San Juan (Metro Manila)

city of the Philippines in Metro Manila

San Juan is a small city in Metro Manila, surrounded by Manila, Mandaluyong and Quezon City.

Understand

It 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 km (2.3 sq mi).

San Juan is a young city, only chartered in 2007. It used to be 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–Angono city bus route between Park N' Ride in Manila and SM City Taytay. The route plies San Juan's main roads, N. Domingo Street 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

  • 🌍 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. (updated Dec 2019)

Get around

The city is small enough to be explored by cycling, and neighborhood districts are walkable. 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

  • 🌍 Battle of Pinaglabanan Shrine, N. Domingo Street. Opened 1974, it commemorates the Battle of San Juan del Monte during the Philippine Revolution. (updated Dec 2018)
  • 🌍 Museo ng Katipunan (Pinaglabanan Museum), 29 Pinaglabanan Street, Corazon de Jesus, San Juan ((inside the Pinaglabanan Shrine complex)), ☏ +63 2 7254 44 70, . M closed, Tu-Su 8AM-4PM. A local museum on the history of the Katipunan and the 1896 Philippine revolt against Spain, operated by the local government of San Juan, and supervised by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Free. (updated Aug 2022)
  • 🌍 Museo El Deposito (El Depositio Museum), Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine, Pinaglabanan Street, Corazon de Jesus (inside the Pinaglabanan Shrine Complex), ☏ +63 2 7753 5439, +63 998 247 0042, . A history museum. (updated Aug 2022)
  • 🌍 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. (updated Mar 2020)
  • 🌍 Iglesia ni Cristo, Lokal ng F. Manalo, F. Manalo Street, Santa Lucia. It was the central office for the church administration of the Iglesia ni Cristo 1925–1971. The complex houses numerous Art Deco buildings, most notably its chapel, designed by the architect Juan Nakpil. Viewable from the outside, not open to the public. (updated Aug 2022)
  • 🌍 Sansó Museum (Fundacion Sansó), 32 V. Cruz Street, . A small, private museum focusing on the artistic legacy of Juvenal Sansó. (updated Aug 2022)
  • 🌍 Music Museum, Service Road (Greenhills Shopping Center), ☏ +63287216726. Performing arts theater. (updated Sep 2023)

Do

  • 🌍 Filoil EcoOil 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), the UAAP games, and is an alternate venue for PBA games. (updated Feb 2019)

San Juan Historical Bike Trail

The city promotes a cycling itinerary it calls as "historical bike trail", to showcase some of the city's cultural heritage sites.

Buy

  • 🌍 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. (updated Mar 2020)
  • 🌍 San Juan City Agora Market, N. Domingo Street, Pedro Cruz. 7AM-7PM. The largest public market in the city, with a mixed-use commercial/retail area on the ground level, and the market below. At the street level, there is a supermarket, fast food restaurants and a drug store. (updated Mar 2020)
  • 🌍 Santolan Town Plaza, Santolan Road, Little Baguio, ☏ +63 2 8898 1702, . 8AM-610PM. Santolan Town Plaza, is a small, upscale mall in San Juan with a supermarket, cinemas, office spaces, and several dining and service establishments. (updated Aug 2022)
  • 🌍 Fully Booked, 2/F Promenade Greenhills Shopping Center, Ortigas Avenue, ☏ +63 28721 4757. 10AM-8PM. The best bookshop in the Philippines. (updated Sep 2023)
  • 🌍 Fully Booked Santolan Town Plaza, #276 Col. Bonny Serrano Avenue (located in Santolan Town Plaza), ☏ +63 277291310. 10AM-10PM. (updated Sep 2023)

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Cope

Go next


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