This Granddaughter of Gregoria de Jesus Is Fighting to Keep Quiapo Heritage Alive

this granddaughter of gregoria de jesus is fighting to keep quiapo heritage alive

(SPOT.ph) It goes without saying Quiapo can be chaotic. In Plaza Miranda alone, its center of activity, you have vendors selling everything from sago’t gulaman to leather goods, lucky charms to pampa-regla, calling on random passersby to ask if they’re looking for a black candle to light, or looking to have their fortunes read. Amidst these sellers walk Quiapo devotees, transiting seamen, Quinta market tenants, various workers, and people working on the set of Batang Quiapo which, of course, has chosen the locale as its centerpiece location.

Quiapo’s constant state of flux has made it harder for people in it to consider it home—to genuinely care for it and see it more than just a “meantime place.” Hence, despite being one of the country’s most culturally rich and historically significant areas, it doesn’t get much looking after—unlike its cultural equals like Jerusalem’s Old City Center or Venice, Italy. Over time, Quiapo has become just another victim of Filipinos’ collective state of amnesia.

Amidst the chaos that envelops Quiapo rises Maria “Bobbi” Nakpil Santos-Viola’s advocacy: to give Quiapo the cultural and historical stature it deserves. For Santos-Viola, preserving the district’s legacy and cementing its status as a protected heritage district is her battle to fight.

Who is Maria “Bobbi” Nakpil Santos-Viola?

Santos-Viola is the current president of the Bahay Nakpil-Bautista Foundation, Inc. She manages the operations and upkeep of the Bahay Nakpil-Bautista, one of Quiapo’s old heritage houses which has been turned into a museum and activities spaces. For a time, she worked and lived in New York City, during her stint at the United Nations headquarters, but decided to return to the Philippines over 10 years ago. She has been managing the house since.

this granddaughter of gregoria de jesus is fighting to keep quiapo heritage alive

PHOTO BY Jerome Gomez ILLUSTRATION Leana Vibal

For Santos-Viola, the fight to preserve the heritage of Bahay Nakpil-Bautista and the Quiapo historical corridor is a personal cause. In an interview with SPOT.ph, Santos-Viola recalls spending weekends, fiestas, and other big family occasions in Bahay Nakpil. She remembers playing on the grounds and running up and down the stairs with her cousins. Quiapo, specifically this house on A. Bautista Street, bore memories of family. It was home.

this granddaughter of gregoria de jesus is fighting to keep quiapo heritage alive

PHOTO BY Jerome Gomez ILLUSTRATION Leana Vibal

this granddaughter of gregoria de jesus is fighting to keep quiapo heritage alive

PHOTO BY Jerome Gomez ILLUSTRATION Leana Vibal

Santos-Viola, as you may have guessed, is a direct descendant of the original owners of Bahay Nakpil-Bautista. She is the granddaughter of Gregoria De Jesus, Lakambini ng Katipunan, and Julio Nakpil who fought alongside Andres Bonifacio and was also a music composer.

Maria Santos-Viola’s battle for Quiapo’s cultural preservation

Just like her grandparents, Santos-Viola is fighting for something greater than just having a legacy. Where Gregoria De Jesus and Julio Nakpil fought for the Philippines’ future, Santos-Viola is fighting hard to preserve what is left of the past.

Much like most old houses and buildings in Manila, Bahay Nakpil-Bautista faced years of struggling to find its identity. It was once rented out to NGOs and government agencies as offices. At some point, it even housed a beer house on its lower floor—it was the last straw for the family who refused to see a gem like their ancestral home in such a state.

After fundraising, curation, and collaboration efforts, Bahay Nakpil-Bautista is getting the treatment it deserves. Today, it is an integral part of many Quiapo walking tours and heritage walks. On Saturdays, it is open to the public should they be interested to learn more about Julio Nakpil, Gregoria De Jesus, Juan Nakpil, and other notable members of the Nakpil-Bautista clan and their roles in shaping our history. But the battle is far from over.

“Although the local city government of Manila is pushing the area as a tourist destination, what is most important is to give economic support to the community,” says Santos-Viola. ” We are asking for the tourism to be community-based. We want the training for the barangays and those who run the communities to not look upon heritage as para sa mga mayayaman or wala namang pera dyan. We want to turn it around, train them, talk to them and make them realize this is not just for us but also for you.” Santos-Viola’s group is advocating for community-based sustainable tourism for Quiapo.

Keeping Quiapo’s heritage alive will take more than just preserving one family’s story. The district is home to many other historical sites, houses like the Genato House and the Zamora House, and places of worship like San Sebastian Church and Quiapo Church. Each is struggling to find its place in the present. And this is why Santos-Viola, heritage advocates like Renacimiento Manila,  and other owners and custodians of properties in the district have banded together to form a consortium, one that seeks to lobby for Quiapo’s preservation and recognition as a special heritage zone.

What is next for Maria Santos-Viola and Quiapo’s Historical Corridor?

For heritage advocates and Santos-Viola, the situation may be dismal but not hopeless. Currently, it is an ongoing battle to have residents and various stakeholders be in on this mindset of working for a better Quiapo. The district is, after all, a smorgasbord of personalities, individuals, and corporations, each with their own agenda.

this granddaughter of gregoria de jesus is fighting to keep quiapo heritage alive

PHOTO BY Jerome Gomez ILLUSTRATION Leana Vibal

In the long run, once everyone is onboard and with the support of government, the group is looking forward to not only the cultural preservation of the area but also bringing it a new life through the concept of adaptive reuse. According to Santos-Viola, she is open to the redevelopment of certain areas and buildings for purposes other than it was initially intended. They could be turned into museums or galleries or music spaces, and unused facilities in the neighborhood can be used for social housing and as commercial spaces for Quiapo’s ambulant vendors.

The group has proposed a bill institutionalizing Quiapo as a national heritage zone on the grounds of it being home to so many historical sites, places of worship, and even gastronomic areas of interest. The bill has been picked up and sponsored by Congressman Joel Chua of Manila’s third district and has passed readings in Congress. Currently, the bill is under review at the Senate, under Senator Loren Legarda’s Culture and Arts Committee.

“[What i love most about Quiapo] is that it is always a challenge,” says Santos-Viola. “Maraming kuwento, kuwento ng mga kapitbahay na Muslim, kuwento ng mga Hijos De Nazareno, kuwento ng nagtitinda ng turon, this is what we want to capture and present to the public. Quiapo is always on everyone’s mind. We just have to bring up what makes Quiapo different from everywhere else. Don’t get intimidated by the utter chaos—that is Quiapo.”

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