Rizal Avenue
Encyclopedia
Rizal Avenue also known as "Avenida" or "Avenida Rizal" is one of Manila
's main thoroughfares. Named after the national hero José Rizal
, it is a part of Radial Road 9
(R-9). The Light Rail Transit
's (LRT) Yellow Line
(LRT-1) elevated railroad is built above the street in its entire length, and several jeepney
s ply the area taking passengers from Caloocan
, Parañaque
and Quezon City
. Most of the street is within the Sta. Cruz district.
(a walking distance from Tayuman Street) and at the south end is the Isetann Carriedo mall. Right before the southern end was the Manila Grand Opera House
, now the Manila Grand Opera Hotel. In front of Isetann is Plaza Lacson
(formerly Plaza Goiti
). The avenue also provides access to the entrance and exit gates of the Manila Chinese Cemetery
. The San Lazaro Compound (which hosts the San Lazaro Hospital, the Dr. Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center and the Department of Health
) and the Espiritu Santo Parish Church are the other landmarks along the avenue.
, the avenue was center of the city's social life, with the street lined with shops, restaurants and movie theaters. The theaters were designed by the prominent architects of the day, many of whom would become National Artists
.
Two National Artists for architecture, Pablo Antonio
and Juan Nakpil
, created several of the movie theaters
along the avenue. Antonio designed the Galaxy, the Ideal, the Scala and the Lyric theaters, while Nakpil designed the Capitol, the Ever and the Avenue theaters. As the years went by, the area was victimized by urbal renewal.
The main culprit of the deterioration of the area was the LRT; the train was to ease traffic in Rizal Avenue and Taft Avenue south of the Pasig River
but it also killed business along the route. The cinemas themselves resorted to showing double feature B-movies and soft porn, as people transferred to the newer and more modern Ortigas Center
and the Ayala Center
.
In 2000, during the mayorship of Lito Atienza
, the stretch from C.M. Recto Avenue to Palanca Street was turned into a pedestrian-only thoroughfare by laying bricks on the road, with the buildings and the LRT painted as part of an urban renewal project. This caused vehicles to use the secondary roads such as Tomas Mapua and Doroteo Jose Streets in order to go to and from Plaza Lacson. The Ideal Theater was previously demolished, the Galaxy, Scala and Lyric theaters are now misused. The first level of the Ever Theater is occupied by stalls, while the upper levels are abandoned. Only the refurbished Capitol Theater, now a dimsum palace, survived the modern times and is still active. The pedetrianization of Rizal Avenue was completed on 2003 and was meant to only last for a short time but it has persisted until 2008.
The Avenue Theater, which survived the Battle of Manila of 1945, was demolished in 2006 to give way to a parking area. The costs of maintaining the facility were too high, as compared for it to be converted as a parking area. The National Historical Institute
(NHI) and several private entities tried to prevent the building from being torn down.
Prevented from running a fourth conservative term as mayor, Atienza's party
nominated his son Ali Atienza for the mayoral race, but he was beaten by then Senator Alfredo Lim
, Atienza's predecessor as mayor (Lim resigned his Senate seat and Atienza was later appointed by President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
as Environment and Natural Resources Secretary). One of Lim's first decisions was to reopen the pedestrian-only section of Rizal Avenue, which has elicited complaints from shopkeepers due to decreased traffic of people, and from commuters which caused traffic jams on secondary streets. Since the cost of the tiles for the pedestrianization was about P
40 each, the tiles had been carefully removed for it to be used in future projects.
On July 17, 2007, Lim attended the ceremony reopening the closed portion of Rizal Avenue, and it has remained open to this day.
stations:
In addition, the LRT Purple Line
(LRT-2) crosses the avenue at C.M. Recto Avenue, and the Recto LRT Station
is a short walk away from the avenue.
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,...
's main thoroughfares. Named after the national hero José Rizal
José Rizal
José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda , was a Filipino polymath, patriot and the most prominent advocate for reform in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is regarded as the foremost Filipino patriot and is listed as one of the national heroes of the Philippines by...
, it is a part of Radial Road 9
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...
(R-9). The Light Rail Transit
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...
's (LRT) Yellow Line
Manila LRT Yellow Line
The Manila LRT Yellow Line is the first metro line of the Manila Light Rail Transit System. Presently, the line contains twenty-two stations and runs over twenty point seven kilometers of fully elevated track...
(LRT-1) elevated railroad is built above the street in its entire length, and several jeepney
Jeepney
Jeepneys are the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They were originally made from US military jeeps left over from World War II and are known for their flamboyant decoration and crowded seating...
s ply the area taking passengers from Caloocan
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...
, Parañaque
Parañaque City
The City of Parañaque , or simply Parañaque , is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila in the Philippines....
and 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...
. Most of the street is within the Sta. Cruz district.
Contemporary landmarks
The LRT-1 stations are the main landmarks of the avenue; there are nine of them at Rizal Avenue. Shopping malls found along the Avenue are Araneta Square, Uniwide Sales, Gotesco Grand Central Mall, SM City San LazaroSM City San Lazaro
SM City San Lazaro is a shopping mall owned and developed by SM Prime Holdings by Henry Sy, Sr It is located in Santa Cruz, Manila, this is the 2nd SM Supermall in the City of Manila after SM City Manila which was opened on April 2000...
(a walking distance from Tayuman Street) and at the south end is the Isetann Carriedo mall. Right before the southern end was the Manila Grand Opera House
Manila Grand Opera House
The Manila Grand Opera House was a theater and opera house located in the Santa Cruz district of Manila on the intersection of Rizal Avenue and Doroteo Jose Street. Built in the mid-19th century as the H.T...
, now the Manila Grand Opera Hotel. In front of Isetann is Plaza Lacson
Arsenio Lacson
Arsenio H. Lacson was a Filipino journalist and politician who gained widespread attention as Mayor of Manila from 1952 to 1962. An active executive likened by Time and The New York Times to New York's Fiorello La Guardia, he was the first Manila mayor to be reelected to three terms...
(formerly Plaza Goiti
Martin de Goiti
Martín de Goiti was a Spanish Basque conquistador and founder of the city of Manila in the Philippines. Martín de Goiti was one of the soldiers who accompanied the Spanish colonization of the East Indies and the Pacific, in 1565. He was the leader of the expedition to Manila, ordered by Miguel...
). The avenue also provides access to the entrance and exit gates of the Manila Chinese Cemetery
Manila Chinese Cemetery
The Manila Chinese Cemetery is the second oldest cemetery in Manila after La Loma Cemetery and was designated as the resting place for the Chinese citizens who were denied burial in Catholic cemeteries during the Spanish colonial period. The cemetery was witness to many executions during World War...
. The San Lazaro Compound (which hosts the San Lazaro Hospital, the Dr. Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center and the Department of Health
Department of Health (Philippines)
The Philippines’ Department of Health is the principal health agency in the Philippines. It is the executive department of the Philippine Government responsible for ensuring access to basic public health services to all Filipinos through the provision of quality health care and the regulation of...
) and the Espiritu Santo Parish Church are the other landmarks along the avenue.
History
Prior to and right after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the avenue was center of the city's social life, with the street lined with shops, restaurants and movie theaters. The theaters were designed by the prominent architects of the day, many of whom would become National Artists
National Artist of the Philippines
A National Artist of the Philippines is a title given to a Filipino who has been given the highest recognition for having made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts...
.
Two National Artists for architecture, Pablo Antonio
Pablo Antonio
Pablo S. Antonio was a Filipino architect. A pioneer of modern Philippine architecture, he was recognized in some quarters as the foremost Filipino modernist architect of his time. He was conferred the rank and title of National Artist of the Philippines by President Ferdinand Marcos in...
and Juan Nakpil
Juan Nakpil
Juan F. Nakpil was a Filipino architect, teacher and a community leader. In 1973, he was named one of the National Artists for architecture, and tapped as the Dean of Filipino Architects....
, created several of the movie theaters
Standalone movie theaters of the Philippines
Art Deco theaters of the Philippines are theaters constructed the 1930s to 1950s built in the style of Art Deco or a branch of the style like Streamline Moderne in the Philippines...
along the avenue. Antonio designed the Galaxy, the Ideal, the Scala and the Lyric theaters, while Nakpil designed the Capitol, the Ever and the Avenue theaters. As the years went by, the area was victimized by urbal renewal.
The main culprit of the deterioration of the area was the LRT; the train was to ease traffic in Rizal Avenue and Taft Avenue south of the Pasig River
Pasig River
The Pasig River is a river in the Philippines that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for , it is lined by Metro Manila on each side...
but it also killed business along the route. The cinemas themselves resorted to showing double feature B-movies and soft porn, as people transferred to the newer and more modern Ortigas Center
Ortigas Center
Ortigas Center is Metro Manila's second most important Philippine financial district-cum-central business district after the Makati Financial and Central Business District in Makati City. With an area of at least 100 hectares, the district is located at the boundaries of Pasig City, Mandaluyong...
and the Ayala Center
Ayala Center
The Ayala Center is a commercial complex operated by Ayala Land Incorporated located in the central business district of Makati in Metro Manila, Philippines.-About the Center:...
.
In 2000, during the mayorship of Lito Atienza
Lito Atienza
Jose Livioko Atienza, Jr. , commonly known by his nickname Lito Atienza, is the former city mayor of Manila and former secretary of the Department of Environment and Resources. He stepped down as mayor of Manila on June 30, 2007, after serving a three-year three-term limit for local government...
, the stretch from C.M. Recto Avenue to Palanca Street was turned into a pedestrian-only thoroughfare by laying bricks on the road, with the buildings and the LRT painted as part of an urban renewal project. This caused vehicles to use the secondary roads such as Tomas Mapua and Doroteo Jose Streets in order to go to and from Plaza Lacson. The Ideal Theater was previously demolished, the Galaxy, Scala and Lyric theaters are now misused. The first level of the Ever Theater is occupied by stalls, while the upper levels are abandoned. Only the refurbished Capitol Theater, now a dimsum palace, survived the modern times and is still active. The pedetrianization of Rizal Avenue was completed on 2003 and was meant to only last for a short time but it has persisted until 2008.
The Avenue Theater, which survived the Battle of Manila of 1945, was demolished in 2006 to give way to a parking area. The costs of maintaining the facility were too high, as compared for it to be converted as a parking area. The National Historical Institute
National Historical Institute (Philippines)
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines is part of the government of the Philippines...
(NHI) and several private entities tried to prevent the building from being torn down.
Prevented from running a fourth conservative term as mayor, Atienza's party
Liberal Party (Philippines)
The Liberal Party of the Philippines is a liberal party in the Philippines, founded by then senators Senate President Manuel Roxas, Senate President Pro-Tempore Elpidio Quirino, and former 9th Senatorial District Senator Jose Avelino, on November 24, 1945 by a breakaway Liberal group from the...
nominated his son Ali Atienza for the mayoral race, but he was beaten by then Senator Alfredo Lim
Alfredo Lim
Alfredo Siojo Lim is the incumbent Mayor of the City of Manila and a former senator of the Philippines. A widower, he first served as mayor of Manila from 1992 to 1998 and returned to that post after winning in the 2007 mayoral election.-Early life and career:Born on December 21, 1929 in 1324 J...
, Atienza's predecessor as mayor (Lim resigned his Senate seat and Atienza was later appointed by President
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...
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
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...
as Environment and Natural Resources Secretary). One of Lim's first decisions was to reopen the pedestrian-only section of Rizal Avenue, which has elicited complaints from shopkeepers due to decreased traffic of people, and from commuters which caused traffic jams on secondary streets. Since the cost of the tiles for the pedestrianization was about P
Philippine peso
The peso is the currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos . Before 1967, the language used on the banknotes and coins was English and so "peso" was the name used...
40 each, the tiles had been carefully removed for it to be used in future projects.
On July 17, 2007, Lim attended the ceremony reopening the closed portion of Rizal Avenue, and it has remained open to this day.
LRT stations along Rizal Avenue
All are Yellow LineManila LRT Yellow Line
The Manila LRT Yellow Line is the first metro line of the Manila Light Rail Transit System. Presently, the line contains twenty-two stations and runs over twenty point seven kilometers of fully elevated track...
stations:
- MonumentoMonumento LRT StationMonumento LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Yellow Line . Like all other LRT-1 stations, Monumento station is above-ground. The station serves the southern portion of Caloocan City, and is named after the most famous landmark of Caloocan, the Monumento Circle, which houses the Bonifacio...
- 5th Avenue5th Avenue LRT Station5th Avenue LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Yellow Line . Like all other LRT-1 stations, 5th Avenue station is above-ground. The station is located in Caloocan City and is located on Rizal Avenue Extension...
- R. PapaR. Papa LRT StationR. Papa LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Yellow Line . Like all other LRT-1 stations, R. Papa station is above-ground. The station serves Tondo in Manila and is located on Rizal Avenue Extension. The station is named after Ricardo Papa Street. The station is the first station in Rizal...
- Abad SantosAbad Santos LRT StationAbad Santos LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Yellow Line . Like all other LRT-1 stations, Abad Santos station is above-ground. The station serves Tondo and Sta. Cruz both in Manila and is located on Rizal Avenue...
- BlumentrittBlumentritt LRT StationBlumentritt LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Yellow Line . Like all other LRT-1 stations, Blumentritt station is above-ground. The station serves Sampaloc in Manila. The station itself is located near Blumentritt Street, which the station was named after...
- TayumanTayuman LRT StationTayuman LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Yellow Line . Like all other LRT-1 stations, Tayuman station is above-ground. The station serves Santa Cruz in Manila and is located at the corner of Rizal Avenue and Tayuman Street...
- BambangBambang LRT StationBambang LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Yellow Line . Like all other LRT-1 stations, Bambang station is above-ground. The station is located in Santa Cruz in Manila, on Rizal Avenue...
- Doroteo JoseDoroteo Jose LRT StationDoroteo Jose LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Yellow Line . Like all other LRT-1 stations, Doroteo Jose station station is above-ground. The station is located in Santa Cruz in Manila, on Rizal Avenue and slightly past Doroteo Jose Street...
- CarriedoCarriedo LRT StationCarriedo LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Yellow Line . Like all other LRT-1 stations, Carriedo station is above-ground. The station is located in Santa Cruz in Manila. The station is named after Carriedo Street, which is near the station...
In addition, the LRT 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...
(LRT-2) crosses the avenue at C.M. Recto Avenue, and the Recto LRT Station
Recto LRT Station
Recto LRT Station is a station on the Manila LRT Purple Line . Recto station is one of the many elevated stations that can be found on the line. The station is located in Santa Cruz in Manila. The station is named after C.M. Recto Avenue, where the station sits above it. The avenue in turn is...
is a short walk away from the avenue.
See also
- Standalone movie theaters of the PhilippinesStandalone movie theaters of the PhilippinesArt Deco theaters of the Philippines are theaters constructed the 1930s to 1950s built in the style of Art Deco or a branch of the style like Streamline Moderne in the Philippines...
- Tondo, ManilaTondo, ManilaTondo is a district of Manila, Philippines. The locale has existed prior to the arrival of the Spanish, referred to as "Tundun" in the Laguna Copperplate Inscription. One of the most densely populated areas of land in the world, Tondo is located in the northwest portion of the city and is primarily...
- Quiapo, ManilaQuiapo, ManilaQuiapo 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...
- University BeltUniversity BeltThe University Belt is the unofficial name of a de facto sub-district in Manila, Philippines. It refers to the area where there is a high concentration or a cluster of colleges and universities in the city....