Baseco, also known as the Baseco Compound or Barangay 649, Zone 68, is a

barangay The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...

in Port Area,

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

. It largely consists of Engineer's Island.

History

Philippine Island - Manila - NARA - 68156516

The land which covers Baseco today was once the location of a

dockyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Compared to shipyards, which are sometimes more involve ...

of the National Shipyard and Steel Corporation (NASSCO). In 1966, during the administration of then-President

Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and Kleptocracy, kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the c ...

, NASSCO was acquired by the Romualdez family, the kin of the president's wife

Imelda Marcos Imelda Romualdez Marcos (; born Imelda Remedios Visitación Trinidad Romuáldez; July 2, 1929) is a Filipino politician who was First Lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, wielding significant political power after her husband Ferdinand ...

, through the Bataan Shipping and Engineering Company or BASECO. In the late 1970s, the urban poor population were resettled by the Marcos administration to give space for a possible international seaport. Baseco was formally declared a barangay (Barangay 649, Zone 68) in the 1980s. Following the

People Power Revolution The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, were a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...

of 1986, the national government under Marcos' successor

Corazon Aquino María Corazón "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipino politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines and the first woman president in the country, from Presidency of Corazon ...

sequestered the property and the urban poor population began to resettle the area. People settled in an area within Baseco which would later be designated as "Block 40". At least 39 other blocks would be established. By 1999, Baseco attained full access to electricity. On February 12, 2002, then-President

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...

proclaimed Baseco as a residential site. In July 2021, BaseCommunity, a housing project of the Manila city government in the compound, was inaugurated.

Geography

Baseco consists of Engineer's Island including two stone

breakwaters A breakwater is a permanent structure constructed at a coastal area to protect against tides, currents, waves, and storm surges. Breakwaters have been built since antiquity to protect anchorages, helping isolate vessels from marine hazards ...

one which borders the

Pasig River The Pasig River (; ) is a water body in the Philippines that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for , it bisects the Philippine capital of Manila and Metro Manila, its surrounding urban area into northern and southern halves. Its m ...

and another the South Harbor. Prior to 1980, the two breakwaters were two separate islands (Big Island and Small Island). Baseco's area has been increased by reclamation both by the government, Non-profit organizations and the residents. The area also has a beach which is frequented by some Manila residents despite dangerous levels of

coliform Coliform bacteria are defined as either motile or non-motile Gram-negative non- spore forming bacilli that possess β-galactosidase to produce acids and gases under their optimal growth temperature of 35–37 °C. They can be aerobes or f ...

in its adjacent waters. The area is prone to flooding due to typhoons and strong monsoon rains.

Governance

Baseco is a

and is designated as "Barangay 649, Zone 68" of the

City of Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on the island of Luzon, it is ...

. The lowest-level government officials in Baseco are the block coordinators who serve the residents of their respective "blocks".

Demographics

From the 1960s to the 1970s, families of employees in then-existing shipyard in the area settled in Baseco. At that time only around 15–20 families lived in Baseco. In the early 2000s, the population of Baseco is around 47,017.

In popular culture

The Baseco Compound was the plot setting for the episode 'Paa' of the 2010 horror film '' Cinco''.

References

{{Metro Manila populated places Barangays of Metro Manila Port Area, Manila