A Walk Within the Walls: Intramuros

The sun was scorching above our heads as we hurried fast into the entrance of the fort, hoping to get refuge inside the sturdy walls before our invisible enemy. We mostly found ruins but we just need some semblance of a canopy to shield us from the sun's rays though the humid air was still exhausting. Much more longer outside the walls or we would have succumbed to the dreaded one—heat stroke.

...Or so I imagined. Exaggeration aside, navigating under a 34 degree heat could have been better thought out but the desire to explore won us over. Thus, on a hot Saturday, we found ourselves walking within the walls of the old City of Manila: Intramuros.

Intramuros and the Old City of Manila

The City of Manila as we know it today is an expansion of the original old city that is founded by the Spaniards in 1571 which in turn superseded the pre-colonial settlement of Maynila. As the young city was subjected to Chinese pirate attacks, walls were ordered to be erected to protect the city from future attacks, hence the city became within the walls (Latin Intramuros).

Numerous historical sites from the Spanish period once stood within Intramuros. However, much of the old city was destroyed during the 1945 Battle of Manila at the end of the Second World War. Reconstruction to this day is ongoing under the Intramuros Administration. In 1951, Intramuros was designated as a National Historical Landmark. The walls itself are considered National Cultural Treasures by the National Museum of the Philippines.

After our regular Saturday dragon boat training at Manila Bay, we changed from our wet attires at Jollibee at the CCP Bay Terminal. Our first plan to reach Intramuros was via LRT-1, starting at Vito Cruz station and dropping off at Central Terminal station. From there, we would have walked to Manila City Hall via Cecila Muñoz St., crossed Taft Avenue by underpass, and enter Intramuros via Victoria St.

But the weather was too hot for our liking that we settled to just hail a taxi cab and make our way inside the air-conditioned comfort of the cab.

Palacio del Gobernador and Ayuntamiento

I originally intended to visit a notary public on my visit to Intramuros. Conveniently, the notary resides in the Palacio del Gobernador. The Palacio del Gobernador once served as the residence of the Spanish Governor General. After an earthquake destroyed the original building in 1863, the governors moved residence to the Malacanañg Palace. Today the governor's palace houses several government institutions including the Commission on Elections.

Façade of the Palacio del Gobernador

Opposite the palacio is the the old Manila City Hall or Ayuntamiento de Manila. The Ayuntamiento once served as office for the Spanish Governor-General, then the American military governor. It switched hands to the first Philippine Assembly and then to the Supreme Court. Older iterations of the building was destroyed during the 1863 earthquake and the war in 1945. What stands today is a reconstruction based on the original plans of Eduardo Lopez Navarro. Today, the building houses the Bureau of the Treasury.

Bureau of the Treasury at the former Ayuntamiento

Between the two buildings is the public square, Plaza de Roma. A statue in honor of Charles IV of Spain is erected to commemorate his sending of the first batch of smallpox vaccine to the country.

Monument to Charles IV of Spain at Plaza Roma

In front of the plaza, you could also rent bamboo bikes to tour around Intramuros.

Manila Cathedral

At the same plaza, the magnificent façade of the Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception towered before us. More popularly known as the Manila Cathedral, the church serves as the seat of the Diocese of Manila.

The neoclassical façade of the Manila Cathedral

Manila Cathedral with its dome as seen from Palacio del Gobernador

Much like most of the structures inside Intramuros, the current cathedral is a reconstruction from the originals destroyed during its centuries of history, tracing back to 1571. What stands to today is the eighth structure and takes it architectural design from the sixth version that was damaged during the same 1863 earthquake that reduced the original Palacio and Ayuntamiento to rubble (the seventh one was destroyed during the 1945 Battle of Manila).

Interior of the Manila Cathedral

Upon entry, I cannot help but feel awe over the beauty of the interior of the church. The vaulted ceiling is high above and is supported by marble and stone pillars with intricate carvings. Stained glass windows illuminate the ceiling, its several chapels, and the altar containing the image of its namesake, Mary Immaculate.

The altar below the dome. At the left is the cathedra or bishop's seat

Stained glass windows in the Chapel of St. Joseph

A large pipe organ sits at the choir area while in the vestibule is the popemobile used by Pope Francis during his 2015 papal visit to the country.

Popemobile displayed in the vestibule

As it was a Saturday afternoon, there was no mass being held but a wedding ceremony appeared to be starting soon so we did not linger for long inside the church. It was just eleven in the morning but having just come from the dragon boat training and with only some bananas for breakfast, we're already ravenous.

Lunch at J's Cuisine

We did not have any particular plans on where to eat at Intramuros so we just searched the nearest high rated restaurant on Google from our location. Our first search lead us first to Magallanes Street, where the schedule says a diner opens at 11:00 am. It was still closed when we arrived and a lady confirmed that they would open at 1:00 pm. We could not bear to wait any longer so I opened my phone and searched for the next nearest diner.

We were lead to an unassuming place along Beaterio Street and upon entering the gate, we saw a simple diner, J's Cuisine. A quick look on the menu and we were soon ordering their chicken sisig and sizzling beef with a generous helping of rice, which we devoured to our hearts' content.

Clean plate club

We took our time finishing our surprisingly savory lunch. Finally, we got up and headed out into the heat for our next destination.

Fort Santiago

I've never been able to join the field trips to Intramuros when I was younger, so I was a bit eager to visit Fort Santiago that day. Fort Santiago is most famous for being the location of the prison of one of Philippines' national heroes, Jose Rizal. But as the name implies, Fort Santiago served as a defense fortress during the Spanish period. It was named after the apostle St. James (Spanish Santiago), the patron saint of Spain.

The flock of tourists was noticeable as we approached the fort that afternoon. There were also calesas (horse-drawn carriages) that would also take you around Intramuros. The fort charges a Php 75.00 entrance fee for regular visitors and Php 50.00 for students, PWDs, and senior citizens.

One of the numerous calesas around Intramuros

Visitors will first be greeted by the vast Plaza Moriones, a square with gardens and granite pavement.  The plaza once served as an open ground for military drill, parades, and ceremonies. It was named after a former governor-general, Domingo Moriones.

Surrounding the plaza are ruins of the previous fortifications where you can still see old canons positioned as if pointing against invisible enemies past the walls.

Old canon at Baluartillo de San Francisco

The heat that afternoon was undeniable as we continued walking past old canons, anchors, and ammunition shells. We were literally drenched in sweat, despite the meagre shade from our umbrellas. Finally we see the iconic entrance to the actual Fort Santiago, separated from us by a moat.

The façade as we see it today is also a reconstruction after the original was damaged during the war. Among the reliefs featured are that of St. James the Moor-slayer and the coat of arms of Spain.

Old photograph of Fort Santiago

Fort Santiago today

The smaller Plaza de Armas centers the fort and as we walked ahead, the signs lead us to Rizal Shrine, the site of the last month of the national hero.

The Rizal Shrine (Dambana ni Rizal) serves as a museum showing highlights in the life of the hero. Upon entry we were greeted with a timeline showing the events that served as the backdrop of the Rizal's imprisonment and culminates with his final days and the aftermath of his execution.

A portion of the timeline which details Rizal's final hours

Visitors can immediately go to the actual cell where Rizal was imprisoned where a video presentation about the hero can also be viewed on its entrance. Inside, a likeness of Rizal is displayed showing him penning his final poem.

Rizal writing Mi Ultimo Adios

The cell is also adjacent to the trial room where the hero was handed his guilty verdict.

On the second floor is a small museum where memorabilia from Rizal's life are displayed, ranging from the mundane to the morbid. This includes dining implements to calling cards and fencing gear, to artworks such as drawing and sculptures highlighting the hero's genius.

Drawing and sculptures by Rizal

Animal specimens collected by Rizal during his Dapitan exile

Of his final days, perhaps the most interesting items are that of the famous stove (not lamp as is the common misconception) which contained the smuggled Mi Ultimo Adios (My Final Farewell) poem out of his prison and a piece of Rizal himself: the vertebra hit by the bullet that killed him.

The stove and a facsimile of Mi Ultimo Adios

Reliquary containing Rizal's vertebra

The tour of the shrine was short but the airconditioned refuge made us stay for a moment longer. Alas, when we stepped out, the heat made our parched throats long for a good refreshment.

Refreshments at La Cathedral

Thus, we were on our foot again back to Beaterio St. where we found La Cathedral, a café facing it's namesake church.

Here we just had a serving of ice cold strawberry yoghurt and mixed berries smoothie to ease the heat. We thought we would be dining inside air conditioning but were surprised that it was actually an al fresco dining.

Al fresco dining at La Cathedral

A drizzle passed by as we were dining though it was not enough to alleviate the heat of that day.

San Agustin Church

Upon finishing our drinks we've decided to call it a day and started our way out of Intramuros. However, another landmark was just on our way so we decided to just make a quick visit anyway. Along the way, the path transformed into a cobble stone road, reminiscent of Calle Crisologo in Vigan, with some museums where a number of tourists flock.

Guards are stationed throughout Intramuros garbed in the traditional blue rayadillo uniforms which were the attires worn by Spanish soldiers, and later, Filipino revolutionaries, during the colonial period.

Finally we reached our final destination for the day, the magnificent Baroque church of San Agustin.

Façade of San Agustin Church and the adjacent convent museum

The church stood at the site for more than 450 years, having been first built in 1571 under the supervision of the Order of St. Augustine. However, what stands today is the third iteration built in 1586, the first two, being made of wood, burned in 1574 and 1583. The current church, which was made of adobe stones, withstood the 1863 earthquake that destroyed the old Manila Cathedral although another earthquake in 1880 caused the permanent removal of the east bell tower.

Today, the church, along with three other churches in the country, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, having been designated in 1993 as part of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines.

The interior of the church is replete with intricate designs. The walls, pillars, and ceiling are filled with ornate reliefs. Unfortunately, the church was cordoned off to visitors on the day of our visit so we were not able to explore and see the details up to the altar. We just had to contend ourselves with viewing the entirety of the church from its large wooden doors.

Wrapping Up

With that, our day at Intramuros finally drew to a close. We walked our way to the LRT-1 station tracing back our initial planned route. Along the way, we passed by Mapua University, Manila City Hall with its clock tower, and the Katipunan Monument.

There's still more of Intramuros that we haven't visited, but there is only so much our tired legs can manage in a hot, humid day. Next time, perhaps. 😉