Home Life in a Medieval Manila at the Entry of the 20^th Century

Jason A. de las Alas

A.B. History 2008 and M.A. Education

Ateneo de Manila University School of Social Sciences

Introduction

            At the dawn of the 20^th century, the city of Manila served as the center of colonial rule in the Philippine archipelago. It bore witness to the changing of colonial rulers – from the Spanish to the Americans. The historic city also served as the center of culture in the colony.

            But the city was still feudal in many aspects. Manila had the characteristics of a city designed for medieval living. It lagged behind its contemporary cities in Asia in terms of structural layout, technological innovations of the era, and living conditions. Life inside the city was crude and hardly comfortable in comparisons to today’s city life. Despite these setbacks, the residents of Old Manila or Intramuros created a culture that reflected its long Spanish past.

The Beginning of Manila

            The city of Manila had very simple beginnings. It is situated on a strategic position at the mouth of the Pasig River and on the banks of the Manila Bay. The land was an ideal location for human settlement, as it was easily accessible and had a water supply source. Definitely, a small, infant town can thrive and expand into a metropolis. Manila eventually did grow into a capital for the colony and for the present Philippine Republic.

            The city that the Spanish established in 1571 was not the first human settlement. The original Tagalog settlement of Raha Sulyman preceded the Spanish Walled City or Intramuros. According to Patanñe, “Manila was a fortress-settlement commanding the mouth of the Pasig River. It was pallisaded where the settlement faced the bay, approximately where Fort Santiago stands today” (11). But the Tagalog settlement was already a known trading post open to the outside world. When Miguel de Legaspi’s aide, Martin de Goiti, arrived in Manila, there were 40 Chinese residents in it (Patanñe 9). This settlement area had already acquired a reputation as “a potentially rich trading area” by the time of China’s Ming Dynasty (10). The geographical and strategic location of the site would eventually be the site of the Spanish city.

The Walled City

            The Spanish city of Manila was called Intramuros or Walled City. It was typical of a medieval city in Europe. It was surrounded on all sides by a stone wall to protect its residents from foreign invaders and pirates. Watchtowers and bastions lined up along its walls as city defenses, along with a moat that was a real health hazard to city residents.

            By the entry of the 20^th century, the city of Manila had expanded beyond the medieval walls. The area inside Intramuros could no longer accommodate the growing, diverse population of Manila. The Walled City itself could not be sustained without the industries and commercial areas in its surrounding suburbs.

            Religion played an important part in the lives of the people inside the walled city. These religious activities were typical. Robert Macmicking, a traveler in Manila, recalled:

The military band usually performs before the palace on Sunday and feast day evenings. On these events, carriages go from the drive at about 8:00 p.m. to enjoy the music. People also take time for gossip and love making.

Religious processions are as frequently passing through the streets, as they are in all Catholic countries of Europe but the features are all very nearly identical. When one of these processions takes place during the day, an awning is spread along the streets it will pass through, to protect the bare-headed promenaders from the sun, the canvas being attached to the houses’ roofs along the streets (23).

This form of diversity reflected the significant influence of religion on the inhabitants of Manila. Filipinos were a deeply religious people with several churches inside and outside the walls catering to their spiritual needs. But the city continued to grow by 1900.

Business in Manila

            Much of the commercial activities in Manila occurred outside the walls of the Spanish medieval settlement by that time. Business centered outside in areas such as the Binondo district. At that time, this was the modern business quarter of Manila as it was directly across the Pasig River (Howard 28). The Pasig, now biologically dead, served as an important waterway for the city as it opens to the Manila Bay.

            Foreign traveler Charles B. Howard recalled the sight of goods at the port. He recalled the site of “big hemp-presses and hundreds of Chinese coolies trotting up and down, laden with boles of hemp and bags of raw sugar, ready to be sent out to the ships of all nations, lying at anchor one mile from the shore” (28). The Chinese in Manila have known to be hardworking and aggressive businessmen since the past centuries of the city. According to Macmicking, “Chinamen, as a general rule, being honest and trustworthy only so long as it appears to be their own interest to remain so” (19). These ancestors of today’s Filipino-Chinese businessmen had their simple beginnings across the old city.

            Even in the days of colonial rule, the Chinese proved themselves to be able and keen businessmen who served the commercial needs of the population. There were Chinese shops all over Manila where different commodities were traded and sold. Robert Macmicking described the shops of the Chinese businessmen as one busy with activity. “The owner usually engages all the activities of his countrymen employed by him in them, by giving each of them a share in the profits of the concern or in fact making them small partners in the business, of which he of course takes care to regain the lion’s share, so that while doing good for him by managing it well, they are also benefiting themselves” (Macmicking 19). The thing important for these traders was the presence of profit on their business activities, no matter how much it was.

            These trading ventures by the Chinese supplied Manila and its residents goods that they needed in their daily living inside the cramped medieval style walled city and its suburbs. Life was not exactly comfortable living inside the walls.

Manila Houses

            The houses in Manila were designed and constructed considering available materials in the Philippine Islands, climate conditions, and of course, the cramped space of the city.  But the inhabitants managed in the medieval setting of walled interiors and tailored living styles unique for a tropical home.

            The Manila house of the old city had many interesting features. Houses usually had two floors. A typical house is generally divided between the habitable and uninhabitable areas. The basement level of the house is uninhabited. No window of a house opened to the walls, which were made with white washed stone and lime (Macmicking 20). Like medieval one-story house, stones were cut and used to build the foundations and ground walls of these Manila homes. Shops were also opened on the walls for selling rice, fruit, oil, among other goods. But these were dull in color (20). It was not easy to live a cozy life in the interior of the city with heavy activity on its narrow streets.

            Ventilation for a warm climate was a crucial factor in building a house inside the congested settlement. These large edifices were made with efforts on ventilation and coolness for residents (20). Most of these attempts were not completely successful or adaptable for the Manila climate. The houses’ interior was seldom laid out, still “deficient in many respects” (20).

Social Classification by House Quality and Location

            Not all houses in Manila were similar each other. Like a medieval city in Europe, most of the affluent and influential lived in the more desirable block sections of Manila and its suburbs. Generally, city residents would want to live in less crowded and noisy quarters for concentration on home life after the day.

            According to Macmicking, the white population of Manila resided “either in the city, principal part of the town outside the walls, other side of the river from the city” (20). Those who resided within the walls were mainly Spanish officials and government servants. They lived in proximity to their workplace (21). But there were those who lived on leased houses. The house owners simply lowered their rental rates for these tenants to withstand the heat (21).

            It was very easy to identify the status of the house occupant in Intramuros based on house design and features. The larger European houses were spacious and built using one standardized plan. Most of the houses were quadrangle in shape that enclosed an open courtyard. Usually, stables and coaches were kept inside the ground floor of the quadrangle (21 and Howard 21).

            Much of the home life was visible on the upper level. This was the only portion inhabited by people. Rooms on the ground level were thought of as uninhabitable. So, these areas were used as shops along the streets and warehouses for goods or consumables (Macmicking 21). Efforts were made to ensure the stability of the house. The masonry of the lower walls was strong and calculated to be earthquake-proof while the upper level’s wooden structure was fixed with bolts (21). Several huge posts, the size of ship masts, support the house from the foundation up until the roof. In addition, the windowpanes were made of oyster shells and not of glass (Howard 21-2). These were some of the efforts made to ensure safety of the inhabitants in the event of a calamity.

            However, the houses of the native Filipinos or indios to the Spanish were not as elegant and of high quality to their Spanish masters. They had to do with affordable and easily procurable materials for their abodes. According to Macmicking, the houses of the Indian and mestizo population are for the most part in the outskirts of the business part of the town, those of the richer sort being built of stone, and those of the poorest clans being composed of nipa or altap” (23). In many ways, this served as an allusion to a medieval European world where landlords and nobles lived in grand houses grouped together while the mercantile and poorer classes lived in smaller houses on the edges and outskirts of the town or city walls.

            Building materials used in Intramuros and its suburbs also reflected the natural topography of the archipelago. There were different kinds of lumber used for particular parts of a house (Zialcita and Tinio 33-41). Volcanic tuff was a popular stone material common in the Tagalog and Pampanga regions of Luzon, the largest island of the Philippines (34). The city walls, designed in the style of a medieval fortress with bastions, were visibly made of adobe. It is described as colored “gray as slate, interesting ripple like feel, much pumice, and little clay.” It also absorbed less water (34). But there is also another peculiar aspect of the adobe. In Mexico, the term adobe refers to the sun-dried bricks made from clay or straw (34). However, this volcanic tuff remains a popular modern building and design material here in the Philippines.

            Like houses in Europe and Mexico, clay tiles were used as house roofs. But at the beginning of the 20^th century, galvanized iron sheets were used in the city. The Spanish government mandated the use of cheaper, galvanized iron roofing to prevent dangerous clay tiles from falling down on the streets during earthquakes (Laya and Gatbonton 77). There were also problems using this material. The roof radiated heat during the day, gleaming at the neighborhood’s sight but got “scabby with rust” as time went on (Zialcita and Tinio 70).

Life in Manila

            Intramuros was not the perfect place to live in, already given the bad conditions inside it. This was similar to the tight and narrow spaces found in many old cities in Europe. People simply had to improvise to sustain themselves in the colonial city. By the turn of the century, it was proven to be impractical to continue with the medieval style of city living. Inside the walls, residents created a lifestyle that was reflective of their class and life in Europe.

            Home life centered on the second level of the house. A wide sitting room is situated on it to accommodate guests (Howard 21). The interiors of the large houses were luxuriously decorated. According to Laya and Gatbonton, “The best Manila houses followed the latest in European interior decor” (83). Designs and furnishings came from different parts of the world. “Velvet and lace curtains, imported furniture, Venetian mirrors and chandeliers, and Chinese porcelain were the rage. Ceilings were painted with flowers and cherubs” (Laya and Gatbonton 83). But there was more to Manila house design than just aesthetics.

            Manipulating the climate was a challenge for the medieval city residents. Ventilation was one of menacing everyday concern. The residents and their servants had to keep the interiors cool by controlling energy from the sun and at the same time, keeping air circulation in and out of the house rooms (68). This is not surprising considering most of the houses are so close to each other and the streets are narrow to navigate through. And, one should notice how the iron roofing absorbed heat at high noon.

            Intramuros was also a medieval city vulnerable to sickness and disease. The city measures against possible agents of an outbreak. According to Zialcita and Tinio, “Filipinos have always dreaded the ground’s dampness and dew, the singaw and the hamog, as agents of sickness. They warn children to stay indoors at dusk when the ground rapidly loses its heat in order not to catch a cold” (68). One can imagine and picture Manilan families with numerous members living in the sweating, tiring atmosphere and congestion inside the walls of the city.

            Today, it is typical of middle and upper class Filipino families to have household helpers or kasambahay to perform household tasks such as cleaning and cooking. The practice existed long into the colonial period. And the work was as demanding as it is before with low pay. Howard recalled during his stay in Manila:

“Our retinue consisted of about sixteen native servants, including the house-boys, coachmen, grooms, gardeners and general hangers-on. This sounds extravagant, but each man received only eight Mexican dollars a month, out of which he clothed and fed himself, and his family, if he had one.

After we left for our affairs in the morning, the boys had nothing to do until we returned, except to dust the rooms and keep the floors polished. Their hardest duty was to provide the house with water, which was brought every morning in a hogshead fastened to a handcart, from the public fountain nearly a mile away” (22-3).

Cleaning the house was a full-time occupation in Manila as dirt and dust easily enters the house. Climate, dampness, and dirt are interesting challenges for the city dwellers. Until now, these conditions are still menacing in the metropolis.

Social Graces and Leisure

            Life inside the large houses of the elite was a reflection of European tastes, blended in the milieu of the walled city. Harsh conditions did not hinder a lifestyle of the classy inhabitants. They followed a theme of urbanidad. This was characterized by “a delicacy in taste, graceful and studied gestures, extremes politeness, a desire for knowledge, artistic accomplishment, stylish attire, knowledge of world history and geography and a fancy home” (Sta. Maria 12). Philippine arts and culture also developed during this time. It was not all European or foreign influence and inspiration. The local milieu was enriched with melodies and lyrics, paltry, theater, and culinary arts (Sta. Maria 13).

            Music was considered important in one’s personal formation. Residents of Intramuros were desired to have mastery in a musical instrument such as the flute, violin, cello, piano, guitar, accordion, and harp (13). Songs were also popular such those from the zarzuela and opera. Dances were also popular such as the waltz, rigodon, habanera, and polka (13). In addition, ability in a foreign language was also a symbol of social status. It was considered a “mark of sophistication,” indicating that one may have traveled and studied abroad (13). These were the marks of what they would call educated in the city’s diverse society.

            Hospitality was already an inviting feature inside a home in Manila. The family is not just warm towards guests; they all eat well. Culinary arts were to be mastered with much effort inside the house. Areas of mastery include pickling, preserving, confectionery, pastry making, bread baking, and table setting (12). European dishes were the luxurious elite craved for. It was a real challenge to have French cuisine at home (12). Overall, it was a big effort to prepare for guests coming over.

            Aside from the social graces one has to carry out well, there was also a time to rest and relax. Family was important for the inhabitants of Intramuros and so they try to spend quality time with relations. Reunions were also held on Catholic holy days and royal holidays (12). Life was also set to budget. Life in Intramuros was set by watches and clocks (12). There was no time for a refined person to slack off, procrastinate, or simply do nothing. One is expected to have a meaningful day inside the walled city.

City Problems and Water Supply

            Living inside the walled city can be very difficult in the face of calamities. By the 1900s, the wall had little value or practical use but the congestion of the walled area made the residents vulnerable to earthquakes. If an earthquake struck, a lot of damage and collapsing structures take place along the compacted blocks of houses.  Macmicking explained the measure to be taken: “On the occurrence of an earthquake, it is usual to run downstairs, and have the protection of the thick lower walls against any accident, such as that of the roof giving away” (21). It is hoped that the structure of the house, if well-designed, can help protect the inhabitants in the event of this kind of calamity.

            Fire is also another problem in a city with a tropical climate such as Manila especially during the summer. On the event of a city fire, “great and rapid destruction is inevitable” (Macmicking 23). The compacted city blocks also help in a rapid spread of fire as houses are made of wood. The best solution was to create a fire trap by destroying some edifices in Intramuros (23). But the most affected in an event like this were the native Filipinos. But they were very resilient in rebuilding after a fire. Macmicking described the Filipinos:

Nearly every season, however, some fires happen among them, and hundreds of families are frequently burned out before its progress can be arrested. This, however, is not anything like so calamitous an event for them as such an occurrence would be to the poor of Europe, for the chief cost of a nipa house consists in the labor of erection, after such a misfortune, they are soon replaced by their own personal labor. For whatever their usual trade or occupation may be, nearly all of the Indians are quite capable of constructing their houses for themselves, and often manage to complete them roughly in a few days (23-4).

Until the present, it has been very difficult to control a fire in the city of Manila. But the Filipino character of surviving and rebuilding lives on.

            In a hot and dusty city such as Manila, water has so much value for man. He drinks, cooks his food with water, and cleans himself with it. Unlike the peoples of the cold countries of the west, Filipinos have the habit of taking a bath daily. They value cleanliness. But not all water sources in the walled city are potable. Water had to be checked first before consumption or use. A household’s water supply was usually stored in a tank at a second floor back room of the house while drinking water was boiled and filtered (Howard 23). Typical of a European medieval city, sickness can also occur due to contaminated water from various sources, including a deep well.

City Transportation and Communication

            At the turn of the century, traffic was already so bad both inside Intramuros and its suburbs. Different modes of transportation were used by the population of Manila. Life soon expanded beyond the age-old walls of the city. In 1889, bicycles started to appear on the streets of Manila (Agoncillo 90). Aside from the common horse-drawn vehicles used in many countries at that time, there was also a public transport system of streetcars in Manila. The Compania de los Tranvias de Filipinas was established in 1885 and by 1892, five street car or tranvia service lines connected Manila and its suburbs. These service areas covered Intramuros, Malate, Sampaloc, Tondo, Binondo, and Malabon (89).  But there were also setbacks on the development of Manila as a modern city at par with the rest of the world. There was only one railway line in the archipelago, the Ferrocarril de Manila, which operated from Manila up to Dagupan, Pangasinan (89). Manila had a long way to go to modernize during that era.

            In other areas, there were also attempts to develop the medieval city and link it to the rest of the world. In 1882, the Manila-Hong Kong overseas telegram cable was laid via Cape Bolinao, Pangasinan. This enabled Manila to communicate with Europe, Asia, and various parts of the world. Fifteen years later, the Eastern Extension Australia and the China Telegraph Company laid the first inter-island submarine cable linking Manila to Iloilo, Bacolod, and Cebu. In 1890, the telephone service began in Manila but only served a very limited clientele (90). But most of these advancements in communications only favored those who can afford and avail themselves to use it. Most of these new facilities benefited the colonial government and the upper strata or influential of society. Many of the ordinary Filipinos still relied on the agricultural background of the archipelago for livelihood. Old Manila and the rest of the Philippine archipelago were still largely underdeveloped and lagged behind other cities in Asia.

            The most obvious and pressing need for development was electricity service. Manila, as the center for colonial governance of the Philippine archipelago, was dark and dangerous by 1900. There was no established large, regular, and professional electricity service from a stable utility. In the early part of the 19^th century, Manila and its suburbs were publicly lighted using coconut oil but by the 1880s, kerosene gas was also used in these places (90-1). By 1900, many homes still relied on burners for their lighting needs at night. A small electricity firm, the La Electricista de Manila, was founded in 1897 (91). But mostly only the streets and houses of the elite in Manila had access to this service. Worse, gas lamps were fire hazards in every home especially to Filipinos living in nipa houses (90). Definitely, there is a need to develop the city at an accelerated rate to keep up with the modern times at the commencement of the 20^th century.

Conclusion

            At the turn of the century, Manila was still medieval in the ways that the Spanish laid out the Walled City or Intramuros. Life conditions inside the walls of the city were crude and congested but the people of Manila thrived, as the city became the center of colonial rule and culture in the entire Philippine archipelago. Through house design and construction, they inhabitants of Manila adjusted to the climate and living conditions inside the city. But life in Manila was also centered inside the home and with each one’s family. People tried their best to enjoy life inside the Spanish city although it was not an actual replica of those in the Iberian Peninsula. For the city and the rest of the country to develop and enter the modern world, it had to surrender its Spanish medieval ways at the entry of another colonial ruler. Medieval Manila of Intramuros was no longer the center of Philippine life. Things had changed at a new crossroad.

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