The Anda Monument, often erroneously referred to as the Anda Circle after the roundabout it is currently located, is an obelisk monument situated in the boundary of

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 central

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 ...

. It was erected in honor of

Simón de Anda y Salazar Simón de Anda y Salazar (28 October 1709 – 30 October 1776) was a Spanish Basque governor of the Philippines from July 1770 to 30 October 1776. Oidor at the Royal Audience of Manila and Lieutenant Governor De Anda y Salazar was an Oidor of th ...

, the

Governor General of the Philippines The Governor-General of the Philippines ( Spanish: ''Gobernador y Capitán General de Filipinas''; Filipino: ''Gobernador-Heneral ng Pilipinas/Kapitan Heneral ng Pilipinas''; Japanese: ) was the title of the government executive during the col ...

from 1770 to 1776. The Anda Circle, the roundabout, is an interchange system at the junction of

Bonifacio Drive Bonifacio Drive is a road running for approximately in a north-south direction between Intramuros and Port Area in Manila, Philippines. The boulevard is also designated as Radial Road 1 (R-1) of Manila's arterial road network, National Route ...

, Mel Lopez Boulevard, Andres Soriano Avenue (formerly ''Calle Aduana''), and Roberto Oca Street.

History

The original monument was erected in 1871 near 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 ...

under the order of Governor General Carlos Maria de la Torre as a form of public gratitude to Simón de Anda for his initiative in the resistance against the

British occupation of Manila The British occupation of Manila was an episode in colonial history of the Philippines when the Kingdom of Great Britain occupied the Spanish colonial capital of Manila and the nearby port of Cavite for twenty months from 1762 to 1764. The ...

which began in 1762. It was heavily damaged during

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 ...

when the Japanese occupied Manila. After the war, the monument was moved to its present location at the rotunda and was retransformed into a monument circle. President

Carlos P. Garcia Carlos Polestico Garcia (November 4, 1896 – June 14, 1971) was a Filipino teacher, poet, orator, lawyer, public official, political economist, guerrilla and Commonwealth military leader who was the eighth president of the Philippines. A l ...

recounted Anda's heroism and defense of Filipinos against Spanish abuses in his turn over speech on June 8, 1957. The Anda Monument had previously shown signs of vandalism. On October 7, 2020, the newly rehabilitated Anda Circle was unveiled. The monument was repainted with the same color as the original. Multi-colored lights and a fountain were also installed. The fountain was installed in a diameter pool and the 222

RGB LED A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. The color of the light (cor ...

lamps light up the water in various colors.

Planned relocation

In September 2014, 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 ...

(DPWH) announced its plan to dismantle the Anda Monument and convert the roundabout into a regular intersection to ease traffic congestion along Bonifacio Drive, the main thoroughfare for trucks going to and from the

Port of Manila The Port of Manila ( fil, Pantalan ng Maynila) refers to the collective facilities and terminals that process maritime trade function in harbors in Metro Manila. Located in the Port Area and Tondo districts of Manila, Philippines facing the M ...

. The highways department also recommended relocating the monument to protect it from damage from possible accidents. The plan was accepted by the

National Historical Commission The National Historical Commission of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Komisyong Pangkasaysayan ng Pilipinas, abbreviated NHCP) is a government agency of the Philippines. Its mission is "the promotion of Philippine history and cultural herita ...

and coordinated with the department for its transfer back to its original location in Plaza Maestranza within Intramuros near the Pasig River. However, the moving of the monument did not push through. In February 2016, the DPWH said that the plan was cancelled, citing opposition from heritage conservationists led by the

National Commission for Culture and the Arts The National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Komisyon para sa Kultura at mga Sining, ceb, Nasodnong Komisyon alang sa Budaya ug mga Arte) is the official government agency for culture in the Philippines. ...

and Senator

Pia Cayetano Pilar Juliana Schramm Cayetano KGCR (born March 22, 1966), known as Pia Cayetano, is a Filipina politician and lawyer serving as a Senator since 2019, a position she previously held from 2004 to 2016. She was also the Representative of Tagu ...

to such plans.

Gallery

References

{{Intramuros Buildings and structures in Intramuros Buildings and structures in Port Area, Manila Monuments and memorials in Metro Manila