Malate is a district of
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. Together with the district of
Ermita, it serves as Manila's center for commerce and tourism.
Etymology
The name ''Malate'' is believed to be derived from a corruption of the
Tagalog
Tagalog may refer to:
Language
* Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines
** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language
** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language
* Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Taga ...
word ''maalat'' ("salty"). Legends known that when two Spanish soldiers asked a woman about the name of the place, the lady's little brother, tasted salt, shouted "Maalat, Ate!" ("Sister, it is salty!"). The Spanish man misheard it, and used the words as the place's name. However this a common modern Filipino 'folk etymology' mechanism (and commonly employed into many Philippine place name etymologies today) and has no historical basis (eg. the term "ate" was not adopted into Tagalog vernacular from
Minnan "achi" until much later into the 19th c).
The actual origin of Malate indeed came from "maalat" but for geographical reasons. Antonio Morga writing in 1609: "Manila has two drives for recreation. One is by land, along the point called Nuestra Señora de Guia. It extends for about a legua along the shore, and is very clean and level. Thence it passes through a native street and settlement, called Bagunbayan, to a chapel, much frequented by the devout, called Nuestra Señora de Guia, and continues for a goodly distance further to a monastery and mission-house of the Augustinians, called Mahalat."
Rizal who republished Morga's account, later annotated: "Better, Maalat. The Spaniards pronounced this later Malate. There lived the chief Tagáls after they were deprived of their houses in
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...
, among whom were the families of Raja Matanda and Raja Soliman. San Augustín says that even in his day many of the ancient nobility dwelt there, and that they were very urbane and cultured. "The Men hold various positions in Manila, and certain occupations in some of the local public functions. The women make excellent lace, in which they are so skilful that the Dutch women cannot surpass them." This is still true of the women."
''Maalat'' most likely was referring to the brackish waters, where the river estuary (in today's Malate Estero) meets the bay; named most likely used way before arrival of the Spanish.
History
Malate was thought of as the place where the kings/high chiefs of Manila settled after losing their fort "Maynila" (now
Intramuros
Intramuros (Latin for "inside the walls") is the historic walled area within the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is administered by the Intramuros Administration with the help of the city government of Manila.
Present-day ...
) to the Spanish in 1571.
During most of the Spanish colonial period, Malate was an open space with a small fishing village. During the
Spanish period, the center of activity was the Malate Church, dedicated to Our Lady of Remedies. It was bordered by Pasay to the south,
San Andres Bukid to the east, shores of Manila Bay to the west,
Paco to the northeast,
Makati
Makati ( ), officially the City of Makati ( fil, Lungsod ng Makati), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines.
Makati is the financial center of the Philippines; it has the highest concentration ...
to the southeast, and
Ermita to the north.
After the
United States of America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
annexed the islands in 1898 as a consequence of the
Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (clock ...
, American urban planners envisioned the development of Malate as the newest and trendiest exclusive residential area for American families. American expatriates and some of the old Spanish
mestizo
(; ; fem. ) is a term used for racial classification to refer to a person of mixed European and Indigenous American ancestry. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturally European even though thei ...
families populated the district in modern high rise apartments and bungalows. In 1901, with the chartering of the city of Manila, Malate would be absorbed by the city of Manila when its borders were extended outside Intramuros.
Despite extensive damage after the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, many homes and buildings were still standing. The displaced wealthy families who evacuated their homes during the war returned and re-built their private villas and kept the whole district exclusively residential until the 1970s.
The once exclusive residential areas in western Malate began to transform into a commercial area with some large homes and residential apartments being converted into small hotels, specialty restaurants and cafes.
During the presidency of
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...
, visual and performing artists found a haven in Malate and it became a bohemian enclave.
List of Barangays
Accessibility
The district can be directly accessed by the main roads like the
Roxas Boulevard,
Quirino Avenue and
Taft Avenue
Taft Avenue ( fil, Abenida Taft; es, Avenida Taft) is a major road in the south of Metro Manila. It passes through three cities in the metropolis: Manila, Pasay and Parañaque. The road was named after the former Governor-General of the Philippin ...
.
The
Light Rail Transit LRT Line 1 (LRT-1) follows Taft Avenue and stops at two stations located in Malate,
Vito Cruz and
Quirino
Quirino, officially the Province of Quirino ( ilo, Probinsia ti Quirino; tl, Lalawigan ng Quirino), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Cabarroguis. It is named after Elp ...
stations.
Economy
Government offices
Agencies like the
Department of Finance (DOF), the
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and lending institution
LandBank of the Philippines are headquartered in the district, whilst the National Naval Command Headquarters of the
Philippine Navy
The Philippine Navy (PN) ( tgl, Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas, , Sea Army of the Philippines) ( es, Armada de Filipinas, , Ejército del Mar de las Filipinas) is the naval warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It has an ...
is at the boundary limits of Manila and the city of
Pasay
Pasay, officially the City of Pasay ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasay; ), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 440,656 people.
Due to its location jus ...
along Roxas Boulevard. The
Bureau of Plant Industry is also headquartered in the district.
The
Apostolic Nunciature to the Philippines is located in the district along Taft Avenue near Quirino Avenue. This serves as the residence of the
Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
during visits in the country.
Facilities
In the 1990s, Malate and the nearby district of
Ermita had been "cleaned-up" and big businesses and resort hotels have sprouted in the district.
Harrison Plaza
Harrison Plaza (HP) was a shopping mall situated along Harrison Avenue corner Pablo Ocampo Street in the district of Malate in Manila, Philippines. Opened in 1976 and closed in 2019, it was the first modern and major shopping mall located in t ...
, Manila's first enclosed modern mall, was located in the Malate district.
There is one public hospital, the
Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center, located at the corner of
Roxas Boulevard and
Quirino Avenue.
Recreation
The district is also home to the Philippine's first sports stadium, the
Rizal Memorial Sports Complex
The Rizal Memorial Sports Complex (RMSC; formerly known as Rizal Memorial Field) is a national sports complex of the Philippines, located on Pablo Ocampo St. (formerly Vito Cruz St.), Malate, Manila. It is named in honor of the country's national ...
and the country's premiere zoological park, the
Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden. Promenades and parks by the Manila Bay have been made more convenient and safe with the opening of the Manila Baywalk area and the renovated
Plaza Rajah Sulayman
Plaza Rajah Sulayman, also known as Rajah Sulayman Park, is a public square in Malate, Manila. It is bounded by Roxas Boulevard to the west, San Andres Street to the south, and Remedios Street to the north. The plaza is considered the center of Ma ...
. A portion of the
Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex also lies within the district.
The district contains a
red-light district
A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are partic ...
.
A
Koreatown
A Koreatown ( Korean: 코리아타운), also known as a Little Korea or Little Seoul, is a Korean-dominated ethnic enclave within a city or metropolitan area outside the Korean Peninsula.
History
Koreatowns as an East Asian ethnic enclave have ...
could also be found in the district.
Education and scholarly activity
Education in Malate is mostly provided by private schools. Several educational institutions which are part of the
University Belt are located in Malate, these are the
De La Salle University
De La Salle University ( fil, Pamantasang De La Salle or Unibersidad ng De La Salle), also referred to as DLSU, De La Salle or La Salle, is a private university, private, Catholic Church, Catholic coeducational research university run by the I ...
,
De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde,
Philippine Christian University,
Philippine Women's University
The Philippine Women's University (PWU) is a tertiary education school which has its main campus in Manila, Philippines. An institution exclusive for girls from its inception until the 1970s, the PWU admits both women and men as its students.
...
,
St. Paul University Manila and
St. Scholastica's College Manila. Prominent secondary schools in Malate are the Jesus Reigns Christian Academy,
Jose Abad Santos Memorial School and the
Malate Catholic School
Malate Catholic School (Paaralang Katoliko ng Malate or MCS) is a private catholic gender-isolated K to 12 school in Malate Metro Manila Philippines established in 1917. It is accredited by PAASCU.
History
1588
* The Augustinians from Spain e ...
. Doña Aurora Quezon Elementary School is the only public school in the district.
Notable residents
*
Carlos Yulo
*
Tina Monzon-Palma
*
Herminio A. Astorga
*
Piolo Pascual
*
Inigo Pascual
*
Michael V.
Beethoven Del Valle Bunagan (born December 17, 1969), known professionally as Michael V. and also known as Bitoy, is a Filipino actor, comedian, and recording artist, who appears in the GMA Network show '' Bubble Gang'' and '' Pepito Manalot ...
*
Kim Atienza
Alejandro Ilagan Atienza (; born January 24, 1967), known professionally as Kim Atienza or Kuya Kim, is a Filipino television host, actor, weather anchor, YouTube vlogger and former politician. He is formerly a resident weather anchor in ABS-C ...
Gallery
File:Malate Church facade.jpg, Malate Church
File:Remedios Circle Manila.jpg, Remedios Circle
Remedios Circle, also known as the Plaza de la Virgen de los Remedios, Remedios Rotonda, and Rotary Circle, is a traffic circle in Malate, Manila in the Philippines, serving as the intersection between Remedios Street, Jorge Bocobo Street and Adria ...
Rajah Sulayman Park (Malate, Manila; 02-06-2021).jpg, Plaza Rajah Sulayman
Plaza Rajah Sulayman, also known as Rajah Sulayman Park, is a public square in Malate, Manila. It is bounded by Roxas Boulevard to the west, San Andres Street to the south, and Remedios Street to the north. The plaza is considered the center of Ma ...
File:05402jfQuirino Avenue Barangays Malate Manila Medical Centerfvf 04.jpg, Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center
Notes
*''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
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Districts of Manila
Red-light districts in the Philippines