San Juan, Metro Manila
Encyclopedia
The City of San Juan (Filipino
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
: Lungsod ng San Juan) or simply San Juan is a city in Metro Manila
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Before the creation of Metro Manila, it was part of Rizal
Rizal
Rizal is a province located in the CALABARZON , just 16 kilometers east of Manila. The province was named after the country's national hero, José Rizal. Rizal Governor Casimiro A. Ynares III on June 17, 2008 announced the transfer of the Capitol from Pasig. Its P 270-million capitol building,...
Province. Currently the smallest city in the region and the country in terms of area, San Juan is one of the smallest among the cities and municipalities in the metropolis, second only to Pateros
Pateros, Metro Manila
The Municipality of Pateros is a First-class municipality in Metro Manila, Philippines. This small town is famous for its duck-raising industry and especially for producing balut, a Filipino delicacy that is boiled duck egg...
. This was the site of the first battle of the Katipunan
Katipunan
The Katipunan was a Philippine revolutionary society founded by anti-Spanish Filipinos in Manila in 1892, whose primary aim was to gain independence from Spain through revolution. The society was initiated by Filipino patriots Andrés Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata, Ladislao Diwa, and others on the night...
, the Filipino revolutionary organization, against the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
colonizers.
Etymology
"San Juan" is a contraction of the city's longer official name: San Juan del Monte . It is named in honour of St. John the Baptist, the city's patron saintPatron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
, and the hilly terrain the city is situated on.
Location
San Juan City is located at the approximate geographical centre of Metro ManilaMetro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
. It is bordered by Quezon City
Quezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
on the north and east, Mandaluyong City
Mandaluyong City
The City of Mandaluyong is one of the cities and municipalities that comprise Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is bordered on the west by the country's capital, Manila, to the north by San Juan City, to the east by Quezon City and Pasig City, and by Makati City to the south...
on the south, and the City of Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
on the west.
The territory of San Juan was once much larger than it is presently, stretching all the way to Caloocan City
Caloocan City
The City of Caloocan is one of the cities and municipalities that comprises the Metro Manila region in the Philippines. It is a major residential area inside Metro Manila...
. Parts of what are now Districts 1, 2 and 4 of Quezon City
Quezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
as well as parts of Mandaluyong were originally within the San Juan territorial boundaries. This explains why the San Juan Reservoir is in the nearby Horseshoe Village, a subdivision under the jurisdiction of Quezon City.
History
During the pre-Hispanic period, the village of what is now San Juan was a part of the Kingdom of NamayanKingdom of Namayan
The ancient Kingdom of Namayan, alternately referred to as the Kingdom of Sapa, Maysapan or Nasapan after its capital which goes by those names, was one of three major kingdoms that dominated the area around the upper portion of the Pasig River and the coast of Laguna Lake in the Philippines before...
, whose last recorded rulers were King Lacantagean and his wife Bouan. When the Spanish first took over the kingdom which they re-christened as Sta. Ana de Sapa, the village remained a part of it, re-classified as a barrio, and became a small encomienda by 1590. In 1602, the Dominican friars built a retreat house for their immediate use, where aging or convalescing friars stayed. Later, the Dominicans constructed a convent and a stone church dedicated to the Holy Cross
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
. To this day, the thrice-rebuilt church of Santo Cristo stands on the same site, adjacent to the Aquinas School and the Dominican College. In 1783, San Juan became independent of Santa Ana but it was still then a barrio.
The first battle of the Philippine Revolution
Philippine Revolution
The Philippine Revolution , called the "Tagalog War" by the Spanish, was an armed military conflict between the people of the Philippines and the Spanish colonial authorities which resulted in the secession of the Philippine Islands from the Spanish Empire.The Philippine Revolution began in August...
that achieved independence from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, began in San Juan in 1898.
Although not officially designated as such, the city of San Juan could also be called the "Town of Philippine Presidents." Of the last nine presidents
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
since the country became a republic in 1946, four of them were official residents of San Juan when they assumed office. They were the Macapagal pére et fille, Diosdado Sr.
Diosdado Macapagal
Diosdado Pangan Macapagal was the ninth President of the Philippines, serving from 1961 to 1965, and the sixth Vice President, serving from 1957 to 1961. He also served as a member of the House of Representatives, and headed the Constitutional Convention of 1970...
(1961–1965) and his daughter Gloria
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
(2001–2010); Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
(1965–1986); and Joseph Estrada
Joseph Estrada
Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada was the 13th President of the Philippines, serving from 1998 until 2001. Estrada was the first person in the Post-EDSA era to be elected both to the presidency and vice-presidency.Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in over 100 films in...
(1998–2001), who also served as mayor when San Juan was still a municipality.
On June 16, 2007, voters in San Juan ratified the conversion of the municipality into a highly urbanised city, pursuant to Republic Act No. 9388 ("An Act Converting the Municipality of San Juan into a Highly Urbanized City to be known as the City of San Juan"). Then congressman
House of Representatives of the Philippines
The House of Representatives of the Philippines is the lower chamber of the...
Ronaldo B. Zamora sponsored the Cityhood Bill at the House of Representatives and worked for its approval.
Places of Interest
Among the many interesting places in San Juan are the Pinaglabanan ShrinePinaglabanan Shrine
Pinaglabanan Shrine is located on N.Domingo cor. Pinaglabanan street in the city of San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines. The shrine has a statue of a woman supported by two children, holding up a bolo, or a machete...
, which marks the opening salvo of the 1896 Philippine Revolution
Philippine Revolution
The Philippine Revolution , called the "Tagalog War" by the Spanish, was an armed military conflict between the people of the Philippines and the Spanish colonial authorities which resulted in the secession of the Philippine Islands from the Spanish Empire.The Philippine Revolution began in August...
took place, the Greenhills Shopping Center
Greenhills Shopping Center
Greenhills Shopping Center is a shopping centre in the city of San Juan in the Philippines. It has over 2,000 stores, and espouses an 'indoor-outdoor' theme, with the Shopping Center having the appearance of several distinct buildings that are all interconnected through pathways and bridges. It...
, one of the metro's popular bargain places, especially for consumer electronics, clothing and other merchandise.
Other locations would be the city's churches, such as Mary the Queen Parish near Xavier School and the Immaculate Conception Academy, the Sto. Cristo Church near Aquinas School and Dominican College. The St. John the Baptist Parish, more commonly known as the "Pinaglabanan Church", is where the city's patron saint is enshrined and is where the city's incumbent congressman J. V. Ejercito was married.
Barangays
San Juan is politically subdivided into 21 barangayBarangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
s:
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Transportation
Road R-6Major roads in Metro Manila
Metro Manila has a very extensive roadway system connecting the cities and municipalities of the metropolis and its surrounding provinces. The major roadways are the ten radial roads, braching from the capital city of Manila, and the five circumferential roads, which form semicircles around the...
passes through San Juan as Aurora Boulevard, as does the C-3
Major roads in Metro Manila
Metro Manila has a very extensive roadway system connecting the cities and municipalities of the metropolis and its surrounding provinces. The major roadways are the ten radial roads, braching from the capital city of Manila, and the five circumferential roads, which form semicircles around the...
(Araneta Avenue). Less major routes include Nicanor Domingo (more known as N. Domingo), which heads towards Cubao in Quezon City
Quezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
, and Pinaglabanan/Santolan, which leads towards Ortigas Avenue and eventually Quezon City.
The Purple Line
Manila LRT Purple Line
The Manila LRT Purple Line is the second line of the Manila Light Rail Transit System. The line contains eleven stations and runs over 13.8 kilometers of mostly elevated track, with the exception of Katipunan station, which is underground...
of the Manila LRT
Manila Light Rail Transit System
The Manila Light Rail Transit System, popularly known as the LRT, is a metropolitan rail system serving the Metro Manila area in the Philippines. Although referred to as a light rail system because it originally used light rail vehicles, it has many characteristics of a rapid transit system, such...
also briefly passes through the city while running over Aurora Boulevard (R-6), serving the stations at V. Mapa
V. Mapa LRT Station
V. Mapa LRT Station is a train station at Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard and V. Mapa Street, Santa Mesa, Manila. The station was located near SM City Santa Mesa, Hotel Sogo Santa Mesa and several prominent universities, the Central Colleges of the Philippines, Immaculate Heart of Mary College and the...
and J. Ruiz
J. Ruiz LRT Station
J. Ruiz LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Purple Line . J. Ruiz station is one of the many elevated stations that can be found on the line. The station is located in San Juan and is named because of its location on J. Ruiz Street....
.
Numerous jeepney routes operate throughout the city, heading towards Cubao, Divisoria, Crame (via Santolan), Taytay
Taytay, Rizal
The Municipality of Taytay is a first class, urban municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. It is currently the third second most populous town in Rizal after and Cainta. Taytay serves a the gateway of West Rizal to the cities of Pasig and Taguig...
and other destinations. A bus route from Quiapo
Quiapo, Manila
Quiapo is a district and city square of Manila. Referred as the "Old Downtown", Quiapo in known for where cheap buys or goods are being sold at rock-bottom prices and was the home of the Quiapo Church, where the feast for the Black Nazarene is held, with over millions of people attending...
heading towards Cainta
Cainta, Rizal
The Municipality of Cainta is a first-class urban municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. It is one of the oldest , and is the town with the second smallest land area of 26.81 km² next to Angono with 26.22 km².Cainta serves as the secondary gateway to the rest of Rizal...
and Taytay passes through San Juan.
Education
Here is a list of some notable scholastic institutions in the city that cater to primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of education.Public (State-run)
- The San Juan National High School, which was established in 1969 during the time of then Mayor Joseph Estrada, is the lone public high school in the city.
- Kabayanan Elementary School
- Nicanor Ibuna Elementary School
- Pedro Cruz Elementary School
- Pinaglabanan Elementary School
- Salapan Elementary School
- San Perfecto Elementary School
- San Juan Elementary School
- Sta. Lucia Elementary School
Private
- Xavier SchoolXavier SchoolNot to be confused with Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan.Xavier School , located in San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines, is a private Catholic college preparatory school for boys run by the Society of Jesus' Philippine Province...
- an all-boys school run by the JesuitsSociety of JesusThe Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
for Chinese Filipinos - The Polytechnic University of the PhilippinesPolytechnic University of the PhilippinesThe Polytechnic University of the Philippines commonly known as PUP is a public research university in the Philippines. It was founded on October 19, 1904 as the Manila Business School, offering commerce-related courses...
(PUP) San Juan Campus, was established in 2008 under the administration of then mayor Joseph Victor "J. V." G. Ejercito. It serves as the only community college in the locality. - Aquinas School- a Catholic school established by the Dominicans
- Asian Institute of Journalism and CommunicationAsian Institute of Journalism and CommunicationThe Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication is a graduate school in media studies in the Philippines. It is considered as one of the leading communication institutions in the Philippines and the ASEAN Region.-History:...
- a school for graduate studies in Communication Management and Journalism - Community of Learners
- Dominican College - a Catholic, Private and an all girls school established by the Dominicans and run by Dominican Sisters in which students are taught to follow the ideals of St. Dominic.
- Fountain International Academy
- Immaculate Conception Academy-GreenhillsImmaculate Conception Academy-GreenhillsImmaculate Conception Academy , also known as ICA Greenhills or ICAgh is located at 10 Grant Street, Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is a private college preparatory Catholic school for Filipino-Chinese girls run by the Missionary Sisters of Immaculate Conception...
(ICA)- a private, all-girls Catholic school for Chinese Filipinos - Kids World Integrated School- an inclusive educational institution
- La Salle Greenhills High SchoolLa Salle Green HillsLa Salle Green Hills is a private Catholic school exclusively for boys located on Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is run by the Roman Catholic Brothers of the Christian Schools- Philippine District. It was established in 1959 by the De La Salle Brothers led by the...
(LSGH)- established by the Christian BrothersChristian BrothersChristian Brothers may refer to:* Congregation of Christian Brothers, a Catholic lay order founded at Waterford, Ireland in 1802 by the Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice...
, and affiliated with De La Salle PhilippinesDe La Salle PhilippinesDe La Salle Philippines is a network of Seventeen Lasallian Institutions in the Philippines. It was established in 2006 for the unified implementation of the Lasallian Mission, generate creative synergy, and promote the spirit of "One La Salle" among member institutions...
. Though within close proximity to the rest of the area, it is technically under the jurisdiction of Mandaluyong City. - Montessori De San Juan
- O.B. Montessori Center
- Philippine Chen Kuang High School - a private school with a bilingual (English and Chinese) curriculum
- St. John's Academy - an affordable private school, offers quality education (Primary, Elementary, Secondary)
- St. John the Baptist Catholic School - formerly the Holy Child Parochial School, it is adjacent to Pinaglabanan Church
- Tabernacle of Faith Christian Academy (TFCA)- a private Christian school
Culture
San Juan is known for its celebration of the feast of their patron, St. John the Baptist every June 24Nativity of St. John the Baptist
The Nativity of St. John the Baptist is a Christian feast day celebrating the birth of John the Baptist, a prophet who foretold the coming of the Messiah in the person of Jesus and who baptized Jesus.-Significance:Christians have long interpreted the life of John the Baptist as a preparation for...
. In a nod to the saint's characteristic act, the most recognisable custom of the occasion is the Basaan, or the playful dousing and splashing of other people with water. Similar in practise to certain rituals conducted during Songkran and Holi, the Basaan is also done by many other locales nationwide who share the same patron saint. Pedestrians and vehicles with open windows are preferred targets by revelers. Due to complaints from non-residents and transients, a recent ordinance curtails the dousings at noon. Basaan is also being held at San Juan, Batangas on the same date.
Residents are also known for their fierce patriotism and localisation, preferring for the most part to stay within city limits for work, education, and residence. Popular perception has native businessmen and consumers preferring to introduce new businesses and franchises into the city instead of patronising similar establishments located just outside of San Juan's current or historical territorial boundaries.
Hymn
Sa dilim ng gabi nitong bayang hinirangUmusbong ang tuwa, galak at kasiyahan
Ang tala sa langit mandi'y lumilitaw
Tanda ng pag-asa sa kinabukasan
O Bayan ng San Juan, sagisag ng kalayaan
Dambana ng magigiting bayani ng himagsikan
Sa iyong dibdib ay aming handog at iaalay
Ang matimyas na pag-ibig walang kupas na pagmamahal
O Bayan ng San Juan, sagisag ng kalayaan
Dambana ng magigiting, bayani ng himagsikan
Sa iyong dibdib ay aming handog at iaalay
Ang matimyas na pag-ibig walang kupas na pagmamahal
Ang matimyas na pag-ibig walang kupas... na pagmamahal!
Sister Cities of San Juan City
San Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, California Davao City
Davao City
The City of Davao is the largest city in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Its international airport and seaports are among the busiest cargo hubs in the Philippines....