Binondo

By treborstrife

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Binondo Church

Binondo Arch

Binondo is famous for its imitation of a small Chinese town which is locally called "China Town". During the financial crisis of the early 80s, Binondo earned the nickname "Binondo Central Bank" as Chinese businessmen in the district engaged in massive black marketing of US dollars, often dictating the actual Peso-Dollar exchange rate. The term has survived to this day.

Given its rich history and financial significance, Binondo is said to have one of the highest land values in the entire country.

History
Founded in 1594, Binondo was created by Spanish Governor Luis Pérez Dasmariñas as a permanent settlement for converted Chinese immigrants across the river from the walled city of Intramuros where the Spaniards resided. It was originally intended to replace the Parian near Intramuros where the Chinese were confined. The land grant was given to a group of Chinese merchants and artisans in perpetuity, tax-free and with limited self-governing privileges.

The Spanish Dominican fathers made Binondo their parish and succeeded in converting a great many of the Chinese residents to Catholicism. Binondo soon became the place where Chinese immigrants converted to Catholicism, intermarried with indigenous Filipino women and procreated to produce a nascent Chinese mestizo community. Over the years, the Chinese mestizo population of Binondo grew rapidly. This was caused by two factors: the lack of Chinese immigrant females and the policies of the Spanish authorities in expelling and massacring pure-blooded Chinese immigrants who refused to convert. Luis Pérez Dasmariñas played a prominent role in the massacre of 20,000 Chinese after a Chinese revolt in 1603.

Binondo is the historic birthplace of a new race called mestizo de sangley. It was also the birthplace of St. Lorenzo Ruiz, a mestizo de sangley who would later become the First Filipino Saint and also Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, who is also a mestiza de sangley and was the foundress of the Congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary. Plaza Lorenzo Ruiz and the Binondo Church (formal name: Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz) are named after him. And the Chapel of Our Lady of China now in Binondo Church.


Place of Interest
Binondo Church, also known as Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz was erected in 1596. It is one of the oldest places of Christian worship in the Philippines, but over the centuries the original edifice has sustained considerable damage from earthquakes and other natural disasters. Today the octagonal bell tower is all that remains of the 16th century construction.

Saint Lorenzo Ruiz (c.1600 – Sept. 29, 1637), served at the convent of Binondo church as an altar boy. After a few years he earned the title of escribano and soon became a member of the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary. He was working as a clerk at the Binondo Church when he was falsely accused of killing a Spaniard in 1636. He sought asylum on board a ship with three Dominican priests. The boat landed at Okinawa and the group was arrested on basis of their Christian religion. They were tortured, but they did not denounce their faith and died as martyrs. Lorenzo Ruiz was beatified in Manila on Feb.18, 1981 by Pope John Paul II. He was canonized on Oct. 18, 1987.


Binondo is located across the Pasig River from Intramuros and the home of Chinatown in Manila.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binondo,_Manila




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