Manila/Quiapo

Quiapo is a district in the bustling, busy and crowded city of Manila. Quiapo gets it name from a floating plant named; "Kiapo" that grew abundantly around that area.

Understand


Ask a local about a place that approximately corresponds to Manila's downtown and they will point you out Quiapo. This district alongside nearby Santa Cruz and Binondo are the places nearly corresponding to a downtown for Manila.

Quiapo in this guide differs from the administrative district, which excludes the area's core, centered on Plaza Miranda, Quiapo Church, and Carriedo Street. For the traveller, Quiapo includes all the area bound by Recto Avenue to the north, Rizal Avenue to the west, Estero de San Miguel to the east and southeast, and Pasig River to the south.

Average travellers are easily distracted by the tourist draws once alighting from the LRT-1. Quiapo is more than the scattered bargain markets and Quiapo Church. Eastern Quiapo, the original town, which hugs the boundaries of the University Belt, is the true spirit of the district, with the other draws outside the touristic core west of Quezon Boulevard. The real Quiapo is a bit rough, with seedy residential streets, so a trip there is an adventure.

The culture and people of Quiapo are diverse, and the district is a chaotic crossover of East and West. Seeing the people and surroundings will make you feel shocked; a visit to Quiapo may remind you of things on the bazaars of Old Delhi. Around Plaza Miranda and Carriedo are bustling crowds, deafening loudspeakers, and mangled overhead power cables. Crossing Quezon Boulevard leads you to the largest Filipino Muslim community outside Mindanao and the outskirts of the University Belt.

By train
Take the LRT-1 train to

By bus
Quiapo is the terminus for city bus routes 2 from Angono via Pasig and 3 from Antipolo via Cubao. Many other city bus routes from the north and south also serve Quiapo. Stops are either near Quiapo Church at Quezon Boulevard or under LRT Carriedo station.

By taxi

 * A taxi from most parts of Manila costs about to the Quiapo church.
 * A taxi from the airport costs about . Beware of ripoff fares.

See

 * Padilla House
 * Don Jose Sulpicios Orpilla Mansion
 * Padilla House
 * Don Jose Sulpicios Orpilla Mansion
 * Padilla House
 * Don Jose Sulpicios Orpilla Mansion
 * Padilla House
 * Don Jose Sulpicios Orpilla Mansion

Do
Have a Manila city tour: it's easy to get lost in Quiapo, having a local guide can save time and it's a good opportunity to learn things

Buy

 * Amulets: Believed to give you powers and protection against dark energy. They're usually sold at a reasonable price, often around and above.
 * Herbal medicine: Alternative medicine can be found in Plaza Miranda however they aren't approved by the Department of Health (DOH) and most of them might be scams and fakes.
 * Statues: Statues either ceramic or wood are best buys as souvenirs, they're sold from and above. They often are Santo Niños (Infant Jesus) and saints (santos, statues of holy people such as Virgin Mary and Jesus).
 * Textiles
 * Army surplus: Items such as uniforms, bags, camping equipment, knives etc. are found in the Big Army Surplus Market. However you might find it hard to pass through customs as it is questionable for purchasing army surplus and sometimes Filipino authorities say that many shops operate illegally without the permission of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.
 * Flowers and candles: Flowers and candles are sold outside the church, in Plaza Miranda. Candles have significant meanings depending on color; see the signs by the vendors. Sampaguita  (jasmine), used to be the national flower of the Philippines, but replaced by the now-endangered waling-waling as the former is not native to the country, are often sold outside the church at a very cheap price; they represent purity of the soul and body and often are hanged around an image's neck as a gift.
 * Cameras and camera accessories: Hidalgo street offers cheap prices for cameras as well as camera accessories such as tripods, DVDs, CDs, bags, camera lenses etc.
 * Prescription eyewear: Paterno Street has a good collection of optician shops producing prescription glasses at a quarter of the price in the West, so, you may consider a side trip here for a new pair of glasses.
 * Prescription eyewear: Paterno Street has a good collection of optician shops producing prescription glasses at a quarter of the price in the West, so, you may consider a side trip here for a new pair of glasses.

Stay safe
Quiapo is notorious for pickpockets, beggars, and other nuisances, while you may find elsewhere in the city, can be the most prevalent here. Pickpockets are a constant threat; watch out for wandering hands likely reaching your valuable cellphone or wallet. Put money and important papers on a money belt or use the front pockets instead. Beggars are many enough in this bustling district to irritate you, and more disturbing are street children soliciting money. Adding further to traveller hassles are the numerous peddlers selling fake items, most notably pirated DVDs and counterfeit clothing, while prices are temptingly dirty cheap (for example, per DVD), can land you on customs issues on your return journey home. Just walk away if they try to accost pedestrians around you.

Go next
Tondo, and the busy Divisoria market is just within minutes reach, by electric trike.