Plaza Rueda is a public square in Ermita,

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 ...

, bounded by

Taft Avenue Taft Avenue ( fil, Abenida Taft; es, Avenida Taft) is a major road in the south of Metro Manila. It passes through three cities in the metropolis: Manila, Pasay and Parañaque. The road was named after the former Governor-General of the Philippin ...

to the west,

United Nations Avenue United Nations Avenue (also known as U.N. Avenue and formerly known as Isaac Peral Street) is a major thoroughfare in Manila, Philippines. A commercial, residential and industrial artery, the avenue runs east–west through the near-center of th ...

to the north and General Luna Street to the east. Originally a low, swampy ground, the plaza was established by the Municipal Board of Manila, known today the Manila City Council, on November 15, 1915, and dedicated to Spanish journalist and poet Salvador Rueda, who visited the Philippines that year.

Renovations

Once an open space, Plaza Rueda has been renovated three times. New benches, landscaping and light fixtures were installed in the plaza's first renovation, part of a wider redevelopment of public spaces during the tenure of

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Lito Atienza Jose "Lito" Livioko Atienza Jr. (; born August 10, 1941) is a Filipino politician. He served as a Party-list Representative for Buhay from 2013 to 2022, and was a House Deputy Speaker from 2020 to 2022. He served as the Secretary of Environment ...

. The renovated plaza was inaugurated on June 24, 2006 as part of celebrations for the city's 435th founding anniversary. The plaza was renovated again in 2014, during the tenure of Mayor

Joseph Estrada Joseph Ejercito Estrada, (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor. He served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, the 9th vice preside ...

. Neglected during the tenure of his predecessor,

Alfredo Lim Alfredo "Fred" Siojo Lim Jr.. (; December 21, 1929 – August 8, 2020) was a Filipino politician and police officer who served as a Senator of the Philippines from 2004 to 2007. He also served as the Mayor of Manila twice: first from 1992 to 19 ...

, the second renovation entailed the installation of new light fixtures, benches and a perimeter fence, as well as landscaping. The renovation came at no cost to the city government, as it was sponsored by the nearby Medical Center Manila through the city's public-private partnership program. The hospital partnered again with the city for its 52nd anniversary to renovate the plaza a third time during the tenure of Estrada's successor, Isko Moreno, which included improved landscaping, newly-painted fences and pavement improvements, as well as the installation of

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light fixtures. Again coming at no cost to the city government, the renovated plaza was inaugurated on August 15, 2019. Despite the renovations, a 2017 academic study found that Plaza Rueda had some of the lowest number of trees planted among urban spaces in the City of Manila, with only 11 trees planted, equaling a vegetated area of only compared to a total area of .

Use and surrounding structures

Plaza Rueda serves as a venue for events and projects, particularly medical missions and wellness talks sponsored by Medical Center Manila. The plaza is also a

freedom park In the Philippines, a freedom park is a centrally located public space where political gatherings, rallies and demonstrations may be held without the need of prior permission from government authorities. Similar to free speech zones in the United S ...

along with

Plaza Olivia Salamanca Plaza Olivia Salamanca ( fil, Liwasang Olivia Salamanca), also known simply as Plaza Salamanca, is a public square in Ermita, Manila, bounded by Taft Avenue to the east, Teodoro M. Kalaw Avenue to the north and General Luna Street to the west. It ...

on the other side of Taft Avenue, where protests and rallies may be held without requiring permission from local authorities. An entrance to the northbound platform of United Nations station on

Line 1 Line 1 or 1 line may refer to: Public transport Africa * Line 1 (Algiers Metro), Algeria * Cairo Metro Line 1, Egypt Asia China * Line 1 (Beijing Subway) * Line 1 (Changchun Rail Transit) * Line 1 (Changsha Metro) * Line 1 (Changzhou Metro) * L ...

of the Manila LRT and the northbound United Nations Avenue bus stop are located beside the plaza. Other notable buildings and structures surrounding the plaza include the Cathedral of Praise,

Manila Science High School Manila Science High School ( fil, Mataás na Páaraláng Pang-aghám ng Maynila) is a public science high school in the Philippines. It is located on Taft Avenue at the corner of Padre Faura Street in Ermita, Manila, and was established on Octob ...

Emilio Aguinaldo College Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) is a private, non-sectarian institute of education located in Manila, Philippines. It runs under the management of the Yaman Lahi Foundation Incorporated.. The school is a current member of National Collegiate Athle ...

and the Pearl Manila Hotel.

References

{{Parks and plazas in Manila Rueda Buildings and structures in Ermita

Renovations

Use and surrounding structures

See also

References