QUEEN OF THE PACIFIC

Year Published: 1930s

Format: 16mm

Description: This 1930s film is of a series called ‘The Screen Traveler’, created by filmmaker Andre De La Varre. The film takes viewers on a tour of Manila, Philippines. Narration is by Paul Devlin (:21). Manila is the capital and largest city in the Philippines (:37) and the film begins with an image of the bay which the Spanish arrived in 1570 (:42). This is also the site of the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898, where Admiral Dewey and his forces defeated the Spanish Pacific Squadron (:48). In the harbor, a span of the inter-island ships which served some of the archipelago of islands in the area are pointed to (1:03). The Pasig River flows through the center of the city and connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay (1:07). As the Philippines had not yet received their independence until 1946, and the commonwealth government was still under the advisory of the US, American and Philippine flags are seen waving together on the stern of the ships (1:14). Cascos, which are small boat like barges are seen crammed in the canal as most of the local trading was conducted through them (1:23). A close up follows of some of the families who worked in them daily (1:31). Manila was considered to be comprised of three sections, the old Tondo District, modern Manila which was born of American development (1:46) and the Intramuros which is the old walled city of the Spanish and includes Spanish-era landmarks (1:49). The Intramuros was constructed on the south shore of the mouth of the Pasig River and it is surrounded by the well-preserved walls which were built in 1590 (2:06). The mote which had once run around the wall, had been filled in by the Americans for sanitation purposes and the area was now used for drills, recreation and for golf courses (2:12). Inside of the bastion of the Royal Gate, rests the Manila Aquarium (2:39). The Puerta Del Parion follows, which was a gate built in 1782 and is one of the most notable in the area (2:43). All of the cities five gates were closed nightly until 1852 (2:49). Remnants of the Spanish rule are represented in the style of the balconies and grilled windows of the area (3:11). A Franciscan church is pointed to which was over 200 years old (3:16) with townsfolk standing outside waiting for service. A close up is shown of some of the women’s traditional attire which included sleeves of cloth from pineapple plants and a long skirt with trains tucked into their belts (3:56). The Manila Cathedral, which is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, was constructed in Byzantine style (4:08). The Tondo district sits on the north shore of the Pasig river and is the most densely populated area (4:16). The area is a contrast of old and new with skyscrapers, modern automobiles riding down wide paved roads and the crumbling ancient walls and narrow crooked streets with the two-wheeled carromatas (4:43). Escolta Street located in the old downtown district of Binondo is the oldest and main business street of Manila (5:10). Rizal Street is shown next as another important road which was named after Dr. Jose Rizal; a Filipino polymath tagged as the national hero of the Filipino people (5:40). A bazaar which included almost exclusively Philippine products, follows (6:22). Carabao (7:29) were used to pull carts and again the contrast between these, horse drawn carts and modern methods of transportation point to the blend of ancient as well as the modernity of the area. Of the four bridges that cross the Pasig, the Jones bridge (8:10) was the newest and stood on the site of an old Spanish bridge. The Plaza Lawton (8:26) sits across from the post office and the legislature building rests on the Plaza Boulevard (8:42). Ermita is the residential sector of the area and includes the University of the Philippines (9:31). The home of the American High Commissioner follows with shots of the patio and garden which hosted social gatherings (10:20). The executive offices and home of the President of the Philippine commonwealth rests on the north bank of the Pasig (10:25). The film concludes with his home which was constructed for Spanish governors and now housed a Philippine executive who directed the home government (10:32).

Complete Record:

Transcription

manila capital and largest city of the commonwealth of the philippines rides on the shore of the bay into which the Spaniard sailed in 1570 and we're in 1898 Admiral Dewey achieved one of the greatest naval victories in history the Battle of Manila Bay as headquarters for American commercial interests in the Orient Manila has been transformed from a sleepy Spanish town into a modern city into Ireland ships serving the archipelago of some 7,000 islands birth along the caves of the Pasig River that flows through the center of the city from the Stern's fly both the american and philippine flag for the commonwealth government is still under the protection and advice of the United States much of the local trading is carried on in Casco flat-bottomed boats which are polled through the many canals and waterways of Manila each Casco had its family whose life is spent beneath its thatched roof of bamboo or palm veritable water gypsies in a climate that is kind to all Manila is really three cities in one old tondo home of the Philippine masses modern Manila born of American development and intramuros walled city of the Spaniards the last built on the south shore at the mouth of the Pasig River he's surrounded by two and a half miles of walls which began in 1590 were for centuries bulwarks against invasion the moat encircling the walls was filled in for sanitary reasons by the Americans and he is today a drill ground a recreation area and the golf course the balls and bastions are excellently preserved and have withstood even earthquakes which at times laid ruin the old city the in the bastion of the royal gate is vanillas famous aquarium the parian gate is the most notable of the city's five rich until 1852 were all closed at night within the walls little has changed since the days of Spanish rule the main shopping street kiya re al chiefly catering to tourists presents a picture of busy activity and colorful traffic the projecting balconies and grilled windows are reminders of all things the franciscan church more than 200 years old is one of the many places of worship with in walled Manila for the Spaniards converted the Filipinos into the only Christian people's in the Orient long before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock you a bodies with huge sleeves of cloth made from plan apple plants and a long skirt the train of which is tucked into the front of the belt is the typical dress of Filipino women facing quiet McKinley square is the cathedral built from Byzantine style a little more than 60 years ago as a successor to other cathedrals destroyed birth break on the north shore of the Pasig River is tondo the oldest and most densely populated quarter here the masses live and here also is the modern business area of the city in this section are the greatest contrast find skyscraper office buildings and banks among crumbling thick wall ancient structures Broad Street streets and narrow crooked ones canals teeming with boat activity and paved streets with modern fatty traffic in all parts of tondo is heavy and difficult to control with swiftly moving autos abreast kara Matas the two-wheeled native conveyance is drawn by active Philippine ponies the oldest and still the main business street of Manila is the famed ascolta they congested narrow thoroughfare five blocks long which parallels a river between placer moraga and placer go ET on it faced most of the fine shops and department stores of the city another important thoroughfare is rizal a venir named in memory of the great hero martyr dr. jose rizal who was executed by the spaniards in 1896 two years before the coming of the american there are many arcaded sidewalks in Manila for although sunstroke is unknown it is more pleasant and cooler to keep in the shade during the heat of the day each section of the city has its markets where practically everything used by the Filipinos can be purchased in a young coal market a bizarre devoted exclusively to Philippine products almost any locally made article can be secured you the two wheels kuru mata and carrot Ella are the principal conveyances of the Filipinos these carriages accommodate two and six persons respectively little straw protectors are placed on the wheel when the passenger mounts or descends the philippines beast of burden is the care about there are more than two and a quarter million of these patient hard-working animals in the island and our slow pace is appreciated by their easygoing masters in addition to modern motor transportation the horse-drawn bus still holds an important place the pasig river is spanned by four bridges jones bridge surmounted by a filipino figures is the newest the graceful arch stands on the site of the old bridge of Spain the spacious and dignified post office overlooks the river and faces upon the plaza Lawton where the burro goes drive begin the ball goes drive a magnificent wide Boulevard follows part of his sunken gardens of the old wall City Mo near its middle stanza superb Legislative Building completed in 1926 at a cost of 2 million dollars today it is the sea to the New Commonwealth Government in front of it over the course laid out around the walls of old Manila modern Manila plays golf a residential section where many beautiful homes and the best hotels are situated is Amita the famous manila hotel overlooking the bay is one of the finest air-conditioned hotels in the tropics in our meter also the buildings of the University of the Philippines a government institution which embraces wide fields of learning and offers excellent educational opportunities to all contrasting greatly within our irregular dirt streets of Spain's manila are the wide well paved avenues and boulevards of the American city great shade trees over arch many of the avenue and palms or colorful flowering trees line other arteries do a boulevard the pride of vanilla is built upon reclaimed land along the shores of the bay an ideal location for the many residences of which the city boasts among them is that of the American High Commissioner the spacious house with its gardens in patio is often the scene of social slender situated on the north bank of the plastic River are the executive offices and home of the president of the philippine commonwealth in a mansion built as the suburban residents for spanish governor's a philippine chief executive now directs the home government of his Island Commonwealth an archipelago fast changing from a dreamy Spanish colony to a modern agricultural industrial and independent country

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