Bonifacio Drive is a road running for approximately in a north-south direction between

Intramuros Intramuros (Latin for "inside the walls") is the historic walled area within the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is administered by the Intramuros Administration with the help of the city government of Manila. Present-day ...

and Port Area in

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 ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. The boulevard is also designated as

Radial Road 1 Radial Road 1 (R-1), informally known as the R-1 Road, is a network of roads and bridges that all together form the first arterial road of Metro Manila in the Philippines. Spanning some , it connects the cities and municipalities of Bacoor, Gener ...

(R-1) of

Manila's arterial road network This list of roads in Metro Manila summarizes the major thoroughfares and the numbering system currently being implemented in Metro Manila, the Philippines. Metro Manila's arterial road network comprises six Ring road, circumferential roads an ...

, National Route 120 (N120) of the

Philippine highway network The Philippine highway network is a network of national roads owned and maintained by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and organized into three classifications according to their function or purpose: national primary, seconda ...

and an auxiliary route of

Asian Highway 26 The Pan-Philippine Highway, also known as the Maharlika Highway ( tl, Daang Maharlika; ceb, Dalang Halangdon), is a network of roads, expressways, bridges, and ferry services that connect the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao in t ...

(AH26). The boulevard is named for

national hero The title of Hero is presented by various governments in recognition of acts of self-sacrifice to the state, and great achievements in combat or labor. It is originally a Soviet-type honor, and is continued by several nations including Belarus, Ru ...

Andrés Bonifacio, the ''Supremo'' of the

Katipunan The Katipunan, officially known as the Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan or Kataastaasan Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK; en, Supreme and Honorable Association of the Children of the Nation ...

and thus the father of the 1896 Philippine Revolution against the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...

. Another street in Manila is also named Bonifacio Drive. It is located at the Tutuban Center shopping complex in Tondo.

History

The road was previously called Malecon Drive during the American period. During Spanish rule, it was known simply as Malecón (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

for waterfront esplanade) which the road was prior to the reclamation of South Harbor ( Port Area) during the late 19th century. It was also known alternatively as Paseo de María Cristina, after the then Queen of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Maria Cristina, or Paseo de Santa Lucia. It was later renamed to Calle A. Bonifacio. It used to connect

Luneta Park Rizal Park ( fil, Liwasang Rizal, es, link=no, Parque Rizal), also known as Luneta Park or simply Luneta, is a historic urban park located in Ermita, Manila. It is considered one of the largest urban parks in the Philippines, covering an area ...

to the southern bank of Pasig River, where the Anda Monument was previously located. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the monument was transferred to its present site at the road's intersection with Calle Aduana, which was converted into a present-day roundabout called Anda Circle. In 1975, Roxas Bridge (also known as Del Pan Bridge and in the present-day as Mel Lopez Bridge) was built to connect Bonifacio Drive to the northern parts of Manila across Pasig River. In 2019, Bonifacio Drive's section from Anda Circle to Roxas Bridge was transferred to the newly-renamed Mel Lopez Boulevard by virtue of Republic Act No. 11280.

Route description

Bonifacio Drive is the northern extension of

Roxas Boulevard Roxas Boulevard is a popular waterfront promenade in Metro Manila in the Philippines. The boulevard, which runs along the shores of Manila Bay, is well known for its sunsets and stretch of coconut trees. The divided roadway has become a tradema ...

from

Padre Burgos Avenue Padre Burgos Avenue, also known as Padre Burgos Street, is a 14-lane thoroughfare in Manila, Philippines. The road was named after Jose Burgos, one of the martyred priests who were executed at the nearby Bagumbayan Field (present-day Riz ...

and Katigbak Parkway in

Rizal Park Rizal Park ( fil, Liwasang Rizal, es, link=no, Parque Rizal), also known as Luneta Park or simply Luneta, is a historic urban park located in Ermita, Manila. It is considered one of the largest urban parks in the Philippines, covering an are ...

to Anda Circle. At the traffic circle, it intersects Andrés Soriano Avenue (formerly ''Calle Aduana''), the main road to

, and Roberto Oca Street, a road to Port Area. North of the traffic circle, Bonifacio Drive continues as Mel Lopez Boulevard heading into North Harbor and the districts of San Nicolas and Tondo via Roxas Bridge (also known as Del Pan Bridge and Mel Lopez Bridge) over 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 its surrounding urban area into northern and southern halves. Its ...

Landmarks

Establishments along Bonifacio Drive include the

Manila Hotel The Manila Hotel is a 550-room, historic five-star hotel located along Manila Bay in Manila, Philippines.

, the

Department of Public Works and Highways The Department of Public Works and Highways ( fil, Kagawaran ng mga Pagawain at Lansangang Bayan}), abbreviated as DPWH, is the executive department of the Philippine government solely vested with the Mandate to “be the State's engineering ...

headquarters,

Philippine Ports Authority Philippine Ports Authority ( fil, Pangasiwaan ng Daungan ng Pilipinas) is a government-owned and controlled corporation under the Department of Transportation as an attached agency. It is responsible for financing, management and operations ...

headquarters, the Port Area office of

National Power Corporation The National Power Corporation ( fil, Pambansang Korporasyon sa Elektrisidad, also known as Napocor, NPC or National Power), is a Philippine government-owned and controlled corporation that is mandated to provide electricity to all rural areas o ...

(which once housed the MMDA Workers' Inn), and the Santa Lucia Gate. Located on the east of the entire stretch of the road is the

Club Intramuros Golf Course The Club Intramuros Golf Course is a golf course situated on the periphery of the walled area of Intramuros in Manila, Philippines. It one of the oldest golf courses in the Philippines. History The Club Intramuros Golf Course's location used to b ...

References

{{Road infrastructure in Manila Streets in Manila Port Area, Manila