The Philippines Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow
First Waterworks of Manila: Carriedo Waterworks Manila’s first modern waterworks system was the Carriedo Waterworks. The system was named after Francisco de Carriedo, a Spanish merchant whose death in 1743 left 10,000 pesos to the city for the construction of a water system. In 1882, the Carriedo Waterworks was inaugurated. It drew water from the … Read more
The first elevator in Metro Manila was installed in 1919 at the Burke Building, which stood at the corner of Calle Escolta and Burke street. The Burke Building was equipped with an Otis Elevator, that featured a brass cage that had to be manually closed before the lift could be moved. Burke Building still stands … Read more
Buko Pie History Filipinos are known for naturally having sweet teeth. Traveling around the country, each town has its own must-try sweet delicacy. Take a look at these popular Pinoy desserts and satisfy that sweet tooth in you! Buko Pie is a traditional Filipino dessert that originated in Laguna. In the 1950s Nanette Pahud sharpened … Read more
Kutsinta History The name of the rice cake “kutsinta” has two possible origins. First, it was named after the kitchen tool that was used to make it flat and saucer-like . Second, it came from the word “Kueh Tsin Tao”, a Hokkien word that means small cookie or cake. The Filipinos later added the use … Read more
Taho History Taho, which is a morning snack or a dessert when chilled, has its origins in China. The origin of one of its components, tofu, was discovered accidentally by the Mongolians. The Chinese then added different toppings, including almond syrup, which was later on passed on to Malay natives in the Philippines. Taho comes … Read more