just beside Ermita and is best traversed via the famous promenade between the calm bay and smooth-flowing Roxas Boulevard, what with all its curious rovers and vagrants doing various activities (fishing, jogging, etc.). The sun was not yet high when we left Ermita, so we decided to walk by the promenade —known to many simply as the Baywalk— towards Malate.

The Baywalk is a two-kilometer promenade lined with coconut trees that stretches from the U.S. Embassy in Ermita all the way to the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in Malate. It is a perfect place to experience Manila Bay's famous sunsets.

Malate nowadays is famous for its nightlife attractions such as al fresco cafés, bars and specialty restaurants, and lively street parties. But a long time ago, Malate was bucolic and, should I say, "spiritually salty". As salt is the ingredient used to make food flavorful, it was this saltiness in Filipino religiosity which flavored the spirituality of this old Hispanic arrabal (district) outside the hallowed grounds of the Walled City. Malate church, the heart of the arrabal, was already filled with activity especially on Saturday mornings when the churchyard was crowded with candle, food, and toy vendors (something that is not present anymore). And up to World War II, mothers with ailing children would walk on their knees from the church doors toward the altar to seek help from the church's patroness, Nuestra Señora de los Remedios — Our Lady of Remedies, hence the name Calle Remedios which runs along to the right of the church.

Now, if we are to take this saltiness of religiosity to a more literal level, it should be noted that Malate's former name was Maalat. In the early days, the plaza right in front of the church used to be a beach. Roxas Boulevard runs through what used to be Manila Bay‘s coastline. During breezy moments, the waves coming from the sea lapped the church doors and the lower walls of the façade, and it affected the quality of nearby wells, rendering them salty ("maalat" in Tagalog). Through the years, with the evolution of language and orthography, Maalat became Malate; the last letter, “e”, is a contraction of “eh“, a common but meaningless inflection in Southern Tagalog dialects.

My wife and kids crossing the scenic Roxas Boulevard. Named after former President Manuel Roxas, this boulevard underwent a couple of name changes. It was originally called Cavite Boulevard, then renamed Dewey Boulevard in honor of U.S. Admiral George Dewey (I still hear some elderlies calling it Dewey). During the Japanese Occupation, it was called Heiwa (Japanese for "peace") Boulevard until its final name change sometime in the 1960s.

The Alas kids at Plaza Rajah Sulayman's dancing fountain.

We had our breakfast at The Aristocrat, “The Philippines' Most Popular Restaurant”. Wanna know how this place looked like during  the Spanish times? Then click here!

Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, famously known as Malate Church. This baroque church is one of a kind for having trefoil blind arches, an indication of Moorish influence. It was severely damaged during World War II. But thankfully, much of the façade's unique characteristics remained intact.

We were delighted to meet the Most Reverend Philip Wilson here! He had just finished celebrating Mass. He is the Archbishop of Adelaide, Australia and is also the president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. Beside him is Fr. John Leydon, the Irish parish priest of Malate Church.

Behind us is the retablo that holds the ancient image of Our Lady of Remedies. It was brought here by the Augustinians from Spain in 1624.

The very popular Café Adriático, a landmark in Malate. It was named right after the street where it is situated. Calle Adriático in turn was named in honor of Macario Adriático, a parliamentarian from Calapán, Mindoro Oriental (he was the representative of the whole island of Mindoro in the Philippine Assembly of 1907). The street's original name, Dakota, is still widely used by jeepney drivers plying the area.

A monument dedicated to propagandist Marcelo H. del Pilar in the middle of Remedios Circle. Incidentally, his 95-year-old granddaughter lives just nearby (oh yes, she is still alive and keen of mind!).

The area surrounding the church is the heart, the original, Malate. It used to be a summer resort for the Hispanized and wealthy Tagalogs. At the close of the 19th century, wealthy Binondeños built seaside villas along Calle Real (now Marcelo H. del Pilar Street). But it was not fully developed as there were still large tracts of swamplands and ricefields with nipa huts in the area. It was only during the U.S. colonial period when Malate was fully developed. A realtor by the name of Henry Jones started buying lands in both Malate and Pacò, filling and subdividing them into partitioned lots which he offered on installment. It can be said that Jones's Malate was the prototype of modern subdivisions and villages.

Jones named the streets in his Malate subdivision after the states of his country, some of which are still embedded in Filipino memory: California, Carolina, Dakota (does it ring a bell?), Georgia, Kansas, Oregon, etc. All of them are now Filipinized. For example: Tennessee Street is now known as Calle Malvar, named in honor of General Miguel Malvar of Batangas (the last high-ranking Filipino official to have surrendered to the U.S. invaders).

There is still so much to see in this lively district (the CCP, Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, etc.). We would have toured much, if not all, of Malate if it not for Yeyette's delicate condition. But I guess that grand Malate tour would have to wait for another day. Besides, Malate is best visited at night. And when you do so, let Malate's popular bars and restaurants enthrall you with their bright lights, unique dishes, and other street party gimmicks.

For my family, the most important thing is that we touched base with Malate's inner core.

Click here for more photos of our downtown Malate tour!