Recto Avenue
Claro M. Recto Avenue, more popularly known as simply Recto Avenue, is the principal commercial thoroughfare in north-central Manila, Philippines. It spans seven districts just north of the Pasig River in what is generally considered Manila's old downtown area.
| C-1 | |
|---|---|
Recto Avenue looking eastbound near Tutuban Center | |
The route of Recto Avenue in Metro Manila. Recto Avenue is highlighted in red. | |
| Former name(s) | Paseo de Azcárraga Paseo de Rey Felipe II |
| Part of | |
| Namesake | Claro M. Recto Marcelo Azcárraga Palmero (formerly) Philip II of Spain (formerly) |
| Length | 3.2 km (2.0 mi) |
| Location | Manila |
| West end | AH 26 (N120) (Mel Lopez Boulevard) in Tondo and San Nicolas |
| Major junctions | Juan Luna Street N151 (Abad Santos Avenue) N150 (Rizal Avenue) N170 (Quezon Boulevard) |
| East end | N180 (Legarda Street) in Sampaloc and Quiapo |
Recto's western terminus is at an intersection with Mel Lopez Boulevard (Radial Road 10) at the district boundaries of Tondo and San Nicolas close to the Manila North Harbor. It runs northeast before curving to the east at Juan Luna Street and Estero de Binondo. It then passes through the Divisoria shopping area of Manila south of the Tutuban railway station until it curves southeast past the A. Rivera Street junction. East of Rizal Avenue and Santa Cruz district, Recto intersects with the streets of the University Belt area of Quiapo and Sampaloc before terminating at Legarda Street and Mendiola Street at the district boundaries of Quiapo and Sampaloc.
LRT Line 2 runs along its T. Alonzo–Legarda Street segment. It has a short extension into San Miguel and towards Malacañang Palace compound as Mendiola Street.
History
Recto Avenue was developed by sections in various time periods during the course of Spanish rule. The main section leading to the coast in San Nicolas and Tondo from Binondo was named Paseo de Azcárraga, after the Spanish Filipino Prime Minister of Spain, Marcelo Azcárraga.
In the Santa Cruz district, the road was divided into Calle General Izquierdo, Calle Paz and Calle Bilibid because of the three creeks (esteros) that ran through the district. In Sampaloc, the road was named Calle Iris, which terminated at Calle Alix (now Legarda Street).[1] The name Paseo de Azcárraga was extended to include the full length of the street, which was also called Paseo de Felipe at one point (after King Philip II of Spain). Finally, in 1961, the avenue was given its present name in honor of the Filipino senator, Claro Mayo Recto.[2][3]
On July 7, 1892, in a building numbered 72 Calle Azcárraga, at the intersection with Calle Sagunto (now Santo Cristo) in Tondo, Andrés Bonifacio founded the revolutionary society named Katipunan.[4]
In the early 1900s, Azcárraga was a theater-and-restaurant row, with Teatro Libertad and Zorrilla Theatre attracting the well-dressed crowd to zarzuela shows and operas that ran on weekends.[5]
Originally terminating at Calle Angalo on the former coastline of Manila in San Nicolas at the east,[6] Azcárraga was extended into the new reclamation accommodated for the Manila North Harbor in the 20th century.
Cultural references
Recto Avenue is infamous as a center of document forgery. Counterfeiters openly advertise their services, although the actual counterfeiting is done elsewhere. The forged documents they sell include IDs, receipts, driver's licenses, diplomas, employment references, theses, pilot's licenses, and seaman's certificates. Due to this, locals have sarcastically dubbed the area as "Recto University".[7][8] The mayors of Manila have ordered several police raids on the area; however, some police officers reportedly accept bribes from the counterfeiters.[7][8][9]
Transportation
Recto Avenue is a major stop on three lines of the Metro Manila Transit System.
- Doroteo Jose station at Rizal Avenue served by LRT Line 1.
- Recto station at Rizal Avenue served by LRT Line 2.
- Tutuban railway station at Dagupan Street served by Philippine National Railways.
The route is also served by several bus companies and jeepneys. Additional stations will be built along the road as part of the Line 2 west expansion project.[10]
Intersections
The entire route is located in Manila.
| km | mi | Destinations | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N180 (Legarda Street) / Mendiola Street | Eastern terminus. Continues eastward as Mendiola Street. Access to San Miguel district & Malacañang Palace; Nagtahan Interchange & Rizal Park via Legarda Street. | ||||
| San Sebastian Street | One-way road. | ||||
| Sergio H. Loyola Street | Traffic light intersection. | ||||
| Matapang Street | Eastbound only. | ||||
| Nicanor Reyes (Morayta) Street | Traffic light intersection. Access to N170 (España Boulevard) & Welcome Rotonda. | ||||
| Severino Street | Eastbound only. | ||||
| Coromina Street | Eastbound only | ||||
| N170 (Quezon Boulevard) | Diamond interchange. No access on opposite sides of the road. | ||||
| Evangelista Street | One-way to Recto Avenue; eastbound only. | ||||
| Calero Street | One-way from Recto Avenue; eastbound only. | ||||
| Oroquieta Road | One-way from Recto Avenue; westbound only. Access to LRT-1 Doroteo Jose station. Various provincial buses have terminals near this vicinity. | ||||
| N150 (Rizal Avenue) | Traffic light intersection. Southbound goes to Intramuros, Ermita & Manila City Hall; Northbound goes to Monumento & Grace Park in Caloocan. | ||||
| Florentino Torres Street | One-way to Recto Avenue; Eastbound only. | ||||
| Tomás Mapúa Street | Traffic light intersection. One-way only. | ||||
| San Bernardo Street | Eastbound only. | ||||
| Severino Reyes Street | Westbound only. | ||||
| Teodora Alonzo Street | Traffic light intersection. | ||||
| Benavidez Street | Traffic light intersection. One-way only. | ||||
| Masangkay Street | Traffic light intersection. One-way only. | ||||
| Aguilar Street | Opposite segments accessible via nearby roads. | ||||
| Sanchez Street | One way from Recto Avenue; eastbound only. | ||||
| N151 (Abad Santos Avenue) / Reina Regente Street | Traffic light intersection. Northbound goes to Tondo, Monumento & Camanava area via N150 (Rizal Avenue); southbound goes to Plaza Ruiz & Manila City Hall via Jones Bridge. | ||||
| Narra Street | Westbound only. | ||||
| Antonio Rivera Street | Westbound only. | ||||
| Roman Street | Eastbound only. | ||||
| Bonifacio Drive | Westbound only. Access to Tutuban Center & PNR Tutuban station. | ||||
| Soler Street / Dagupan Street | Unsignaled intersection. | ||||
| Juan Luna Street | Access to opposite segments via nearby roads. | ||||
| Ilaya Street | Access to opposite segments via nearby roads. | ||||
| Tabora Street | Eastbound only. | ||||
| Carmen Planas Street | Access to opposite segments via nearby roads. | ||||
| Sto. Cristo Street | Unsignaled intersection. | ||||
| Elcano Street | Access to opposite segments via nearby roads. | ||||
| Asuncion Street | Unsignaled intersection. | ||||
| Saint Mary Street / Camba Street | |||||
| Angalo Street | Accessible only to bicycles, motorcycles, pedicabs & pedestrians. | ||||
| Sevilla Street | |||||
| AH 26 (N120) (Mel Lopez Boulevard) / Delpan Street / MICT Access Road | Western terminus. Unsignaled intersection. Southwest road continues to the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT). Northbound goes to Malabon & Navotas, southbound goes to Intramuros & Ermita districts. | ||||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
Landmarks
- Shopping malls
- 168 Shopping Mall
- 999 Shopping Mall
- D8 Mall (formerly Benisons Shopping Center)
- Isetann Cinerama Recto
- Lucky Chinatown
- Odeon Terminal Mall
- Tutuban Center
- Universities and colleges
- Access Computer College|Access Computer College - Recto
- Far Eastern University
- Informatics College - Recto
- Philippine College of Health Sciences
- San Sebastian College – Recoletos
- STI Colleges Recto
- University of the East
- Other notable buildings
- Basilica of San Sebastian, Manila
- Manila City Jail (Old Bilibid Prison)
- Manila Grand Opera Hotel
- Tutuban railway station
See also
References
- ^ Quodala, Schatzi (March 2, 2011). "Did you know? Recto Avenue". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
- ^ Old Manila streets lose names to politicians July 17, 2010, at the Wayback Machine published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer; accessed October 15, 2013.
- ^ Medina, Marielle (October 2, 2013). "Did you know: Claro M. Recto". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ "The Philippines, the land of palm and pine : an official guide and hand book (1912)". Manila Bureau of Print. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
- ^ The Americanization of Manila, 1898-1921. University of the Philippines Press. 2010. ISBN 9789715426138. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
- ^ John Bach (1920). City of Manila, Philippine Islands (Map). 1:11,000. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ a b Shadbolt, Peter (January 17, 2012). . CNN. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
- ^ a b Garcia, Robert Jon L. (February 28, 2014). . Lifestyle.Inq. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
- ^ Siytangco, AJ; Edera, Erma (December 18, 2019). "Mayor Isko leads raid on 'Recto' diploma mill". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
- ^ Taruc, Paolo (May 20, 2015). "NEDA approves P27.9 billion worth of projects". CNN Philippines. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
Coordinates: 14°36′17″N 120°58′39″E / 14.60472°N 120.97750°E