Plaza Dilao

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Plaza Dilao
Public square
WTMP Noel Gonong DSC 0024.JPG
Plaza Dilao and the Paco railway station. The center of the plaza is dominated by a statue of Dom Justo Takayama, who settled here after he was exiled from Japan in 1615.
OwnerCity of Manila
Location Quirino Avenue, Paco
Manila, Philippines
Coordinates: 14°34′51″N120°59′58″E / 14.58083°N 120.99944°E / 14.58083; 120.99944 Coordinates: 14°34′51″N120°59′58″E / 14.58083°N 120.99944°E / 14.58083; 120.99944

Plaza Dilao is a public square in Paco, Manila, bounded by Quirino Avenue to the east, and the rest of the plaza surrounded by the Plaza Dilao Road and Quirino Avenue Extension. The former site of a Spanish colonial era Japanese settlement, [1] it prominently features a memorial commemorating Japanese Roman Catholic kirishitan daimyō Dom Justo Takayama, who settled there in 1615. [2] It is one of two open public spaces in Paco, the other being Paco Park.

Contents

Currently, Plaza Dilao is one of five freedom parks in the City of Manila, where protests and rallies may be held without requiring permission from local authorities. [3]

History

In Spanish colonial times, Paco (originally Dilao) was home to one of two Japanese settlements in Manila, with the other located in San Miguel. [1] While the Japanese community of Plaza Dilao began with Dom Justo Takayama and his family settling in the surrounding area after they were exiled from Japan in 1615, [2] most Japanese in Manila at the time were settled around the area now occupied by the Philippine Normal University. [1] However, in 1762, the Japanese residents of Manila were later relocated here by the Spanish authorities, although after then the community's population began to decline owing to reduced Japanese immigration to the Philippines and Japan's policy of sakoku . [4] It is believed that the presence of the Japanese community around the plaza eventually led it to being called "Plaza Dilao", [5] referring to the yellowish (dilaw in Tagalog) skin tone of the area's inhabitants.

During the American period, Plaza Dilao became a transport center with the construction of the Paco railway station in 1915, directly across from the plaza. During World War II, the area was the site of an intense battle between Japanese and joint Filipino and American forces led by Cleto Rodriguez. [6] The plaza is still considered a transport center today: when former President Joseph Estrada became Mayor of Manila in 2013, he ordered a ban on city buses entering Manila, with buses for a while terminating at the plaza instead of their usual terminus at the Liwasang Bonifacio. [7]

Surrounding buildings and structures

Aside from the Paco railway station, two prominent organizations in the Philippines are headquartered in the immediate vicinity of Plaza Dilao. The Philippine Columbian Association (PCA), the Philippines' oldest sporting club, relocated its headquarters to the plaza on April 1, 1979, [8] while the Asociación de Damas de Filipinas (Ladies' Association of the Philippines) is located close to the plaza along Quirino Avenue Extension, having been located in the same place since its establishment in 1913. [9] The Paco substation of Meralco, a part of the Sucat–Paco–Araneta–Balintawak Transmission Line of National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), is located west of the plaza. The southbound off-ramp of Skyway Stage 3's Plaza Dilao Exit is being currently being constructed around the plaza, particularly along Plaza Dilao Road.

Related Research Articles

Dom Justo Takayama Japanese daimyo and samurai

Justo Takayama Ukon (ジュスト高山右近), born Takayama Hikogorō (高山彦五郎) and also known as Dom Justo Takayama was a Japanese Catholic Kirishitan daimyō and samurai who lived during the Sengoku period that witnessed anti-catholic sentiment. Takayama had been baptized into the faith in 1564 when he was twelve, though over time neglected his faith due to his actions as a samurai. He eventually rekindled his faith just after his coming-of-age ritual near the age of 20. He abandoned his status to devote himself to his faith and was exiled to Manila, where he lived a life of holiness until his death two months later.

Japanese in the Philippines

Japanese settlement in the Philippines or Japanese Filipino, refers to the branch of the Japanese diaspora having historical contact with and having established themselves in what is now the Philippines. This also refers to Filipino citizens of either pure or mixed Japanese descent currently residing in the country, the latter a result of intermarriages between the Japanese and local populations.

Paco, Manila District of Manila in National Capital Region, Philippines

Paco, formerly known as Dilao, is a district of Manila, Philippines located south of the Pasig River, and San Miguel, west of Santa Ana, southwest of Pandacan, north of Malate, northwest of San Andres Bukid, and east of Ermita. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 64,184 people in 13,438 households.

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Pedro Gil Street

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Remedios Circle

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Index of Metro Manila–related articles Wikipedia index

The following is an alphabetical list of articles related to the Philippine capital region of Metro Manila.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Liao, Shubert S.C., ed. (1964). Chinese Participation in Philippine Culture and Economy. Manila: Bookman. p. 155.
  2. 1 2 Tobia-Bulan, Celia H. (2006). Masay: The Untold Story of a Japanese Woman's Heroic Compassion Towards Her Fellowmen. Manila: UST Publishing House. p. 17. ISBN   978-971-506-390-6.
  3. ↑ "Bunye: Designated rally parks uphold right to free expression". GMA News and Public Affairs. May 2, 2006. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  4. ↑ Zaide, Gregorio F. (1957). The Philippines Since Pre-Spanish Times. 2. Manila: Philippine Education Company. p. 293.
  5. ↑ Gamil, Jaymee T. (March 17, 2012). "A samurai lives on in Paco". Philippine Daily Inquirer . Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  6. ↑ Bielakowski, Alexander M., ed. (2013). Ethnic and Racial Minorities in the U.S. Military: An Encyclopedia. 2. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. p. 591. ISBN   978-1-59884-427-6.
  7. ↑ Valdoz, Harmony (August 11, 2013). "Manila bus ban: Of guinea pig commuters and ulterior motives". The Muralla. Manila Times Publishing Corporation . Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  8. ↑ Carlos, Enrique T. (2005). Cutler, Monette T. (ed.). Leaders of the Veterinary Profession in the Philippines: A Profile of Presidents of the Philippine Veterinary Medical Association and Affiliate Veterinary Associations. Georgetown, Texas: Southwestern University. p. 155. ISBN   9719342315.
  9. ↑ "TODAY IN HISTORY: In 1913, the Association de Damas Filipinas was established". TV5 News and Information. September 26, 2011. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
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