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 6 km2 (2.3 sq mi).
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–Taytay city bus route between Park N' Ride in Manila and SM City Taytay. The route plies San Juan's main roads, N. Domingo Street, Pinaglabanan Street, Santolan Road, 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
- 1 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.
Get around
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The city is small enough to be explored by walking, but 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
- 1 Battle of Pinaglabanan Shrine. Opened 1974, it commemorates the Battle of San Juan del Monte during the Philippine Revolution. Neglected for years, it has been restored.
- 2 Iglesia ni Cristo, Lokal ng F. Manalo, F. Manalo Street, Santa Lucia. Formerly Lokal ng Riverside, it was the original headquarters of the Iglesia ni Cristo between 1925 and 1971. The complex houses numerous Art Deco buildings, most notably its chapel, designed by the architect Juan Nakpil.
- Museo ng Katipunan, Pinaglabanan Street, Corazon de Jesus (Near Pinaglabanan Shrine). M closed, T-Su 8AM-4PM. A government-maintained museum on the history of the Katipunan
- 3 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.
Do
- 1 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) and UAAP games. This is also used as an alternate venue for PBA games
Buy
- 1 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.
- Agora Public Market, N. Domingo Street, Pedro Cruz. Somewhere between a wet and dry market and a shopping mall, the market proper is underground. On street level, there is a Puregold supermarket, fast food restaurants and a Mercury Drug.
Eat
Drink
Sleep
- 1 The Leaf House, 1500, 45 A Rita, ☏ 63 966 329 1118. Like staying in a big house. ₱1348.
- 2 Summit Hotel Greenhills, 13 Annapolis (part of Annapolis Wilshire Plaza), ☏ 63 2 8898 5200. Hotel tower with a luxury feel that has an indoor pool and restaurant. Breakfast served.
- 3 Greenhills Elan Hotel Modern, 49 Annapolis, ☏ 63 2 7744 7979. Pretty cheeky place with concierge and a restaurant and pool. ₱1637.