President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday said the government will restore the glory of the world’s oldest Chinatown by transforming Ongpin and Escolta and other parts of Binondo into cultural and economic hubs as part its efforts to revive and renew the environs around the Pasig River.
The President gave the assurance as he led the illumination of the historic Jones Bridge in Manila – which leads to Binondo – to mark the 50th year of bilateral ties between the Philippines and China.
In his remarks before Chinese ambassador Huang Xilian and other government officials gathered at the Pasig River Esplanade view deck, Marcos said the Jones Bridge is a landmark that stood witness to wars, floods, and the history of millions of Filipinos who crossed it and walked under its lampposts.
“So tonight, we proudly light up the iconic Jones Bridge in all its renewed glory and breathe new life into it,” he said of Jones Bridge’s illumination, which also came with a weekly lights and sounds show as part of the Pasig Bigyang Buhay Muli Program led by First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.
Marcos went on: “This is what the Chinatown Revitalization Project is all about. It is about restoring Binondo and reaffirming its cultural and historical place and significance to our shared heritage.”
He assured Filipinos that the government is working on transforming Binondo “into a place that we can always return to, may it be old Manileños or first-time visitors.”
The illumination of the historic Jones Bridge and its weekly lights and sounds show is a public-private initiative of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Manila city government.
It will be a recurring weekend feature under the Pasig Bigyang Buhay Muli Program, a project led by the First Lady that seeks to revive and renew the districts surrounding the Pasig River into dynamic urban spaces.
Apart from celebrating 50 years of diplomatic ties between Manila and Beijing, the President said the revival of Binondo – a center of commerce and trade in its heyday – is part of a “bigger push to bring life back into our historic districts.”
“As we speak, we are implementing projects to revitalize the Pasig River, including the Pasig River Urban Development Project so our people can breathe and move more easily. They complement what we are doing here in Binondo because an iconic bridge deserves a city that rises along with it,” Marcos said.
He also thanked Binondo’s vibrant community of merchants and other families who kept Chinatown’s culture and heritage alive through the years, and the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. who worked with the Manila city government to make the weekly lights and sounds display a reality.
The President then urged government agencies to ensure the completion of the revitalization of Binondo and Pasig River’s environs “with the same vigor and dedication that we have shown to bring it this far.”
“Let us finish Phase II, as we transform Ongpin and Escolta into cultural and economic hubs. We will bring back their golden years so that we can relive them… This is the real revitalization that we must partake in to sustain our homes, our city, and in that way, our culture,” he said.
