Club Filipino (pronounced ''klub'', ) is the first exclusive social club in the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

, founded on November 6, 1898 by Filipino high society, including Spanish ''

mestizos ( , ; fem. , literally 'mixed person') is a term primarily used to denote people of mixed Ethnic groups in Europe, European and Indigenous ancestry in the former Spanish Empire. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to ...

'' and members of the native aristocracy. It is located between North Greenhills subdivision and the Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan. The club's present amenities include a swimming pool, tennis, badminton and squash courts, bowling alleys, outdoor restaurant, salon, and "Kalayaan Hall," an indoor events/reception room.

History

Originally an elite Filipino country gentlemen's organisation, it was originally called Club Filipino Independiente, later changed to Club Internationale and finally, Club Filipino. The club has developed a reputation for being a meeting ground for Filipino political progressives throughout its history, and was the site of several political events immediately prior and during the country's Post-Martial Law Era. Prior to its current location in Greenhills, San Juan, the club was located at the Bachrach Mansion along Manga Avenue corner Buenos Aires Street in Santa Mesa,

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 ...

. At the said location, President Ramon Magsaysay inaugurated it on September 21, 1956, after arriving directly from a very rough flight from

Davao City Davao City, officially the City of Davao, is a City of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the List of Philippine cities and municipalities ...

. The President himself joined the exclusive club the very same day. The said house was owned by Russian- American Jew Emil Bachrach, who was a successful businessman in Manila during the Philippine Commonwealth. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the house was commandeered by Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita upon his assignment in the Philippines, and later on was taken up as residence by Gen.

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...

and his family. The present location in Greenhills was inaugurated on October 18, 1970, and served as the venue for the inauguration of President

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 ...

on 25 February 1986 at the height of the People Power Revolution. This was also where Governor Luis "Chavit" Singson went public with an alleged illegal gambling ('' jueteng'') payroll scam involving then-President Joseph Ejercito Estrada in 2000. On September 9, 2009, Corazon Aquino's son, then-Senator Benigno Aquino III, announced his bid at the club to run as the presidential candidate for the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

in the 2010 general election. Six years later, on July 31, 2015, then-President Aquino III formally endorsed Mar Roxas as the LP's presidential candidate for the

2016 elections Africa Benin Republic *2016 Beninese presidential election 6 March 2016 Cape Verde * 2016 Cape Verdean presidential election 2 October 2016 Chad * 2016 Chadian presidential election 10 April 2016 Djibouti * 2016 Djiboutian presidential ...

in the "Gathering of Friends" held at the venue itself. On February 13, 2025, the club became the venue of the kick-off rally of PDP–Laban's senatorial slate ahead of the 2025 election, with former President

Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the first Philippine president from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assum ...

in attendance.

References

External links

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Organizations based in Metro Manila Organizations established in 1898 Buildings and structures in San Juan, Metro Manila Cultural Properties of the Philippines in Metro Manila Sports venues in Metro Manila {{Philippines-hist-stub