Santa Ana, Manila
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| City | Manila |
|---|---|
| Population (2007) | 178,769[1] |
| – Density | per km² |
| Area | km² |
| – Barangays | 99[1] |
| – Cong. Districts | 6th District |
Santa Ana is a district of the City of Manila in the Philippines, located at the southeast banks of the Pasig River, bounded on the northeast by Mandaluyong City, Makati City to the east, southwest is the Manila district of Paco, and to the west, Pandacan.
Santa Ana belongs to the 6th congressional district of Manila with thirty-two barangays from Zone 96 to 100, barangays 874 to 905. Based on the 2000 national census, the National Statistics Office reports that Santa Ana has about 34,694 households, and an approximate 83,306 registered voters based on the national elections of 2004.
Etymology
When the Catholic missionaries asked the natives the name of the area, they pointed to the banks of the Pasig River. The locals responded with "sapa" or the Tagalog word for marshes, thinking they were referring to the terrain instead of the place name.
The Franciscan missionaries henceforth dedicated the district to Saint Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and called it Santa Ana de Sapa ("Saint Anne of the Marshes").
History
The original name of Santa Ana before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors was Namayan, a small settlement whose last recorded rulers were Lakan Tagkan or Lacantagean, and his wife Queen Buwan or Bouan ("Moon"). The Muslim kingdom’s domain stretched from what is now Mandaluyong, Makati, Pasay, and the Manila districts of Pandacan and Paco.
The Spaniards established settlements in Santa Ana that served as the seat of Namayan, with the area awarded to the Franciscan missionaries. They were the first to establish a mission beyond the walls of Intramuros, the Spanish colonial seat of power in Manila, in 1578. The church as it stands today was first built in 1720 and is known as the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Abandoned (Nuestra Senora de los Desamparados).[2]
Edmund Roberts visited Santa Ana in 1832, writing about it in his travelogue, Embassy to the Eastern Courts of Cochin-China, Siam, and Muscat.[3]
Attractions
Through community-based heritage tourism, the Lola Grande Foundation and Fundacion Santiago, Sta. Ana Manila was declared as a heritage site. This means that one cannot alter or demolish any structure in the area without securing consent from Gemma Cruz Araneta (former Ms. International), Sylvia Lichauco and the Fundacion Santiago. All three must consent before securing any permits since they have the power to revoke permits. They prohibit any business from setting up in the area. Moreover, it is highly discouraged[citation needed] for anyone to buy a house within the heritage zone since one does not have a right to alter the property.
Lichauco Heritage House
The Lichauco House was declared a heritage house and is open to public for viewing. Any school or organization who wishes to visit the house may do so since it operates on public funding. It opens from 8:00am till 5:00pm. Charges are minimal. Any donation may be helpful in maintaining the house since major repairs are necessary to save it from further deterioration.
References
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Final Results - 2007 Census of Population
- ↑ Visita Iglesia: 8 Old Manila Churches Simbahan.net
- ↑ Roberts, Edmund (1837). Embassy to the Eastern Courts of Cochin-China, Siam, and Muscat. New York: Harper & Brothers. p. 60.
Sources
- "By Sword and Fire: The Destruction of Manila in World War II, 3 February-3 March 1945" by Alphonso J. Aluit (1994) Bookmark, Inc. © 1994 National Commission for Culture and the Arts ISBN 971-569-162-5
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Coordinates: 14°34′48″N 121°00′43″E / 14.580°N 121.012°E