Explore Tutuban Center Mall and take an unexpected walk back into Philippine history.
Tutuban Center holds a special place in Philippine history because it was formerly the core of the local railway transport system. By observing the actual
Tutuban Mall, one would notice the evidence of its glorious past.
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The facade of Tutuban Mall, a former train station |
Tutuban Train Station: A Piece Of History In A Shopping Complex
Stumbling upon a piece of history in Tutuban Center
One does not exactly go to a chaotic place like Tutuban Center and expect to uncover a piece of history. People go there primarily to shop for budget finds and other merchandise.
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Old brick walls |
However, an ordinary weekend shopping trip for us turned out to be a moment of
discovery; a trip back into the distinguished past of the Philippines, a long-ago time when steam locomotives ruled the highways and the concept of
heavy traffic was unknown in Philippine streets.
When we arrived at Tutuban Center Mall, I could not help but admire the beauty
of its architecture, with its arched entrances that frame old wooden
doors.
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Its antique brick walls and cast-iron posts were embellished with lovely
details that may be a little hard to immediately spot but are visible upon
closer inspection.
Never mind the endless row of stalls inside the mall, the building stood
grand, as if it knows that it once played a pivotal role in Philippine
transport history.
Tutuban Train Station: the once focal point of Philippine transport
Ask anybody nowadays about what Tutuban is and they will surely tell you about bargain finds, the night market, and endless shopping spree especially during the holiday season. Who can blame them, Tutuban has been well-known as a
shopping Mecca since the 1990s.
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Train tracks |
Little do people know that it was once a bustling train station known as the
Tutuban Train Station that connected Manila to most parts of Northern Luzon.
It was part of the Ferrocarril de Manila-Dagupan or the Manila-Dagupan Line,
the first railway system in the Philippines.
Before passenger buses and the existence of the North Luzon Expressway, trains
were the primary mode of long-distance transport from the late 18th century to
most part of the 19th century, bringing people as well as goods from Dagupan,
Pangasinan to Manila and vice-versa.
If you think about it well, Tutuban has always been a conduit of trade since
time immemorial.
Construction of the North Luzon train lines began in the late 1800s during the
Spanish colonial period. The route traversed the provinces of Pampanga,
Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, and Pangasinan, just to name some.
The South Luzon train lines, meanwhile, were added during the American colonial period and plied Manila to Bicol. Steam locomotives were the norm in terms of long-distance travel in the olden days.
At its peak, the
Philippine railway system
had lines that provide transport services in Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Isabela,
Cagayan, Sta. Mesa, Mandaluyong, Pasig, Marikina, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, and
Pasay, to mention a few.
Unfortunately, financial difficulties, natural calamities, and the destruction
brought by the Second World War caused the closure of most of the train
lines.
However, during the term of then-president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the South
Luzon lines were rehabilitated allowing the Philippine National Railways, the government agency that operated the tracks, to revive its route to Bicol.
Conversion of Tutuban Train Station to a shopping complex
The old pre-war building of Tutuban Train Station was unused for years but it
was eventually converted to a shopping mall that was opened to the public
during the early 1990s.
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Shops inside the mall |
The whole shopping complex is composed of seven buildings that house thousands of wholesalers, high-end shops, a department store, and parking spaces. Foot traffic is very high, around 200,000 on weekdays, and doubles during weekends and holidays.
Epilogue
The sheer number of shoppers inside the shopping center can be overwhelming
and walking around this huge shopping complex could be quite tiring.
So take a break from your shopping routine, look around you, and admire the beauty of the antique architecture of the main mall.
Satisfy your love for shopping and kindle your knowledge of Philippine history
the next time you set foot in Tutuban.
Tutuban Center is located in Tondo, Manila. You can also shop online via the
Tutuban Center's website (also called "Tutubuy").
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Very nice. I've always wanted to travel to the Luzon area. I have to put this on the itinerary for the next Phillipines trip.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes, there are a lot of beautiful things to see in Luzon.
DeleteYet another well-writen blog post. Kudos to you.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind words!
Deletevery good to learn that Philippines offers a reat travel opportunity. you are amazingly true in your explanation. would try to travel down.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
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Thank you for dropping by! I'll check out your blog, too.
DeleteWelcome always
ReplyDeleteNow, if they only did the same to that old Paco station built during the American period...
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah. Beautiful architecture, even the ones in San Fernando, Pampanga and Damortis, La Union.
Delete