San Juan is a small city in Metro Manila, surrounded by Manila, Mandaluyong and Quezon City.
Understand
Used to be a large municipality, this little city is sandwiched between the cities of Mandaluyong, Manila and Quezon City. It has a population of about 120,000 as of 2015, and a total land area of .
San Juan is a young city, only chartered in 2007. It is originally the town of San Juan del Monte, after its patron John the Baptist, and for its hilly terrain, and is the site of one major battle of the Philippine Revolution, the Battle of San Juan del Monte (more known locally as the Battle of Pinaglabanan).
Get in
By bus
The city proper is served by the Quiapo–Angono city bus route between Park N' Ride in Manila and SM City Taytay. The route plies San Juan's main roads, N. Domingo Street and Ortigas Avenue.
If coming from southern Metro Manila, take a bus plying EDSA and get down at the interchange with Ortigas, near EDSA Shrine and Robinsons Galleria. There, you can transfer to a bus or jeepney towards the city proper.
By LRT
- J. Ruiz Station, Aurora Boulevard. Served by LRT Line 2, it is the only rapid transit station in the city, but is at an impractical location above Aurora Boulevard. It is poorly connected to local public transportation (except for jeepneys plying Aurora Boulevard), and to reach the downtown means a walk through a somewhat seedy area. 2019-12-30
Get around
The city is small enough to be explored by cycling, and neighborhood districts are walkable. It is also possible to get around by tricycle or jeepney.
Jeepneys serve Little Baguio from Greenhills and Agora Market (via Romualdez in Mandaluyong).
See
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Battle of Pinaglabanan Shrine. Opened 1974, it commemorates the Battle of San Juan del Monte during the Philippine Revolution. 2018-12-16
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Museo ng Katipunan (Pinaglabanan Museum), 29 Pinaglabanan Street, Corazon de Jesus, San Juan ((inside the Pinaglabanan Shrine complex)), 14.60413°, 121.03130°, +63 2 7254 44 70, mkpms@nhcp.gov.ph. M closed, T-Su 8AM-4PM. A local museum on the history of the Katipunan and the 1896 Philippine revolt against Spain, operated by the local government of San Juan, and supervised by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Free 2022-08-16
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Museo El Deposito (El Depositio Museum), Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine, Pinaglabanan Street, Corazon de Jesus (Inside the Pinaglabanan Shrine Complex), 14.60419°, 121.03172°, +632 7753 5439, +63998 247 0042, med@nhcp.gov.ph. A history museum. 2022-08-16
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Pinaglabanan Church (St. John the Baptist Church), Pinaglabanan Street, Pedro Cruz. A Neo-Romanesque church dating back to 1894. It is declared a National Historical Landmark in 1974. 2020-03-09
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Iglesia ni Cristo, Lokal ng F. Manalo, F. Manalo Street, Santa Lucia, 14.59669°, 121.03256°. It was the central office for the church administration of the Iglesia ni Cristo 1925–1971. The complex houses numerous Art Deco buildings, most notably its chapel, designed by the architect Juan Nakpil. Viewable from the outside, not open to the public. 2022-08-16
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Sansó Museum (Fundacion Sansó), 32 V. Cruz Street, 14.5979°, 121.03683°, info@galeriejoaquin.com. A small, private museum focusing on the artistic legacy of Juvenal Sansó. 2022-08-21
Do
- Filoil-Flying V Centre (San Juan Arena), Santolan Road (Get down a bus or jeepney near Fountain International School). Constructed in 2006 as a major sports venue, this serves as the main venue for Premier Volleyball League (PVL, formerly Shakey's V-League), the UAAP games, and is an alternate venue for PBA games 2019-02-08
San Juan Historical Bike Trail
The city promotes a cycling itinerary it calls as "historical bike trail", to showcase some of the city's cultural heritage sites.
- San Juan City Hall, 14.6048°, 121.02994°.
- Pinaglabanan Shrine, 14.60468°, 121.03051°.
- Museo ng Katipunan, 14.60419°, 121.03172°.
- El Deposito Museum, 14.60419°, 121.03172°.
- El Deposito Underground Reservoir, 14.60414°, 121.03162°. 2022-08-21
- Pinaglabanan Church, 14.60313°, 121.02992°.
- Marcos Mansion (Marcos House), 14.59475°, 121.03678°.
- Iglesia ni Cristo, 14.59548°, 121.03180°.
- Santuario del Santo Cristo Church, 14.59838°, 121.03071°.
- Greenhills Loop, 14.60115°, 121.04898°.
- Club Filipino, 14.60387°, 121.04887°.
Buy
- Greenhills Shopping Center. Su-Th 10AM-9PM, F-Sa 10AM-10PM. Opened in the 1970s, it is a middle class commercial-residential development with over 2000 shops in 6 mall buildings. Greenhills has over 90,000 visitors a day, and also houses tiangges (flea markets) and a pearl market. 2020-03-09
- Agora Public Market, N. Domingo Street, Pedro Cruz, 14.60526°, 121.02333°. The largest public market in the city, with a mixed-use commercial/retail area on the ground level, and the market below. At the street level, there is a supermarket, fast food restaurants and a drug store. 2020-03-09
- Santolan Town Plaza, Santolan Road, Little Baguio, 14.6043°, 121.03398°, +632 8898 1702, inquire@santolantownplaza.com. 08:00-22:00. Santolan Town Plaza, is a small, upscale mall in San Juan with a supermarket, cinemas, office spaces, and several dining and service establishments. 2022-08-16
Eat
- Little Baguio, 14.59782°, 121.03802°. A gastronomic enclave of restaurants and homey, food establishments tucked around the intersecting streets of Wilson, P. Guevarra, J. Abad Santos and V. Cruz in San Juan, and named after the territorial barangay of Little Baguio. The establishments in this area serve a variety of cuisines, and ambiance may range from formal, sit-down restaurants, to hole-in-the-wall food specialists, to casual, local street food vendors. 2022-08-21
- Recess Food Alley, 14.60317°, 121.0387°. 12:00-21:00. A neighborhood "food court" with concessionaires offering local and foreign comfort food, especially for the budget conscious. Originally, the main market were students from nearby schools, but since 2020, has evolved as a venue for affordable "food trips.". 2022-08-21
Drink
Sleep
- The Leaf House, 1500, 45 A Rita, 14.60216°, 121.02603°, +63 966 329 1118. Like staying in a big house. ₱1348 2020-12-13
- Summit Hotel Greenhills, 13 Annapolis (part of Annapolis Wilshire Plaza), 14.60572°, 121.05556°, +63 2 8898 5200. Hotel tower with a luxury feel that has an indoor pool and restaurant. Breakfast served. 2020-12-13
- Greenhills Elan Hotel Modern, 49 Annapolis, 14.60376°, 121.05096°, +63 2 7744 7979. Pretty cheeky place with concierge and a restaurant and pool. ₱1637 2020-12-13
Connect
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