It is remarkable to realize that San Sebastian Basilica has managed to withstand a lot for more than 125 years and counting. It managed to survive earthquakes, typhoons, and war, not to mention the changing urban landscape that has been detrimental to the city’s development after the war. Its significance as a landmark, a heritage structure and an architectural marvel has not diminished and has become an important of Manila’s landscape for more than a century. That’s not to say the San Sebastian Basilica has been without its own challenges. On the contrary, the fact that it is structure made entirely of metal makes it more prone to elements and…

So much has been written and said about the San Sebastian Basilica in Manila’s Quiapo district. It is, after all, an iconic structure that has pretty much defined the city’s skyline for more than a century. And if we are going to dig deeper, two reasons can be determined as to why and how it became such an icon. One is the Neo-Gothic inspired architecture that is akin to the churches in Europe. And the other is the method of construction used in building this church, as the first and only structure in the country that is built entirely of metal.