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 and a simple marker commemorates this milestone in architecture and engineering.
There are still several working examples of brass cage Otis elevators in Binondo, such as the ones at the Yutivo Building and the Calvo Building.
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