Sta. Cruz-Escolta: Don Roman Santos Building

            DON ROMAN SANTOS BUILDING 
(Excerpt from Renacimiento Manila article written by Angela AP) 

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 occurred, 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. 

Medium: Canon EOS 4000D
Date Taken: January 27, 2024

Copyright 2024. All Rights Reserved.

References

(1896). Monte de Piedad y Caja de Ahorras de Manila. Escolta, Manila. filipinaslibrary.org.ph/biblio/2651/ Official Gazette of the Philippines

(2014). The Present Past. Manila, Philippines.
officialgazette.gov.ph/featured/battle-of-manila/the-present-past/

Business Mirror (2013). A Walking Tour of Escolta. Manila, Philippines web.archive.org/web/20131005001530/http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/index.php/en/lifestyle/life/15211-a-walking-tour-of-escolta

Historical Marker, Monte de Piedad

Taken on: January 27, 2024

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Camera: Canon EOS 4000D, f/5.6, 1/200 sec, 21mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 4000D
Lens:	EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 III
Aperture:	f/5.6
Exposure Time:	0.005 sec (1/200)
Focal Length:	21mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Not Defined
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop 21.2 (Windows)
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