It has been a while since the Urban Roamer last visited the historic district of Santa Ana in Manila. At that time, the series was written based on the Urban Roamer’s scant knowledge of district as gathered from third party sources. Over time, I have gotten to learn some new things about this district, most especially recently thanks to my interaction with people who know a great deal about the district itself, not to mention the opportunity to explore more in depth at least parts of it thanks to my work as a volunteer for the Cultural Heritage Mapping Project of Wikimedia Philippines supported by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. That…
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The Treasures at Santa Ana Church
If there’s one imposing and most important landmark the district of Santa Ana, Manila is proud of, it would be the Church of the Our Lady of the Abandoned, but more popularly known as Santa Ana Church. Its origins actually date back in 1578, when the Franciscan missionaries established themselves at the old community of Namayan, once part of a kingdom bearing the same name. The Franciscans first built a small church near a brook, which they dedicated to the mother of the Virgin Mary, St. Anne. And old Namayan became Santa Ana de Sapa, the first Franciscan mission built outside Intramuros, AKA Old Manila.