San Juan, officially the City of San Juan ( fil, Lungsod ng San Juan), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the

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 ...

. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 126,347 people. It is geographically located at Metro Manila's approximate center and is also the country's smallest city in terms of land area. The city is known historically for the site of the first battle of the

Katipunan The Katipunan, officially known as the Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan or Kataastaasan Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK; en, Supreme and Honorable Association of the Children of the Nation ...

, the organization which led the 1896 Philippine Revolution against the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...

. Notable landmarks today such as Pinaglabanan Shrine and heritage homes are located in the city. Other locations include Greenhills and Santolan Town Plaza, making the city a major shopping hub with a range of upscale, boutique and bargain retail.

Etymology

"San Juan" is a contraction of the city's traditional name of "San Juan del Monte" (). As with numerous other places in the Philippines, the name combines a

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

and a

toponym Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of '' toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...

; in this case Saint

John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

with the locale's hilly terrain and relatively higher elevation compared to surrounding areas. The city's official name is "Dakilang Lungsód ng San Juan" ().

History

Pre-colonial and colonial era

During the pre-Hispanic period, the area of what is now San Juan was a part of the Kingdom of Namayan, whose last recorded rulers were King Lacantagean and his

consort __NOTOC__ Consort may refer to: Music * "The Consort" (Rufus Wainwright song), from the 2000 album ''Poses'' * Consort of instruments, term for instrumental ensembles * Consort song (musical), a characteristic English song form, late 16th–earl ...

, Bouan. In the late 16th century, the kingdom and other polities in the islands were absorbed into the Spanish Crown, with the realm of Namayan christened as the

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

of ''Santa Ana de Sapa''. (present-day Santa Ana,

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 populate ...

) The present area of San Juan was meanwhile re-classified as the small '' encomienda'' (town) of San Juan del Monte in 1590. In 1602, along the Camino de Mandaluyong (now F. Blumentritt Street), the

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of ...

built a novitiate house in the town for their immediate use, where ageing or convalescing

friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the ...

s stayed. Within the area, the Dominicians also constructed a

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglic ...

and a stone church, the Santuario del Santo Cristo, dedicating it to the Holy Cross. To this day, the thrice-rebuilt church stands on the same site, adjacent to Aquinas School and Dominican College. Given the isolation that the town had from the city of

, the colonial government decided to establish a heavily fortified

gunpowder magazine A gunpowder magazine is a magazine (building) designed to store the explosive gunpowder in wooden barrels for safety. Gunpowder, until superseded, was a universal explosive used in the military and for civil engineering: both applications ...

called the ''Almacén de Pólvora'' (also known as ''El Polvorín'') in San Juan del Monte in 1771. The gunpowder magazine (located at present-day San Juan Elementary School) was situated along the banks of the Salapang River (now known as Salapán Creek), with access provided by the Camino de Mariquina (now N. Domingo Street), which connected Manila and the nearby barrio of

Santa Mesa Santa Mesa is a district in Manila, Philippines. It is surrounded by Pasig River on the southwestern side, and by the San Juan River on its southern and eastern side. Land borders include the districts of San Miguel to the west and Sampaloc t ...

across the San Juan River Bridge to the ''

pueblo In the Southwestern United States, Pueblo (capitalized) refers to the Native tribes of Puebloans having fixed-location communities with permanent buildings which also are called pueblos (lowercased). The Spanish explorers of northern New Spain ...

'' of Mariquina (now Marikina).

Municipality established

In 1783, San Juan del Monte was promoted to a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

, separating it from the Santa Ana Parish and giving it its own local government as a barrio of the Province of Manila. As a result, the old '' poblacion'' at Santuario del Santo Cristo was moved to the Camino de Mariquina, where a new municipal hall and a town plaza (now the San Juan Plaza Mayor) was constructed. In 1892, Father Bernardino Nozaleda, the

Archbishop of Manila The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila ( lat, Archidioecesis Manilensis; fil, Arkidiyosesis ng Maynilà; es, Arquidiócesis de Manila) is the archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in Metro Manila, Philippines, encompassing ...

, approved the creation of a new parish for the municipality of San Juan del Monte, with the

Franciscans , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

establishing the San Juan Bautista Church (now Pinaglabanan Church) and a parochial house in the area now known as Pinaglabanan Street.

Philippine Revolution

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When the Philippine Revolution against Spain broke out in August 1896, the

revolutionaries led by Andrés Bonifacio and his aide

Emilio Jacinto Emilio Jacinto y Dizon (; December 15, 1875 – April 16, 1899) was a Filipino general during the Philippine Revolution. He was one of the highest-ranking officers in the Philippine Revolution and was one of the highest-ranking officers of the ...

made their way from Pugad Lawin in Kalookan (now Caloocan, part of

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,960,048 people. It was fou ...

) to attack the ''El Polvorín'' and its military garrison in San Juan del Monte on the morning of August 30, 1896. Defended by a hundred Spanish troops consisting of

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

and

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

, the Katipuneros were able to eliminate the garrison commander and an artilleryman, forcing the remaining Spanish troops to retreat to the nearby El Deposito water

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

near the San Juan Bautista Church. Sustaining heavy losses, the Katipuneros were unable to capture El Polvorín, and retreated south towards Mandaluyong, where Bonifacio reorganized the surviving Katipuneros and issued a war manifesto, leading Katipuneros in other places to organize Filipinos to rise up in arms against the colonial government as revolts spread all across the archipelago.

Outbreak of the Philippine-American War

Following the end of the Philippine Revolution and the

Treaty of Paris Treaty of Paris may refer to one of many treaties signed in Paris, France: Treaties 1200s and 1300s * Treaty of Paris (1229), which ended the Albigensian Crusade * Treaty of Paris (1259), between Henry III of England and Louis IX of France * Trea ...

in 1898 that seceded the Philippines to the

United States 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 territori ...

, the

First Philippine Republic The Philippine Republic ( es, República Filipina), now officially known as the First Philippine Republic, also referred to by historians as the Malolos Republic, was established in Malolos, Bulacan during the Philippine Revolution against ...

that succeeded the Katipunan distrusted the occupying American forces that were arriving in droves, with both sides wanting to engage in combat. On the morning of February 4, 1899, Filipino troops from the 4th Company of the Morong Battalion under Captain Serapio Narvaez were fired upon by American troops of the 1st Nebraska Infantry Regiment from their defense line on the

side (now part of Sampaloc). The first shot was exchanged by Private William W. Grayson, an American sentry from the 1st Nebraska Infantry Regiment of the United States Volunteer Army, who killed Filipino corporal Anastacio Felix and another Filipino soldier of the Philippine Revolutionary Army, firing the first shot of the Philippine–American War. This prompted lines of Filipino troops in San Juan del Monte to open fire at the line of American troops in Santa Mesa. The first shot was previously believed to have been exchanged at the San Juan River Bridge until studies by Filipino historian Benito J. Legarda concluded that the shot was not fired at the bridge, but was instead fired at what is now the corner of Sociego Street and Silencio Street in Santa Mesa. Throughout the war, the Oregon Regiment of the United States Volunteer Army carried out multiple skirmishes against militias and soldiers of the First Philippine Republic in towns along the Camino de Mariquina, where they had cleared out Filipino forces at the ''El Deposito'' reservoir, its pumping station road (now Pinaglabanan Street, part of Santolan Road), and the santuario. As a result of the war, many of the original residents of San Juan del Monte evacuated en masse, permanently settling in neighboring towns. This led to many lots becoming abandoned, causing a local

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

epidemic with many casualties.

American colonial era

Following the end of the Philippine-American War, the Dominicans returned to the municipality to establish their ownership of the Santo Cristo hacienda before the new American colonial government. As a result, much of San Juan del Monte was being leased to the municipal government by Dominican hacienda owners until it was eventually purchased by the municipal government. In 1901, the municipality was incorporated into the new Province of Rizal through Act No. 137, with former Katipunan San Juan chapter ''sanggunian'' Andres Soriano serving as its first municipal president. In 1903, it was merged into the municipality of San Felipe Neri (present-day Mandaluyong) through Act No. 942 of the

Taft Commission The Taft Commission, also known as the Second Philippine Commission (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Ikalawang Komisyon ng Pilipinas''), was established by United States President William McKinley on March 16, 1900, following the recommendations ...

. In 1907, San Juan del Monte was reconstituted as an independent municipality through Act No. 1625, 0727jfN

In 1916, the municipal government purchased the land along the intersection of N. Domingo and F. Blumentritt Streets, where the town market (present-day Agora Market) was located. Likewise, in 1919, businessmen Eusebio Orense and Florencio G. Diaz purchased a great bulk of the remaining hacienda lands, selling it to a Filipino-American consortium developing the San Juan Heights, a series of new subdivision developments all across the area. It was around this time that the municipality's name was contracted to San Juan. Between 1939 to 1941, the barrios of Cubao, Diliman, and

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

, as well as Camp Crame, were ceded from San Juan to the newly established

. On January 1, 1942, San Juan was one of the municipalities of Rizal merged alongside Manila and Quezon City to form the

City of Greater Manila The City of Greater Manila, also known simply as Greater Manila and sometimes Greater Manila Area (GMA), was a chartered city which existed during the World War II era. It was governed by the Commonwealth of the Philippines and was dissolved by ...

as an emergency measure by President Manuel L. Quezon. It became a municipality of Rizal once again when the City of Greater Manila was dissolved by President

Sergio Osmeña Sergio Osmeña Sr. (, ; 9 September 1878 – 19 October 1961) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the fourth president of the Philippines from 1944 to 1946. He was vice president under Manuel L. Quezon. Upon Quezon's sudd ...

effective August 1, 1945.

Martial law era

San Juan, especially its exclusive subdivisions in Greenhills, was home to many prominent personalities during the country's Martial Law era under President Ferdinand Marcos. This included several

Armed Forces of the Philippines The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ( fil, Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). The ...

generals, including Romeo Espino, Alfredo Montoya, and Romeo Gatan, who would later be tagged as members of the " Rolex 12"; Imelda Marcos’ secretary Fe Jimenez Roa; Presidential Assistant on Legal Affairs

Ronaldo Zamora Ronaldo "Ronny" Bayan Zamora (born December 4, 1944) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who previously served as representative of the lone district of San Juan. He topped the bar exams in 1969 and was among the Ten Outstanding Young Men of th ...

, who would later become a congressman for the lone congressional district of San Juan; San Juan Mayor Joseph Estrada, who would later become President of the Philippines; and prominent journalist

Maximo Soliven Maximo Villaflor Soliven (September 4, 1929 – November 24, 2006) was a Filipino journalist and newspaper publisher. In a career spanning six decades, he founded the '' Philippine Star'' and served as its publisher until his death. Backgr ...

, who was imprisoned when President Marcos first declared Martial Law in September 1972.

Incorporation into Metro Manila

When Presidential Decree No. 824 establishing the National Capital Region was signed on November 7, 1975, San Juan was among the towns excised from Rizal Province into the newly created metropolitan area.

People Power Revolution

Club Filipino Club Filipino (pronounced ''klub'') was the first exclusive social club in the Philippines, founded on November 6, 1898 by Filipino high society, including Spanish ''mestizos'' and members of the native aristocracy. It is located between North Gr ...

, which had relocated to San Juan in 1970 from its original location in Santa Mesa, became an important part of the establishment of the Fifth Philippine Republic when President Corazon Aquino was inaugurated there on February 25, 1986, the last day of the civilian-led 1986 People Power Revolution.

Contemporary era

In 1992, San Juan had the least number of informal settler families out of all the municipalities and cities in Metro Manila based on data from the National Housing Authority.

Cityhood

Residents ratified the conversion of the municipality into a highly urbanized city on June 17, 2007, pursuant to Republic Act No. 9388 ("An Act Converting the Municipality of San Juan into a Highly Urbanized City to be known as the City of San Juan"). Then-

Representative Representative may refer to: Politics * Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people * House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities * Legislator, som ...

Ronaldo Zamora sponsored the Cityhood Bill in the House of Representatives and worked for its approval.

Presidential ties

Although not officially designated as such, San Juan is noted to be the "City of Philippine Presidents." Four presidents since the Third Republic were official residents of San Juan when they assumed office. They were the Macapagal ''père et fille'', Diosdado (1961–1965) and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (2001–2010); Ferdinand Marcos (1965–1986); and Joseph Estrada (1998–2001), who also served as Mayor when San Juan was still a municipality.

Geography

San Juan is the least-extensive city in the Philippines with a total area of just . San Juan is bounded by

on the north and east, Mandaluyong on the south, and the

City 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 ...

in the west. The territory of San Juan was once much larger than it is now, extending all the way to what is now Caloocan. Parts of the present-day Districts 1, 4 and 6 of

as well as areas of Mandaluyong were originally within the town's colonial-era borders. This also explains why San Juan Reservoir is in nearby Horseshoe Village, a subdivision now part of Quezon City.

Climate

Barangays

San Juan is politically subdivided and comprises into 21

barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolita ...

s organized into two congressional districts: , , style="text-align:center;" , 2 , , style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="" , June 24 , style="text-align:center;" , 1 , , style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="" , Tuesday before Ash Wednesday , style="text-align:center;" , 1 , , style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="" , June 24 , style="text-align:center;" , 1 , , style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="" , June 8 , style="text-align:center;" , 1 , , style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="" , June 24 , style="text-align:center;" , 2 , , style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="" , June 24 , style="text-align:center;" , 2 , , style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="" , September 14 , style="text-align:center;" , 2 , , style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="" , May 3 , style="text-align:center;" , 2 , , style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="" , May 1,
Second Sunday of May , style="text-align:center;" , 2 , , style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="" , Last Sunday of January , style="text-align:center;" , 2 , , style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="" , November 30 , style="text-align:center;" , 1 , , style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="" , May 14–15 , style="text-align:center;" , 1 , , style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="" , December 12 , style="text-align:center;" , 1 , , style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="" , July 25 , style="text-align:center;" , 1 , , style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="" , Third Sunday of October , style="text-align:center;" , 2 , , style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="" , March 19 , style="text-align:center;" , 1 , , style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="" , August 15 , style="text-align:center;" , 1 , , style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="" , January 18 , style="text-align:center;" , 2 , , style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="" , Second Sunday of December , style="text-align:center;" , 2 , , style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="" , June 24 , style="text-align:center;" , 2 , , style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="" , December 8

Demographics

Religion

SaintJohntheBaptistParishChurchjf3002 05

The city also has several notable places of worship. Saint John the Baptist Parish, more commonly known as "''Pinaglabanan'' Church", is where the city's patron saint,

, is enshrined. The Santuario del Santo Cristo is the settlement's oldest existing church, while Mary the Queen Parish in West Greenhills serves the local Filipino-Chinese community. From 1925 to 1971, the Iglesia ni Cristo once headquartered in the town at its former Central Office Complex, now known as the Locale of F. Manalo. It features Art-Deco designed ensembles, crafted by National Artist for Architecture Juan Nakpil. The chapel is the centerpiece of the Complex, which also contains the old Central Office and Pastoral House which was the home of the church's first Executive Minister, ''Ka''

Felix Manalo Felix Manalo Ysagun (born Félix Ysagun y Manalo; May 10, 1886 – April 12, 1963), also known as Ka Felix, was the founder and the first Executive Minister of Iglesia ni Cristo. Followers see Manalo as a prophet and the last messenger of G ...

, along with other Ministers and Evangelical Workers. When Manalo died in 1963, a mausoleum was constructed on the grounds of the Complex by architect Carlos Santos-Viola. San Juan also has a number of Evangelical churches. Through the APOI (Association of Pastors for Outreach and Intercession), they have contributed to the spiritual atmosphere of the city. Every January, the city celebrates the National Bible Week, where the reading of the Scripture happens during the flag raising ceremony in the City Hall. Through the blessing of the mayor, a bible was planted in the heart of the new city hall during its construction. Major evangelical churches like

Jesus is Lord "Jesus is Lord" (Greek: κύριος Ἰησοῦς, ''kyrios Iesous'') is the shortest credal affirmation found in the New Testament, one of several slightly more elaborate variations. It serves as a statement of faith for the majority of Chri ...

and Victory Greenhills are also found in the city of San Juan. San Juan is also home to two Islamic

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

s, namely: Masjid Hamza Bin Ahmed in Balong-Bato and Greenhills Masjid at Greenhills Shopping Center.

Economy

The Greenhills Shopping Center is the hub of trade and commerce in San Juan. The shopping complex housed shopping malls, the Virra Mall, Shoppesville, Greenhills Theater Mall, Promenade Mall, the former Greenhills Bowling Alley, and Unimart.

Culture

Wattah! Wattah! Festival

Since 2003, San Juan City celebrates the

feast A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes i ...

of its

, St.

every June 24 with its Wattah Wattah Festival, a festival with dancing, parades, and its traditional ''basaan'' or water dousing along the city streets. The festival and its activities are usually held along N. Domingo Street and Pinaglabanan Street as the procession of the image of St. John the Baptist goes down the streets. San Juan City Ordinance No. 51 series of 2018 prohibits dirty water, ice, water in glass bottles, and water or ice in other materials that will incite pain or injury upon impact from being used in the festival. Physical violence, inciting of threats, and deliberately entering

public transport Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typi ...

vehicles to douse commuters is also not allowed. However, in 2020 and 2021, due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, the festival was reduced to a parade of the image of St. John the Baptist with

social distancing In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious dis ...

and mask mandates in place. In 2022, due to a lower number of COVID-19 cases, the traditional ''basaan'' was included again in the Wattah! Wattah! Festival, accompanied by a street dancing competition, a free concert, and a fireworks display.

Transportation

Modes of public transportation in San Juan include

jeepney Jeepneys (), sometimes called jeeps (), are minibus-like public transportation, public utility vehicles, serving as the most popular means of Transportation in the Philippines, public transportation in the Philippines. They are known for their ...

s and buses. Jeepney routes ply the Aurora Boulevard (R-6). The city is serviced by J. Ruiz station of the LRT Line 2 in the city proper and indirectly served by Santolan-Annapolis station of the MRT Line 3, at the city's eastern boundary with Quezon City. The C-3 (Araneta Avenue) also passes through San Juan. Secondary routes include Nicanor Domingo (abbreviated N. Domingo), which heads towards Cubao in

, and Pinaglabanan Street (which continues as Santolan Road) leading towards

Ortigas Avenue Ortigas Avenue is a highway running from eastern Metro Manila to western Rizal in the Philippines. It is one of the busiest highways in Metro Manila, serving as the main thoroughfare of the metro's east–west corridor, catering m ...

and eventually the southern reaches of Quezon City near Camp Crame, the headquarters of the Philippine National Police.

Education

The Schools Divisions Office (SDO) of San Juan City oversees 9 public elementary schools, 2 public high schools, and a science high school within the city. The SDO also recognizes 24

private schools An independent school is independent in its finances and governance. Also known as private schools, non-governmental, privately funded, or non-state schools, they are not administered by local, state or national governments. In British Eng ...

in San Juan City, seven of which are preschools, four of which are elementary schools, and 13 of which are high schools. Public higher education is offered by the state Polytechnic University of the Philippines, which maintains its San Juan campus in Barangay Addition Hills. Private higher education is offered by the Dominican College in Barangay Tibagan, one of the oldest schools in the city, having been established in 1924. The city also has two culinary schools, namely the Center for Asian Culinary Studies in Barangay Pasadena and the Istituto Culinario in Barangay Greenhills.

Notable personalities

* Alfred Vargas, actor and Quezon City 5th district councilor * Bongbong Marcos, 17th

President of the Philippines The president of the Philippines ( fil, Pangulo ng Pilipinas, sometimes referred to as ''Presidente ng Pilipinas'') is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of t ...

, former senator, former Ilocos Norte governor, and former representative of Ilocos Norte 2nd District *

Chris Tiu Christopher John Alandy-Dy Tiu (born July 15, 1985) is a Filipino former professional basketball player who is currently a television presenter. He played college basketball for the Ateneo Blue Eagles with whom he won the UAAP title in 2008. He ...

, TV host and basketball player *

Don Allado Don Carlos Armand Crisostomo Allado (born June 10, 1977) is a Filipino basketball coach, former professional player, and politician. A power forward, he played college basketball for the De La Salle Green Archers, where he won back-to-back U ...

, basketball player and coach, San Juan councilor *

Edu Manzano Eduardo "Edu" Manzano (; born September 14, 1955) is a Filipino-American actor, fashion model, TV commercial model, comedian, politician, United States Air Force veteran and television game host. He was previously the host of game shows ''The We ...

, former

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 ...

vice mayor, actor and former US Military officer * Eraño Manalo, Iglesia ni Cristo Executive Minister (1963–2009) * Ferdinand Marcos, 10th

, 3rd Prime Minister of the Philippines, 11th

President of the Senate of the Philippines The president of the Senate of the Philippines ( fil, pangulo ng Mataas na Kapulungan ng Pilipinas or ), commonly known as the Senate president, is the presiding officer and the highest-ranking official of the Senate of the Philippines, and thir ...

, former representative of Ilocos Norte 2nd District * Francis Zamora, former San Juan Vice Mayor and incumbent San Juan Mayor (since 2019) * Franklin Drilon, senator *

Gabby Concepcion Gabriel Arellano Concepcion (born 5 November 1964) is a Filipino actor, singer and businessman. He began his show business career in the 1980s as a teen commercial model and is known for his debonair career in Philippine cinema, spanning severa ...

, actor, singer, businessman *

Grace Poe Mary Grace Natividad Sonora Poe-Llamanzares (baptized September 3, 1968) is a Filipino politician, businesswoman, educator, and philanthropist serving as a senator since 2013. She was the chairperson of the Movie and Television Review and Clas ...

, senator and former MTRCB chairperson *

Imee Marcos Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios "Imee" Romualdez Marcos (; born November 12, 1955) is a Filipina politician and former actress serving as a Senator since 2019. She is the daughter of Ferdinand Marcos and former first lady Imelda Marcos and the o ...

, senator, former Ilocos Norte 2nd District representative *

Irene Marcos Irene Romualdez Marcos-Araneta (; born Maria Irene Celestina Romualdez Marcos; September 16, 1960) is the third child of the late former president Ferdinand Marcos and former first lady Imelda Marcos. Irene Marcos's presence is known as being "t ...

, daughter of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and Imelda Marcos *

Imelda Marcos Imelda Romualdez Marcos (; born Imelda Remedios Visitacion Trinidad Romualdez; July 2, 1929) is a Filipino politician who served as the First Lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, wielding significant political power during the dictato ...

, former First Lady and former Governor of Metro Manila * Jake Ejercito, actor *

James Yap James Carlos Agravante Yap Sr. (born February 15, 1982) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Known by his nickname Big Game James, he had played for ...

, basketball player, San Juan councilor *

Janella Salvador Janella Maxine Desiderio Salvador (; born March 30, 1998) is a Filipino actress and singer. Debuting in the hit morning drama ''Be Careful with My Heart'' (2012–2014), she followed with leading roles in ''Oh My G!'' (2015), Jun Lana's '' Haun ...

, actress singer artist * Jaymee Joaquin, former TV host * Jinggoy Estrada, senator, former San Juan Mayor, and actor *

Joross Gamboa John Ross Sanchez Gamboa (born November 28, 1984), known professionally as Joross Gamboa, is a Filipino actor and model who was a 2nd runner-up in the 1st season of Star Circle Quest. Career After four years of being with ABS-CBN Star Magic, ''J ...

, actor * Joseph Estrada, 13th

, 9th Vice President of the Philippines, 26th Mayor of Manila, 14th San Juan Mayor, actor * JV Ejercito, senator, former San Juan Mayor * Ericka Villongco, singer and actress * Krissy Villongco, singer * Luis Manzano, actor and TV host * Max Soliven, journalist, newspaper publisher, founder of

The Philippine Star ''The Philippine Star'' (self-styled ''The Philippine STAR'') is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines and the flagship brand of the Philstar Media Group. First published on July 28, 1986, by veteran journalists Betty Go-Belmonte, ...

* Ophelia Dimalanta, poet, editor, author, and teacher * Paul Artadi, basketball player and San Juan District 1 councilor *

Philip Cezar Philip Dudley Cezar (born December 1, 1952) is a Filipino former basketball coach, player and politician. Known by the monikers "Mr. Stretch", "''Tapal'' King" and "The Scholar", he was part of the fabled Crispa Redmanizers ballclub of the Phil ...

, PBA Player aka "Tapal King", San Juan vice mayor (1992-2001), and current basketball coach *

, former congressman of lone district of San Juan and San Juan–Mandaluyong * Teofisto Guingona Jr., 11th Vice President of the Philippines * Yasmien Kurdi, actress

Sister cities

Local

* Davao City * Iloilo City

International

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the juri ...

, United States *

Maui, Hawaii The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, whic ...

, United States *

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Co ...

, United States

Gallery

City of San Juan Government Center - side view (Pinaglabanan, San Juan; 12-09-2019).jpg, The San Juan Government Center along Pinaglabanan Street in Barangay Corazon de Jesus San Juan, Metro Manila (2344411253).jpg, Santuario del Santo Cristo 02076jfSan Juan Del Monte Presidencia Hospital Barangays Progeso Rivera San Juan Cityfvf 04.jpg, The old municipal hall of San Juan, with the San Juan Medical Center in the background. Vmalljf.JPG, Virra Mall, one of many shopping areas in the Greenhills mixed-use development. Greenhills Shopping Center (35106417321).jpg, The ''tiangge'' area of the Greenhills Shopping Center in Barangay Greenhills. 01793jfMuseo Katipunan Pinaglabanan Shrine Barangays City of San Juanfvf 01.jpg, The Museo ng Katipunan located at Pinaglabanan Shrine. 02052jfErmitaño Linear Park Creek N. Domingo Street San Juan Metro Manilafvf 24.jpg, Commercial establishments along the city's main road, Nicanor Domingo Street. Xavier School Greenhills - panoramio.jpg, A panoramic view of San Juan from

Xavier School English: ''Let your light shine!'' , religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic (Jesuit) , established = , founders = , president = Fr. Aristotle Dy, SJ , chairman = Johnip Cua , administrator = , re ...

Greenhills.

References

External links

* * Philippine Standard Geographic Code* {{Authority control Cities in Metro Manila 1623 establishments in the Philippines Highly urbanized cities in the Philippines Populated places established in 1623