San Juan, officially the City of San Juan (), is a

highly urbanized city A city ( or ) is one of the units of local government in the Philippines. All Philippine cities are chartered cities (Filipino: ), whose existence as corporate and administrative entities is governed by their own specific municipal charters in a ...

in the National Capital Region of 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 ...

. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 126,347 people. It is geographically located in 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 (; ) and abbreviated as the KKK, was a revolutionary organization founded in 1892 by a group of Filipino nationalists Deodato Arellano, Andrés Bonifacio, Valentin Diaz, Ladislao Diwa, José Dizon, an ...

, the organization which led the 1896

Philippine Revolution The Philippine Revolution ( or ; or ) was a war of independence waged by the revolutionary organization Katipunan against the Spanish Empire from 1896 to 1898. It was the culmination of the 333-year History of the Philippines (1565–1898), ...

against the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...

. Notable landmarks today such as the

Pinaglabanan Shrine Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine () is a Filipino national shrine and park along Pinaglabanan Street in the city of San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines. This was built to commemorate the heroism of the Katipuneros who laid siege to ''Almacen de P ...

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, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

and a

toponym Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of ''wikt:toponym, 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 ...

; in this case Saint

John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...

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

Early history

During the pre-Hispanic period, the area of what is now San Juan was a part of the

Kingdom of Namayan Namayan (Baybayin: Pre-Kudlit: or (''Sapa''), Post-Kudlit: ), also called SapaLocsin, Leandro V. and Cecilia Y. Locsin. 1967. ''Oriental Ceramics Discovered in the Philippines.'' Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle Company. and sometimes Lamayan, ...

, whose last recorded rulers were King Lakan Tagkan 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.

Spanish colonial era

In the late 16th century, the kingdom and other polities in the islands were absorbed into the

Spanish Crown The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a Hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country. The Spanish ...

, with the realm of Namayan christened as the

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

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

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 ...

) The present area of San Juan was meanwhile re-classified as the small ''

encomienda The ''encomienda'' () was a Spanish Labour (human activity), labour system that rewarded Conquistador, conquerors with the labour of conquered non-Christian peoples. In theory, the conquerors provided the labourers with benefits, including mil ...

'' (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 (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic Church, Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilians, Castilian priest named Saint Dominic, Dominic de Gu ...

built a

novitiate The novitiate, also called the noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Christian ''novice'' (or ''prospective'') monastic, apostolic, or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether ...

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

friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders in the Catholic Church. There are also friars outside of the Catholic Church, such as within the Anglican Communion. The term, first used in the 12th or 13th century, distinguishes the mendi ...

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

convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

and a stone church, the

Santuario del Santo Cristo Santuario del Santo Cristo Parish, also known as the Church of San Juan del Monte, is a church and '' convento'' in San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Manila. The church was built in 1602–16 ...

, dedicating it to the

Holy Cross Holy Cross or Saint Cross may refer to: * the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus * Christian cross, a frequently used religious symbol of Christianity * True Cross, supposed remnants of the actual cross upon which Jesus was crucified * Feast o ...

. To this day, the thrice-rebuilt church stands on the same site, adjacent to

Aquinas School Aquinas School is a private Catholic all-boys basic education institution run by the Philippine Dominican Province of the Order of Preachers in San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines. It was founded in 1965 and named after Thomas Aquinas Thom ...

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 re ...

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 the 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 Sampalo ...

across the

San Juan River Bridge The San Juan River Bridge ( Filipino: ''Tulay ng Ilog San Juan''), also known as Pinaglabanan Bridge, San Juan del Monte Bridge, ''San Juan Bridge'' and the Old Santa Mesa Bridge, is a bridge that connects San Juan and Manila, spanning the San ...

to the ''

pueblo Pueblo refers to the settlements of the Pueblo peoples, Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, currently in New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. The permanent communities, including some of the oldest continually occupied settlement ...

'' of Mariquina (now

Marikina Marikina (), officially the City of Marikina (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 4 ...

Municipality established

In 1783, San Juan del Monte was promoted to a

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

, 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 ''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...

'' at Santuario del Santo Cristo was moved to the Camino de Mariquina, where a new municipal hall (now the San Juan Medical Center) and a town plaza (now the San Juan Plaza Mayor) was constructed. In 1892, Father Bernardino Nozaleda, the

Archbishop of Manila The Archdiocese of Manila (; ; ) is the archdiocese of the Latin Church, Latin Rite of the Catholic Church in the Philippines, Catholic Church in Metro Manila, Catholic Church in the Philippines, Philippines, encompassing the cities of Manila, ...

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

Franciscans The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...

establishing the San Juan Bautista Church (now Pinaglabanan Church) and a

parochial house A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of a given religion, serving as both a home and a base for the occupant's ministry. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, par ...

in the area now known as Pinaglabanan Street.

The Philippine revolution

When the

against Spain broke out in August 1896, the

revolutionaries led by

Andrés Bonifacio Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (, ; November 30, 1863May 10, 1897) was a Filipino people, Filipino revolutionary leader. He is often called "The Father of the Philippines, Philippine Philippine Revolution, Revolution", and considered a nationa ...

and his aide

Emilio Jacinto Emilio Jacinto y Dizon (; December 15, 1875 – April 16, 1899) was a Filipinos, 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 office ...

made their way from Pugad Lawin in

Caloocan Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan (; ), is a highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most populous city in the Philippines. Caloo ...

(now part of

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...

) 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, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

and

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

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

El Deposito ''El Depósito'' (lit: The Deposit) is an old underground water reservoir in the city of San Juan in Metro Manila, Philippines. It was built by the Spanish authorities in 1882 with a capacity of 15 million gallons to provide the residents of Ma ...

water

reservoir A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation. Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...

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.

American invasion and Philippine Commonwealth

Following the end of the Philippine Revolution and the Treaty of Paris in 1898 that seceded the Philippines to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, the

First Philippine Republic The Philippine Republic (), now officially remembered as the First Philippine Republic and also referred to by historians as the Malolos Republic, was a state established in Malolos, Bulacan, during the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish ...

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 The Battle of Manila ( Filipino: ''Labanan sa Maynila''; ), the first and largest battle of the Philippine–American War, was fought on February 4–5, 1899, between 19,000 American soldiers and 15,000 Filipino armed militiamen. Armed conf ...

, 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 The Philippine Revolutionary Army ( Spanish: ; ), later renamed Philippine Republican Army, was the army of the First Philippine Republic from its formation in March 1897 to its dissolution in November of 1899 in favor of guerrilla operation ...

, firing the first shot of the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...

. This prompted lines of Filipino troops in San Juan del Monte to open fire at the line of American troops in Santa Mesa. On the evening of February 4, Private William W. Grayson fired the war's first shots at the corner of Sociego Street and Tomas Arguelles Street. A study done by Ronnie Miravite Casalmir places the event at this corner, not at Sociego-Silencio where they erroneously have the marker. Throughout the war, various regiments 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 Colonel Bonny Serrano Avenue (also spelled Boni Serrano Avenue; formerly named and still colloquially referred to as Santolan Road) is a major east–west thoroughfare in the Eastern Manila District of Metro Manila, Philippines, between San Jua ...

), and the santuario. Both the revolution and the war caused many of the original residents of San Juan del Monte to evacuate en masse, permanently settling in neighboring towns. This led to many lots becoming abandoned. From 1898 to 1899, some residents returned to the town, resettling in

shack A shack (or, in some areas, shanty) is a type of small shelter or dwelling, often primitive or rudimentary in design and construction. Unlike huts, shacks are constructed by hand using available materials; however, whereas huts are usually r ...

s. However, due to unsanitary conditions, a

malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...

epidemic broke out in the area, with many casualties. Following the end of the Philippine-American War, the municipality was repopulated by families coming from Mariquina and San Mateo. The Dominicans had also 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 these lands were eventually purchased by the municipal government. In 1901, the municipality was incorporated into the new

province of Rizal Rizal, officially the Province of Rizal (), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Its capital is the city of Antipolo. It is about east of Manila. The province is named after José Rizal, one of the main na ...

through Act No. 137, with former Katipunan San Juan chapter ''sanggunian'' Andres Soriano serving as its first

municipal president A ''presidente municipal'' ( English: "municipal president") is the chief of government of municipios in Mexico. This title was also used in the Philippines during the Spanish and American colonial periods; it is comparable to a mayor of the tow ...

. In 1903, it was merged into the municipality of San Felipe Neri (present-day

Mandaluyong Mandaluyong ( ; ), officially the City of Mandaluyong (, ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly-urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popula ...

) 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'', Spanish language in the Philippines, Spanish: Segunda Comisión de Filipinas), was established by United Sta ...

. San Felipe Neri later became the capital of Rizal for several months in 1904. 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 Subdivision may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Subdivision (metre), in music * ''Subdivision'' (film), 2009 * "Subdivision", an episode of ''Prison Break'' (season 2) * ''Subdivisions'' (EP), by Sinch, 2005 * "Subdivisions" (song), by Rush ...

developments all across the area. It was around this time that the municipality's name was contracted to San Juan. A report made by the Rizal provincial government in 1933 noted that San Juan increased in population due to the development of residential subdivisions, such as San Juan Heights, Manila Heights, San Francisco del Monte Heights, Addition Hills,

New Manila Mariana is an urban barangay in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is part of a middle class residential development known as New Manila, which includes Barangay Mariana and the adjacent barangays of Damayang Lagi, Horseshoe, and Valencia. ...

, and Rosario Heights. At the time, the municipality consisted of the nine barrios of Poblacion, Andres Bonifacio, Ermitaño, N. Domingo, Rincon, San Francisco del Monte, Sapang Camias, Sulapan, and Tibagan. Between 1939 and 1941, the barrios of Cubao, Diliman, and San Francisco del Monte, as well as Camp Crame, were ceded from San Juan to the newly established

Japanese occupation era

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 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 effective August 1, 1945.

Philippine independence

Martial law era

San Juan, especially its exclusive subdivisions in Greenhills, San Juan, Greenhills, was home to many prominent personalities during the country's Martial Law era under President of the Philippines, President Ferdinand Marcos. This included several Armed Forces of the Philippines 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, 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, 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, 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 Corazon Aquino was inaugurated there on February 25, 1986, the last day of the civilian-led 1986 People Power Revolution.

Contemporary

In 1992, San Juan had the fewest Squatting, informal settler families out of all the municipalities and cities in Metro Manila based on data from the National Housing Authority (Philippines), 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-House of Representatives of the Philippines, Representative 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." Five presidents were official residents of San Juan. They were the Macapagal ''père et fille'', Diosdado Macapagal, Diosdado (1961–1965) and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (2001–2010); Marcos ''père et fils'', Ferdinand Marcos, Ferdinand Sr. (1965–1986) and Bongbong Marcos, Ferdinand Jr. (2022–present); 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,

on the south, and the Manila, City of Manila in the west. The territory of San Juan was once much larger than it is now, having been adjacent to

and

prior to the creation of

. Parts of the present-day Districts Quezon City's 1st congressional district, 1, Quezon City's 3rd congressional district, 3, and Quezon City's 4th congressional district, 4 of Quezon City, as well as areas of

, 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 barangays organized into two city council 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="" , Shrove Tuesday, 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

Pinaglabanan Archdiocesan Shrine 2024-06-24

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

, is enshrined. The

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 of the Philippines, National Artist for Architecture Juan Nakpil. The chapel is the centerpiece of the Complex, which also contains the old Central Office and Pastoral House that was the home of the church's first Executive Minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo, Executive Minister, Felix Manalo, 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. INC adherents in San Juan comprise 4.2% of the city population. 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 Church Worldwide, Jesus is Lord and Victory (church), Victory Greenhills are also found in the city of San Juan. San Juan is also home to two Islamic mosques, namely: Masjid Hamza Bin Ahmed in Balong-Bato and Greenhills Masjid at Greenhills. On the 2024 Calendar of saints, feast of St.

, the local government declared him as

of San Juan City.

Economy

San Juan is predominantly residential, mixed with commercial and manufacturing businesses. The Greenhills shopping district is the hub of trade and commerce in San Juan. The shopping complex housed shopping malls, the Virra Mall, Shoppesville, Greenhills Theatre Mall, Promenade Mall, the former Greenhills Bowling Alley, and Unimart. As of 2022, San Juan had the labor force participation rate of 67%, the most in the Philippines.

Culture

Wattah Wattah Festival

Since 2003, San Juan celebrates the Nativity of John the Baptist, feast 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 vehicles to douse commuters is also not allowed. However, in 2020 and 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, COVID-19 pandemic, the festival was reduced to a parade of the image of St. John the Baptist with social distancing and Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, 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.

Sports

San Juan has a long history with sports, the Filoil EcoOil Centre has hosted numerous sporting events, including the Philippine Basketball Association, Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, Premier Volleyball League, and the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup. The city is also home to the San Juan Knights, which started in the now-defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association and now competes in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League. The Knights have won three league championships in its entire franchise history.

Transportation

Modes of public transportation in San Juan include jeepneys 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 station (MRT), Santolan-Annapolis station of the MRT Line 3 (Metro Manila), MRT Line 3, at the city's eastern boundary with Quezon City. The Circumferential Road 3, C-3 (Araneta Avenue) also passes through San Juan. Secondary routes include Nicolas Domingo (abbreviated N. Domingo), which heads towards Quezon City#Cubao, Cubao in

, and Pinaglabanan Street (which continues as

) leading towards Ortigas Avenue 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 oversees 9 public elementary schools, 2 public high schools, and a science high school within the city. The SDO also recognizes 24 Independent school, private schools 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, San Juan, 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 Cooking school, culinary schools, namely the Center for Asian Culinary Studies in Barangay Pasadena and the Instituto Culinario in Barangay Greenhills.

Notable personalities

*Alfred Vargas, actor and

Quezon City's 5th congressional district, 5th district councilor *Bongbong Marcos, 17th President of the Philippines, former senator, former Ilocos Norte governor, and former representative of Ilocos Norte 2nd District *Chris Tiu, TV host and basketball player *Don Allado, basketball player and coach, San Juan councilor *Edu Manzano, former Makati vice mayor, actor and former US Military officer *Eraño Manalo, Iglesia ni Cristo Executive Minister (1963–2009) *Ferdinand Marcos, 10th President of the Philippines, 3rd Prime Minister of the Philippines, 11th President of the Senate of the Philippines, 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, actor, singer, businessman * Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, 14th President of the Philippines, 10th Vice President of the Philippines, 25th Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines (the first woman to hold the position), deputy speaker of the 17th Congress and a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga. *Grace Poe, senator and former Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, MTRCB chairperson *Imee Marcos, senator, former Ilocos Norte 2nd District representative *Irene Marcos, daughter of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and Imelda Marcos *Imelda Marcos, former First Ladies and Gentlemen of the Philippines, First Lady and former Governor of Metro Manila *Jake Ejercito, actor *James Yap, basketball player, San Juan councilor *Janella Salvador, actress, singer, artist *Jaymee Joaquin, former TV host *Jinggoy Estrada, senator, former San Juan Mayor, and actor *Joross Gamboa, actor *Joseph Estrada, 13th President of the Philippines, 9th Vice President of the Philippines, 26th Mayor of Manila, 14th San Juan Mayor, actor *JV Ejercito, senator, former San Juan Mayor *Krissy and Ericka, Ericka Villongco, singer and actress *Krissy and Ericka, Krissy Villongco, singer *Luis Manzano, actor and TV host *Max Soliven, journalist, newspaper publisher, founder of The Philippine Star *Ophelia Dimalanta, poet, editor, author, and teacher *Paul Artadi, basketball player and San Juan District 1 councilor *Philip Cezar, PBA Player aka "Tapal King", San Juan vice mayor (1992–2001), and current basketball coach *Ronaldo Zamora, former congressman of Legislative districts of San Juan, lone district of San Juan and Legislative district of San Juan–Mandaluyong, San Juan–Mandaluyong *Teofisto Guingona Jr., 11th Vice President of the Philippines *Yasmien Kurdi, actress *Diego Loyzaga, actor *Bayani Fernando, ex politician *E.R. Ejercito, actor *Mikha (singer) , Mikha Lim, member of Bini (group) , Bini

Sister cities

Local

*Davao City *Iloilo City

International

* Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada * San Juan, Puerto Rico * Maui, Hawaii, United States * Santa Barbara, California, 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 corner Doctor P. A. Narciso 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. No longer existing. It was replaced with front extension of San Juan Medical Center. Vmalljf.JPG, V Mall, one of many shopping areas in the Greenhills mixed-use development. Greenhills Shopping Center (35106417321).jpg, The Flea market, ''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

. 02052jfErmitaño Linear Park Creek N. Domingo Street San Juan Metro Manilafvf 24.jpg, Commercial establishments along the city's main road, Nicolas Domingo Street. Xavier School Greenhills - panoramio.jpg, A panoramic view of San Juan from Xavier School Greenhills. San Juan-Mandaluyong boundary, close-up (Kalentong, Mandaluyong; 05-31-2019).jpg, San Juan City Welcome Arch on General Kalentong Street, Mandaluyong City.

References

External links

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