Lost and found: the Calle Escolta exhibit you may have missed                

Historic Escolta: from river road to urban laboratory

Established in 1594, Escolta is one of Manila’s oldest streets. It began as a simple river road linking Intramuros (the Spanish walled city) to the bustling commercial district of Binondo.

For the next 300 years or so, Escolta became a crucial trading center, particularly benefiting from the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade. It was known for its concentration of immigrant merchants, primarily Chinese (Fujianese), who set up shops and foreign trading houses, including colonial government offices. Boutiques lined the street, selling imported goods from China, Europe, and Latin America. It was Manila’s showcase of movement, commerce, and social life.

“However, Escolta’s success itself created additional challenges,” writes Viloria in the exhibit introduction. “Goods from the Pasig River split into its course, traders swarmed its edges, and carriages clogged its small lanes. The vulnerability of a roadway that had grown without a plan was exposed by fires, most catastrophically in 1863.”

Escolta’s 19th-century facelift and colonial control

Spanish engineers responded by turning Escolta into a laboratory of colonial urban design. Guided by European ideas of hygiene, modernity, and order, they widened its curves, measured its slopes, and redrew its boundaries.

Viloria, who is currently pursuing a PhD in Human Geography, highlights the colonial obsession with public utility and order stemming from a wildfire in 1881 in Tondo. The fire occurred due to severe traffic congestion and chaos on Escolta Street.

“Sobrang traffic at sobrang gulo, wala ng kaayusan yung mismong Escolta,” reveals Viloria. He explains the justification: “So ginamit nila yung konsepto ng public order and hygiene as tantamount to progress and to really justify na magkaroon ng legitimacy yung pag-widen nila ng Escolta Street.”

Bureaucracy and displacement: then and now

The archived Spanish plans demonstrate the process of envisioning a city on paper prior to its physical construction. They reveal the technological, political, and human power structures that turned Escolta from a naturally occurring roadway into a meticulously planned representation of imperial advancement.

Viloria states that the plans were centered on bureaucracy, indicating there was no participatory approach. “Kaya makikita mo sa plano yung mga red dots, ‘yun yung mga in-expropriate. […] These expropriations were a source of tension between the elite communities and the Spanish colonial government. The issue of displacement is a colonial concern that continues to affect us today.”

Viloria emphasizes a persistent issue in modern urban planning: “We prioritize accommodating investors and businessmen over creating a more liveable city.” He also laments the slow, multi-signature bureaucratic process that “nagbeebreed talaga ng corruption sa tagal.”

The power of ‘third space’

In urban planning, a “third space” is a vital public gathering spot, distinct from home or work, that fosters informal social interaction and community bonding. Viloria argues that whoever controls this space holds significant power or governance.

Viloria stresses the importance of community-led Filipino urban planning to shape the urban future: “Importante na nakikita natin paano gumagalaw yung mga tao sa space.” He says spaces should be places to gather and connect, not just “Instagrammable.” Spaces should have social value.”