Baseco, also known as the Baseco Compound or Barangay 649, Zone 68, is a barangay in Port Area,

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

. It largely consists of Engineer's Island.

History

Philippine Island - Manila - NARA - 68156516

The land which covers Baseco today was once the location of a

dockyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance a ...

of the National Shipyard and Steel Corporation (NASSCO). In 1966, during the administration of then-President

Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...

, NASSCO was acquired by the Romualdez family, the kin of the president's wife

Imelda Marcos Imelda Romualdez Marcos (; born Imelda Remedios Visitacion Trinidad Romualdez; July 2, 1929) is a Filipino politician who served as the First Lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, wielding significant political power during the dictator ...

through the Bataan Shipping and Engineering Company or BASECO. In the late 1970s, the urban poor population were resettled by the Marcos administration to give space for a possible international seaport. Baseco was formally declared a barangay (Barangay 649, Zone 68) in the 1980s. Following the

People Power Revolution The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...

of 1986, the national government under Marcos' successor

Corazon Aquino Maria Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; ; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipina politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. She was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People P ...

sequestered the property and the urban poor population began to resettle the area. People settled in an area within Baseco which would later be designated as "Block 40". At least 39 other blocks would be established. By 1999, Baseco attained full access to electricity. On February 12, 2002, then-President

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo (, born April 5, 1947), often referred to by her initials GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician serving as one of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, House Deputy Spe ...

proclaimed Baseco as a residential site.

Geography

Baseco Compound Engineer's Island Manila (cropped)

Baseco consists of Engineer's Island including two stone

breakwaters A breakwater is a permanent structure constructed at a coastal area to protect against tides, currents, waves, and storm surges. Part of a coastal management system, breakwaters are installed to minimize erosion, and to protect anchorages, h ...

one which borders the

Pasig River The Pasig River ( fil, Ilog Pasig) is a water body in the Philippines that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for , it bisects the Philippine capital of Manila and Metro Manila, its surrounding urban area into northern and souther ...

and another the South Harbor. Prior to 1980, the two breakwaters were two separate islands, (Big Island and Small Island). Baseco's area has been increased by reclamation both by the government, Non-profit organization, and residents. The area also has a beach which is frequented by some Manila residents despite dangerous levels of

coliform Coliform bacteria are defined as either motile or non-motile Gram-negative non- spore forming Bacilli that possess β-galactosidase to produce acids and gases under their optimal growth temperature of 35-37°C. They can be aerobes or facultative ...

in its adjacent waters. The area is prone to flooding by typhoons and strong monsoon rains.

Governance

Baseco is a

barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...

and is designated as "Barangay 649, Zone 68" of the

City of Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...

. The lowest government official in Baseco are the block coordinators which serves the residents of their respective "blocks".

Demographics

From the 1960s to the 1970s, families of employees in then-existing shipyard in the area settled in Baseco. At that time only around 15–20 to families lived in Baseco. In the early 2000s, the population of Baseco is around 47,017.

References

{{Metro Manila populated places Barangays of Metro Manila Port Area, Manila