Settlement of Baybay
San Nicolas was originally known as Baybay, due to its location by the sea. The area was used as an anchorage by Chinese merchants who were trading with Manila.
Gradually, settlements would sprout in the area of Baybay, mostly fishing villages. The area of San Nicolas is shown in the oldest map of Manila, the Indigo Munoz map of 1671.
The map shows the area is still sparsely populated. It is during the 19th century that the district would grow and transform into a major commercial and industrial area of Manila.
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