Historic Manila

07/10/2025

📜 Today in Philippine History, October 7, 1846 — 179 years ago

Spanish Governor-General Narciso Claveria issued a decree against vagrants, referring primarily to Filipinos who had no regular employment or permanent residence. He instructed provincial authorities to apprehend these idlers, conduct inquiries, and assign them to public works for one month before returning them to their respective hometowns.

During that period, unemployment and displacement were common among Filipinos due to heavy taxes and forced labor systems, which partly explains why vagrancy became widespread in many towns.

Governor-General Claveria enacted this policy to preserve peace and order, instill discipline, and utilize idle labor for government projects such as roads and public buildings. Although the measure contributed to the improvement of local infrastructure, it largely served the interests of the Spanish colonial government by maintaining control over the population and securing a steady labor force. Nevertheless, it provided limited benefits to some Filipinos by offering temporary work and encouraging discipline, even though its primary objective was to reinforce Spanish authority rather than to advance the welfare of the people.

Source: Wikipedia

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25/08/2025

03/08/2025

Msgr. Aglipay and Isabelo de los Reyes in Kalayaan

02/08/2025

Fissures on the roads from Casiguran to Barrio Tabas, Aurora, Philippines, August 2, 1968

01/08/2025

A Rare Glimpse of the Fifth Manila Cathedral

This historical sketch offers a rare view of the fifth Manila Cathedral, as seen and drawn by Italian painter and engraver Fernando Brambila during the Malaspina Expedition (1789–1794). Commissioned by the Spanish Crown, the expedition was a sweeping scientific and political voyage that traveled across the Americas, Asia, and Oceania to document the people, culture, natural environment, and geography of Spain’s overseas territories.

In 1792, during the expedition’s stop in the Philippines, Brambila captured various scenes of colonial Manila—including this depiction of the Manila Cathedral (now officially known as the Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception).

Referred to as the fifth cathedral, this structure was completed in 1760, following the repeated destruction of its predecessors by fire, earthquakes, and typhoons. It served as Manila’s principal church well beyond 1852, despite suffering significant damage in a devastating earthquake that year, until a major reconstruction began in 1858.

Brambila’s sketch remains one of the few surviving visual records of this long-lost cathedral, offering a valuable window into the architectural, religious, and colonial heritage of Spanish-era Manila.

Source: Wikipedia

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02/07/2025

First 100 Pensionados at the St. Louis World's Fair, Missouri, United States, 1904

This historic photograph shows the first group of Filipino pensionados—young scholars sent to the U.S. under American colonial rule to study and later serve in the Philippines.

Taken during the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, the image reflects how education was used to promote American ideals in the early years of U.S. occupation. Their presence at the fair symbolized both progress and colonial propaganda.

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons

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01/07/2025

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01/07/2025

📍 | July 1, 1889
Dr. Olivia Simeona Demetria Salamanca y Diaz was born in San Roque, Cavite.

A pioneering Filipino physician, she trained in the United States at the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

She became the second female doctor from the Philippines.

30/06/2025

Intramuros, Manila, Philippines, 1925

Credit: John Tewell

13/06/2025

Fun Fact: Today Is the First and Only Friday the 13th of 2025

June 13, 2025, marks the one and only Friday the 13th of the entire year. No other month in 2025 has the 13th day falling on a Friday—a rare occurrence on the calendar.

So if you’re someone who finds this date a bit unsettling, take comfort in knowing that you won’t encounter another Friday the 13th until 2026—a year that’s expected to have three.

Whether you treat it with caution or simply see it as another ordinary Friday, today offers a unique glimpse into how age-old superstitions still shape our modern traditions and cultural mindset.