Cover Gil Puyat, EDSA, Quirino, and more (Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Illustration: Jove Moya)
Gil Puyat, EDSA, Quirino, and more (Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Illustration: Jove Moya)
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There is history in the streets that we walk on. In this article, Tatler lists eponymous places in the Philippines—learn more about EDSA, Gil Puyat, Quirino, and more
A marketing fiasco stormed social media just a few weeks back. An advertising agency was under fire for switching street signs in Manila from ‘Gil Puyat’ to ‘Gil Tulog’. This supposedly comical take on the name of a well-known figure ended up being controversial and widely criticised. Initial reactions were mixed, but anger prevailed among motorists who found it disrespectful and confusing.
Victor Puyat, the son of the late Gil Puyat, for whom the avenue is named, said his family found offence in this sales strategy. “What has happened to our sense of respect for each other. There is a line we should not cross—our name is not to be violated by reasons that are financial, political, or otherwise,” Victor said in a written letter given to Rappler.
The family also filed a formal complaint with the Ad Standards Council (ASC) of the Philippines on Friday, July 26.
The incident highlights the importance of understanding and giving value to history. In the Philippines, eponymous streets pay homage to figures who have made significant contributions to society. In the list below, we provide a short list of streets and avenues named after Filipinos.
In case you missed it: EDSA Revolution: A Look Back At The Historic 1986 People Power
1. Aurora Boulevard: Aurora Quezon
Above Aurora Quezon (Photo: Suelo marrón/Wikimedia Commons)
Aurora Quezon (Photo: Suelo marrón/Wikimedia Commons)
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Aurora Antonia Aragon Quezon was the wife of Philippine President Manuel Luis Quezon. Born to Pedro Aragón and Zenaida Molina in Baler on February 19, 1888, Aurora wedded Manuel in December 1918 when they were in Hong Kong. The couple had four children—María Aurora “Baby”, María Zenaida “Nini”, Luisa Corazón Paz, and Manuel Lucio Jr “Nonong”.
During her husband’s presidency, Aurora was involved with women’s organisations, including the National Federation of Women’s Clubs, where she was the honorary chairperson. The former first lady was also very active in advocating Filipino women’s right to suffrage.
Five years after her husband’s demise, Aurora, together with her daughter “Baby”, was assassinated en route to a hospital dedicated to Manuel.
2. Hidalgo Street, Quiapo: Félix Resurrección Hidalgo
Above Félix Resurrección Hidalgo (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
Félix Resurrección Hidalgo (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
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Félix Resurrección Hidalgo’s name reigned in the Filipino art scene in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1884, the artist won a silver medal at the Madrid Exposition of Fine Arts, along with fellow Filipino painter Juan Luna’s gold win.
Born in Binondo, Manila, on February 21, 1855, Hidalgo studied law at the University of Santo Tomas. His interest in the arts eventually led him to study in Europe from 1879 to 1881 under a scholarship funded by the Spanish government at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Madrid.
Among the painter’s highly regarded works are Las Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho (1884), which depicts males mocking semi-naked female Christians, and El Asesinato del Gobernador Bustamante (1904), a dramatic depiction of the assassination of Fernando Manuel de Bustillo Bustamante y Rueda, who served as the 37th Governor-General of the Captaincy General of the Philippines from 1717 until his demise.
More from Tatler: The quest for ‘Hymen, oh Hymenee’ by Juan Luna
3. Ongpin Street: Roman Ongpin
Above Roman Ongpin (Photo: Elmer B. Domingo / Wikimedia Commons)
Roman Ongpin (Photo: Elmer B. Domingo / Wikimedia Commons)
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Chinese-Filipino businessman and philanthropist Román Ongpin y Tanbensiang aided Filipino revolutionaries in their fight against the Spanish and American colonial administrations. Born in Binondo, Manila, Ongpin was able to establish and profit from his business named El 82.
The entrepreneur eventually became one of Katipunan’s financers, enabling the revolutionary group to use his store as one of its many hideouts. Ongpin also provided financial aid and food to the movement until the end of the Spanish colonisation.
When the fight against Filipinos and Americans ensued, Ongpin continued to provide help, leading to his imprisonment in December 1900. After his release in March 1901, he remained opposed to the United States occupation.
4. Chino Roces Avenue: Joaquin “Chino” Roces
Above Joaquin “Chino” Roces (Photo: Philippine Presidential Museum & Library/Wikimedia Commons)
Joaquin “Chino” Roces (Photo: Philippine Presidential Museum & Library/Wikimedia Commons)
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Filipino businessman and news publisher Joaquin “Chino” Roces founded the Associated Broadcasting Corporation (now called TV5), one of the country’s biggest media agencies. He was also the former owner of The Manila Times and a staunch opposition of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
In 1972, Roces was jailed together with Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr, Jose “Ka Pepe” Diokno, and Lorenzo M. “Ka Tanny” Tañada, Sr.
After Ninoy Aquino’s assassination, Roces intensified his protest. On October 15, 1985, he was instrumental in drafting more than one million signatures across the Philippines to draft Corazon Aquino to run against Marcos Sr.
Related: In conversation with Miriam Coronel-Ferrer on her pursuit of lasting peace
5. EDSA: Epifanio de los Santos
Above Epifanio de los Santos (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
Epifanio de los Santos (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
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Epifanio de los Santos, fondly called Don Pañong, was a Filipino historian, journalist, and civil servant. He was a member of the Malolos Congress from 1898 to 1899 from Nueva Ecija, and later as its governor from 1902 to 1906.
The politician was also named the assistant technical director of the Philippine Census in 1918 and appointed director of the Philippine Library and Museum by Governor General Leonard Wood in 1925.
6. Padre Burgos Avenue, Ermita Manila: Padre Jose Burgos
Above Padre Jose Burgos (Photo: Philippine Postal Corporation/Wikimedia Commons)
Padre Jose Burgos (Photo: Philippine Postal Corporation/Wikimedia Commons)
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Mariano Gomez, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora or the "GOMBURZA" are the three Filipino Catholic priests who met their tragic end in a public execution using garrote (a handheld ligature of rope, scarf, or chain used to strangle a person).
Spanish authorities have alleged that the martyrs were masterminds in the insurrection of indios (native Filipinos) working at the Cavite arsenal. The three were also accused of having been part of a movement that seeks to oust the Spanish government.
The GOMBURZA execution has since been labeled the 'Terror of 1872' and is recognised as a pivotal event relevant to the Philippine Revolution from 1986 to 1898. Last February 17, the country marked the 150th anniversary of martyrdom of the three priests.
See also: 6 Catholic churches with rich ties to Philippine history
7. Gil Puyat: Gil Juco Puyat, Sr
Above Gil Puyat (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
Gil Puyat (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
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Gil Juco Puyat, Sr served as a senator from 1951 until the late President Marcos shut down Congress and declared martial law in 1972. Puyat, who pursued a course in commerce at the University of the Philippines, became a member of the Rotary Club of Manila.
In 1948, he acquired international stature in business and was acknowledged as Business Leader of the Year by the Business Writers’ Association of the Philippines. In the following year, the lawmaker received the Civil Leader of the Year recognition from the Red Feather Agencies.
8. Quirino Highway: Elpidio Quirino
Above Gil Puyat, EDSA, Quirino, and more (Photo: Philippine Presidential Museum and Library/Wikimedia Commons)
Gil Puyat, EDSA, Quirino, and more (Photo: Philippine Presidential Museum and Library/Wikimedia Commons)
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Filipino lawyer and politician Elpidio Rivera Quirino served as the 6th President of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953. He entered politics when he represented Ilocos Sur in Congress from 1919 to 1925. He was then elected as a senator from 1925 to 1935, and in 1934, became a member of the Philippine Independence Commission that was sent to Washington, DC, to secure the passage of the Tydings–McDuffie Act to the United States Congress.
After the Second World War, he was elected vice president in the April 1946 elections. He succeeded to the presidency after President Manuel Roxas’s death in April 1948.
9. Tandang Sora Avenue: Melchora Aquino
Above Gil Puyat, EDSA, Quirino, and more (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
Gil Puyat, EDSA, Quirino, and more (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
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Melchora Aquino was one of the key figures of Katipunan, the brotherhood that led the revolution to free the Philippines from Spanish colonial rule. Aquino was nicknamed the ‘Mother of Katipunan’ and was often consulted by Andres Bonifacio, the brotherhood’s founder and supreme leader, before making any decisions. Aquino was fondly called “Tandang Sora” because she was already 84 years old when she became involved with the revolution.
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Jove holds a degree in Journalism and is currently pursuing graduate studies in Philosophy at the University of the Philippines–Diliman. She has flair for in-depth, interview-driven stories that explore politics and culture, shaped by her background in national broadsheets.
When she’s not on assignment, Jove spends her days painting, sipping lemonade, and walking her dog, Jupiter. She can often be seen in Escolta with a film camera in hand, browsing novelty shops in search of rare memorabilia. For leads, reach her at Jove@tatlerphilippines.com.
