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Don Roman Santos Building

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2–4 minutes

Article by Angela AP
Illustrations by Diego Gabriel Torres
Renacimiento Manila
05 Aug 2020

After crossing Santa Cruz Bridge from Arroceros, or through the LRT Line 1 Carriedo station, a dusty yet prodigious, yellow Neoclassical building which currently houses a Bank of the Philippine Islands branch can be observed, even from a distance. As its intricate design suggests, the building carries history from itself, fronting Plaza Lacson (then Plaza Goiti).

Where the Don Roman Santos building stands today is the former site of the Monte de Piedad y Caja de Ahorras de Manila (shortened to Monte de Piedad), the first savings bank in the Philippines. It was founded by Fr. Felix Huertas of the Franciscan Order, and thus the bank was also noted to be “the Roman Catholic church’s pawnshop”, having been inaugurated in 1882 and was located in its original location at the ground floor of Santa Isabel College, which was then at Intramuros.

The Monte de Piedad transferred to the site of the Don Roman Santos, which was erected in 1894. The neoclassical building was then single-floor, with the triangular facade (tympanum) marking the position of its original roofing. The columns are decorated in accord to the ionic order. President Manuel L. Quezon worked as a clerk there. 

During the American colonial period, the Monte de Piedad moved to a nearby building in 1938. The building also housed a shopping mall, namely South Super Mart, alongside an American Red Cross Club. When World War II occured, only three out of five floors were finished. 

The building gained its name postwar when Roman Santos bought it in 1955, and was subsequently occupied by the Prudential Bank and Trust. In 2005, the Bank of the Philippine Islands acquired Prudential Bank, and thus a branch stands there today. 

While the building had retained its unique architectural style through the years, recent developments within Plaza Lacson seemingly hampered the view of the facade. Neighboring buildings had also faced significant changes. Nonetheless, this and the few heritage buildings that still exist today manage to remain as treasured in Manila’s nooks and crannies, lest blatant demolition ensues again.

References

(1896). Monte de Piedad y Caja de Ahorras de Manila. Escolta, Manila. filipina slibrary. or g. ph/bib lio/2651/ Official Gazette of the Philippines

(2014). The Present Past. Manila, Philippines.
official gazette. go v. ph/featured/ battle-of-mani la/the -present-past/

Business Mirror (2013). A Walking Tour of Escolta. Manila, Philippines we b.archi ve.org/w eb/20131005001 53 0/htt p:// www. busine ssmirr or.c om. ph/index.php/en /lifestyle/ life/ 15 211-a-w alkin g-to ur-of-es colta

Historical Marker, Monte de Piedad

RENACIMIENTO MANILA is a group of artists, creators and history enthusiasts committed to heritage advocacy, with particular interest on Manila’s built heritage. As such, the purpose of Renacimiento Manila is to produce art to promote and realize Manila’s cultural rebirth and for it to materialize its core philosophy, the Renacimiento Movement. The Renacimiento Movement. What, then, is the Renacimiento Movement? The movement is the core philosophy of the organization. It is founded on the reality that heritage is a cornerstone of holistic development and that it is indispensable in ensuring quality of life. As such, cultural revival is necessary for the promotion of heritage in the national agenda. Heritage should be driven by the people, regardless of race, gender, creed, or religion. This cultural revival can be achieved through the following ways: government support, the advancement of private initiatives, and the engagement of the people.

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