I recently visited my childhood neighbourhood in the Philippines, 35 years after moving away.
Over the holidays, I unexpectedly flew to Manila after Ma fell ill and with a very sad outcome.
After Ma was admitted to ICU, I could no longer visit her. So, with thanks to uncles, I visited Binondo, the neighbourhood my family lived in for most of my early childhood in Manila.
Binondo is recognized as the oldest Chinatown in the world, first established in 1594 by Spaniards, but was already a hub for Chinese commerce before Spain’s colonization.
My family moved into and lived at a well-known Chinese school when I was 3, after Ma took the job of principal to run the school.
Yes, I spent a large chunk of my childhood living in a school and studying at that same school.
Our home was on the second floor and you can see my bedroom window above the word “Philippine” on the sign in the photo below.
I have many fun quirky memories living here:
Like going to take my shower and there’d be students standing in the hallway outside our door.
I had no excuse to be late for class, as classrooms were literally steps from our door.
I worked hard to prove myself, because Ma was also my principal – a strict one!
We wore uniforms. Teachers did random spot checks to see if our nails were cut. Students stood up every time a grown up entered or exited the classroom to greet them.
I had the school to myself on weekends and roleplayed as teacher in the empty classrooms.
One of my friends lived on the third floor, her mom was the Grade 6 Chinese teacher.
School started at 7:10 and morning classes were taught in English. Afternoon classes ran till 4:00 and were taught in Mandarin.
Kids as young as kindergarteners had exams. The passing grade was 75% and the first thing we did when we received report cards was to look for the color red, which meant a failing mark.
Ma said I once tutored a fellow classmate and when they did well on their exam, the parents gifted me a roasted chicken! 😆
During typhoon season, Ma organized fundraisers to support vulnerable people and families that lived in the slums.
When I first visited Manila in 2008, 19 years after moving to Canada, the hubby and I went to see Binondo.
The school had been torn down and a low rise building was being constructed in its place (see above). I was devastated as I had hoped to see the school again.
In recent years, with the influx of social media, it’s wonderful to see Binondo gain local and international recognition, thanks to influencers discovering its history and offerings for foodies – such as those highlighted in the video below.
My cousin opened a cafe in Binondo last fall and I was so happy I got to visit in person – as I’ve been drooling over their Ube (purple yam) latte from afar on Instagram. 😋
Here’s the latte with the Ube stirred. 😋
As we inched through the Manila traffic towards my old street, I couldn’t help but reminisce about my childhood in Binondo.
Then we arrived at the intersection of where the old school used to be, now in its place is a low rise building.
I walked around the building and gazed down the streets.
The convenience store from my childhood was still there and I spoke to the owner, who remembered Ma’s time as principal.
The streets that once seemed long and wide were short and narrow.
There were still street vendors selling noodle soup – and I remember how Pa would not allow me to have them nor the bola bola (fish ball) skewers sold by vendors outside the school, because he felt they were unsanitary. 😆
My childhood friend still lives on the street. She was working that day so we couldn’t meet up; but we saw each other during my prior visit.
As we drove away, I felt a grounding sadness.
This was probably my last visit, because Pa and my sister were gone – and now Ma.
I also felt overwhelming gratitude for having the opportunity to revisit this special place that will always live on in my heart and memories.
I would love to visit this place some day and try bola bola 🤤
I hope you get to do so, Faith! 😊🙏
It must have been so special (and bittersweet) to return to the neighbourhood of your early childhood. Sounds like a great way to reminisce about your Ma and when you were younger. I can imagine it being tough to leave though.
Thanks Linda. It was a wonderful experience to revisit the old neighbourhood. For sure, it felt bittersweet too and I do feel it was probably my last visit… at least for a very long while.
Oh, I love these pictures and memories! I went back to Makati 25 years after we left and our house too had been torn down and replaced. But the Kalachuchi (sp?) tree we played in was still there. In a strange parallel – we lived on the church property adjacent to the church so like you, had no excuse for being late for services… 🙂
We’ll have to trade more detailed stories of our childhood in Manila, Wynne. 😊 Your childhood living in the church sounds so interesting.
I didn’t get a chance to post photos yet but Manila is quite different and much more developed now. There are some parts of newer Manila that would rival some of the cities in North America. The contrast between rich and poor continue to widen and be so stark, however.
It would be fun to trade stories. Manila is all grown up, huh? Unfortunate about the gap between rich/poor. I remember that as a kid – too bad that it’s wider.
Aw thanks for sharing these memories! The coffee shop by me makes an ube latte that I’ve been meaning to try – I will have one soon just for you.
Thanks Caitlyn. Ube makes everything taste better. Enjoy it!!!
You tutored your classmate! 🫢👏👏👏
I have zero memory of this taking place but Ma seems to find it very amusing. 😆
She must be very proud of you then!
Thank you for sharing these wonderful memories, Ab! I very much enjoyed both the memories and the photos. I am so sad about your Ma … from reading this, I can tell she was a wonderful woman.
Thanks Jill. It was so wonderful to visit and I will be spending time looking at old photo albums this weekend. It’s one of the few things I wanted to keep of my mom’s.
I can only imagine! I loved those pics … I hope you’ll post some more soon? Maybe some of you as a child there?
It’s great that you decided to visit Binondo during your unexpected trip to Manila recently. Visiting a neighborhood where we used to live always brings back a lot of memories. But what’s better is being able to reconnect with our old neighbors who still live in the area. How cool it is that they serve ube latte at your cousin’s cafe! I think ube is one of those ingredients that will make anything better. Really appreciate you sharing this story about Binondo, Ab.
Thanks Bama. In my prior visit in 2010, I met up with my mom’s former colleagues, some of whom were my teachers, for dinner. Two of my childhood friends joined us too. It was nice. 😊
Ube is such a wonderful ingredient and I’m glad it’s getting more awareness and love over here in Canada in recent while. 😊
Beautiful memories. ❤️ as a kid going to see my team play I would walk through our version of Chinatown. Actually it was just a street. But I loved the place.
Thanks Gary. The fun memories we have from our childhood are especially wonderful as they were experienced with the wonder of a child’s eyes and heart. I can imagine how special your Chinatown was too!
Thank you for sharing photos and stories about growing up in Binondo. Your childhood stories about growing up in a school are unique and so interesting! I’m so glad I can learn about your culture through your beautiful, heartfelt writing.
Thank you Vickie. I could’ve written an entire essay about it – and may one day – as it truly was a special time and childhood. 😊
What a kind thing to do Ab, to bring us along on this last visit to home. I hope that these pictures and the time spent seeing special places will help you to have wonderful memories even after such a difficult time.
Thank you Deb. 😊 I feel grateful to have made this unexpected visit, despite the sad circumstances that made it possible. I think these memories will help me through this difficult time for sure!
Thank you for sharing your childhood memories with us Ab. So you had to learn English in the morning and Mandarin in the afternoon. I wish our schools made our students learn a 2nd language in grade school and Jr High School, not just one language in high school for college purposes. Did only school employees and their family live on the 2nd and 3rd floor of the school building? I was shocked by all the wires. Even though this was a sad visit Ab, I’m glad you were able to go back one last time for Ma and the memories. What a kind, caring & amazing woman she was and she definitely passed that onto her son!
Thanks Diane. I really enjoyed and feel grateful to have made this trip, despite the sad reasons.
Yup, we learned English (and Tagalog) in the mornings then after a 2-hour lunch break had classes in Mandarin. Kids generally pick up other languages so quickly because of their rapidly growing brains. I only wish I remember Mandarin as I lost most of it when I moved to Canada!
There were three families that lived in the school, my friend, mine and the custodian’s family, whose two sons I played with too.
Yah, the wires are quite jarring! 😆 Durijg rainy days, the streets get flooded and my dad told me to not go out as many manholes are missing covers and kids have been known to fall in and drown.
It’s been really nice to hear from colleagues and friends of my mom the past two weeks and to be reminded of the lives that she has touched. 😊
More schools need to teach more languages. How scary the rain and manholes would have been.
I bet your mom had many colleagues and friends especially with all the lives she shaped and influenced, including yours. She was an amazing lady, someone I would have loved to have known.
I know how you feel…visiting your childhood neighbourhood that has changed so much, but then leaving it knowing that this may be the final cut. It’s gut wrenching and do sad, but at least you visited one more time. On a lighter note, we spent some time on Manila working as extras in a movie and we stayed in the same area. I don’t remember exactly where it was since it was just over 40 years ago…I do remember that the San Miguel beer was twenty five American cents!
Thanks Margie. I remember you writing and mentioning to me your experience as an extra. I didn’t realize you stayed in Binondo. We nearly could’ve met each other (I would’ve been a baby 😆). San Miguel is still around – but probably not for that cheap!
How lovely that you were able to visit your childhood town and experience the things that have remained the same, as well as those that have changed. It’s so interesting learning about Binondo, and I especially loved all the memories you shared of your childhood there. It must be so bittersweet not knowing whether this is the last time you’ll visit, but I’m glad you have so many cherished memories to carry with you.
Thanks Erin. I feel very thankful to have gotten to visit despite the sad circumstances that led to it. It is indeed bittersweet as this was very likely the last time I’ll visit this place. But the memories will always be there indeed. 😊