Remember the name Baybay. It means shore in Tagalog. We are now standing in San Nicolas. It was once called Baybay. San Nicolas is one of Manila’s sixteen districts. It is a heritage district. San Nicolas has kept its 19th-century ancestral houses. These houses symbolize the wealthy lives of the people who lived here.
San Nicolas is located on the northern bank of the Pasig River. It is west-central Manila. Binondo is to the east. Tondo is to the north and west. The Pasig River is to the south.
Before the Spanish came, a Sangley Chinese community settled in Baybay. This was near Tondo on the Pasig River banks. Chinese settlers and merchants lived in Baybay. This was between Tondo and old Manila.
During Spanish rule, Baybay was renamed San Nicolas. It was named after the patron saint of sailors. He was also the patron saint of boatmen and mariners.
San Nicolas is now the western part of Manila Chinatown. Chinatown is the first in the Philippines. It may be the first in the world. The eastern part is Binondo. The Dominican order arrived in 1596. They founded San Nicolas in 1598. This was their first mission outside Intramuros.
In 1901, San Nicolas became a district of Manila. This happened during the American Occupation. The city’s borders expanded. Daniel Burnham was an American architect. He was hired to create a plan for Manila. San Nicolas was included in this plan.
Today, San Nicolas is an administrative district. It is part of Manila’s third legislative district. It has become an extension of Binondo’s Filipino-Chinese community.
San Nicolas has fifteen barangays. In 2020, its population was 42,957. This is slightly lower than in 2010. Then, the population was 44,241.
San Nicolas is home to cultural properties. These include the Pasig River Lighthouse and the General Antonio Luna Ancestral House. Another is the Ides O’Racca Building.
The Sunico Foundry was once located in San Nicolas. It was built in 1891. Hilario Sunico was a famed bell caster. His foundry produced bells for churches throughout the country. The foundry existed until 1937.
San Nicolas was largely spared from destruction during World War II. It has many heritage structures. These date back to the mid-18th century to the first half of the 20th century.
Other heritage structures include Casa Tribunal de Naturales and Chan Uangco Sunico House. Also, there is Alcaiceria de San Fernando. It was built in 1758 as a market. A fire destroyed it in 1810. However, parts of its original stone walls still exist.
San Nicolas is known as the “Bodega of Binondo”. It has many warehouses. San Nicolas was home to Indios, Mestizos, and Chinese immigrants. It was an industry town like Binondo. Businessmen, artisans, and craftsmen lived here.
The panciteria Macanista De Buen Gusto was once located here. It was a popular panciteria. It was mentioned in Jose Rizal’s El Filibusterismo.
The Casa Tribunal de Naturales was a courthouse. It was for native residents of Manila. The Ides O’Racca Building was built in 1935. It was intended to be a cold storage facility. The San Nicolas Fire Station was the first fire station in the Philippines. It was built during the American Period. It once featured a full-sized boxing ring.
San Nicolas may be ignored. But it is a critical part of Manila’s identity.