Claro M. Recto Avenue, more popularly known as simply Recto Avenue, is the principal commercial

thoroughfare A thoroughfare is a primary passage or way as a transit route through regularly trafficked areas, whether by road on dry land or, by extension, via watercraft or aircraft. On land, a thoroughfare may refer to anything from a multi-lane highw ...

in north-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 populated ...

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 spans seven districts just north of the Pasig River in what is generally considered Manila's old downtown area. Recto's western terminus is at an intersection with

Mel Lopez Boulevard Mel Lopez Boulevard is a , six-to-ten lane divided highway in northern Manila, Philippines, connecting Bonifacio Drive in Port Area in the south with Radial Road 10 (R-10) in Navotas in the north. The highway is the main component of the R-10 ...

( Radial Road 10) at the district boundaries of Tondo and San Nicolas close to the Manila North Harbor. It runs northeast before curving to the east at Juan Luna Street and Estero de

Binondo Binondo () is a district in Manila and is referred to as the city's Chinatown. Its influence extends beyond to the places of Quiapo, Santa Cruz, San Nicolas and Tondo. It is the oldest Chinatown in the world, established in 1594 by the S ...

. It then passes through the Divisoria shopping area of Manila south of the Tutuban railway station until it curves southeast past the A. Rivera Street junction. East of Rizal Avenue and Santa Cruz district, Recto intersects with the streets of the University Belt area of and Sampaloc before terminating at

Legarda Street Legarda Street is a short street located in Sampaloc district in Manila, Philippines. It crosses through the eastern section of the University Belt area in a generally east–west orientation between the Nagtahan Interchange and the intersecti ...

and Mendiola Street at the district boundaries of and Sampaloc. LRT Line 2 runs along its T. Alonzo–Legarda Street segment. It has a short extension into San Miguel and towards Malacañang Palace compound as Mendiola Street.

History

Recto Avenue was developed by sections in various time periods during the course of Spanish rule. The main section leading to the coast in San Nicolas and Tondo from

was named Paseo de Azcárraga, after the Spanish Filipino

Prime Minister of Spain The prime minister of Spain, officially president of the Government ( es, link=no, Presidente del Gobierno), is the head of government of Spain. The office was established in its current form by the Constitution of 1978 and it was first regul ...

, Marcelo Azcárraga. In the Santa Cruz district, the road was divided into ''Calle General Izquierdo'', ''Calle Paz'' and ''Calle Bilibid'' because of the three creeks (''esteros'') that ran through the district. In Sampaloc, the road was named ''Calle Iris'', which terminated at ''Calle Alix'' (now

). The name ''Paseo de Azcárraga'' was extended to include the full length of the street, which was also called ''Paseo de Felipe'' at one point (after King

Philip II of Spain Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...

). Finally, in 1961, the avenue was given its present name in honor of the Filipino senator,

Claro Mayo Recto Claro Mayo Recto Jr. (born Claro Recto y Mayo; February 8, 1890 – October 2, 1960) was a Filipino politician, jurist, and poet. He is remembered for his nationalism, for "the impact of his patriotic convictions on modern political thoug ...

. On July 7, 1892, in a building numbered 72 Calle Azcárraga, at the intersection with Calle Sagunto (now Santo Cristo) in Tondo,

Andrés Bonifacio Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (, ; November 30, 1863May 10, 1897) was a Filipino Freemason and revolutionary leader. He is often called "The Father of the Philippine Revolution", and considered one of the national heroes of the Philippines ...

founded the revolutionary society named Katipunan. In the early 1900s, Azcárraga was a theater-and-restaurant row, with Teatro Libertad and

Zorrilla Theatre The Zorrilla Theatre or Teatro Zorrilla, also known as the ''Duláang Zorrilla sa Maynila'' ("Zorrilla Theater in Manila") in Tagalog, was a prominent theater in the Philippines. Once located along Calle Iris (now a part of C.M. Recto Avenue), Man ...

attracting the well-dressed crowd to shows and operas that ran on weekends. Originally terminating at Calle Angalo on the former coastline of Manila in San Nicolas at the east, Azcárraga was extended into the new reclamation accommodated for the Manila North Harbor in the 20th century.

Cultural references

Recto Avenue is infamous as a center of

document forgery A false document is a technique by which an author aims to increase verisimilitude in a work of fiction by inventing and inserting or mentioning documents that appear to be factual. The goal of a false document is to convince an audience that what ...

. Counterfeiters openly advertise their services, although the actual counterfeiting is done elsewhere. The forged documents they sell include IDs, receipts, driver's licenses, diplomas, employment references, theses, pilot's licenses, and seaman's certificates. Due to this, locals have sarcastically dubbed the area as "Recto University". The mayors of Manila have ordered several police raids on the area; however, some police officers reportedly accept bribes from the counterfeiters.

Transportation

Recto Avenue is a major stop on three lines of the Metro Manila Transit System. * Doroteo Jose station at Rizal Avenue served by LRT Line 1. * Recto station at Rizal Avenue served by LRT Line 2. * Tutuban railway station at Dagupan Street served by

Philippine National Railways The Philippine National Railways (PNR) ( fil, Pambansang Daang-Bakal ng Pilipinas and es, Ferrocarril Nacional de Filipinas) is a state-owned railway company in the Philippines which operates one commuter rail service between Metro Manila a ...

. The route is also served by several bus companies and jeepneys. Additional stations will be built along the road as part of the Line 2 west expansion project.

Intersections

Landmarks

;Shopping malls *

168 Shopping Mall 168 Shopping Mall () is a shopping complex in Binondo, Manila, the Chinatown of the Philippines. The three-story complex is located along St. Elena and Soler Streets just south of Recto Avenue and Divisoria. It is owned and managed by the 168 Grou ...

* 999 Shopping Mall * D8 Mall (formerly Benisons Shopping Center) * Isetann Cinerama Recto *

Lucky Chinatown Lucky Chinatown is a lifestyle mall development of Megaworld Lifestyle Malls located along Reina Regente Street corner Dela Reina Street in Binondo, Manila. Awarded the Shopping Center of the Year by the Philippine Retailers Association in 2015 ...

* Odeon Terminal Mall *

Tutuban Center Tutuban Center is a shopping complex and public transit hub in Manila, the Philippines that opened in 1993. It encompasses five retail buildings and a parking building in and around Manila's central train station located in the shopping precinct ...

;Universities and colleges * Access Computer College - Recto *

Far Eastern University Far Eastern University ( Filipino: ''Pamantasan ng Malayong Silanganan''), also referred to by its acronym FEU, is a private non-sectarian liberal arts university in Manila, Philippines. Created by the merger of Far Eastern College and the Insti ...

* Informatics College - Recto *

Philippine College of Health Sciences The Philippine College of Health Sciences, Inc. is a school founded by Dr. George Cordero in 1993. It is located at 1813 Recto Avenue in Manila. History The Philippine College of Health Sciences, Inc. (PCHS) was created on February 1, 1993, the ...

San Sebastian College – Recoletos San Sebastian College – Recoletos (SSC-R), commonly known by its nickname Bastê, is a private Catholic coeducational basic and higher education institution run by the Order of Augustinian Recollects in Manila, Metro Manila Philippines. It is ...

* STI Colleges Recto *

University of the East The University of the East ( fil, Pamantasan ng Silangan), also known as UE, is a leading private university located in Manila, Philippines. Founded in 1946, business tycoon Lucio Tan acquired the university in 1990. UE was once labeled as the ...

;Other notable buildings * Basilica of San Sebastian, Manila * Manila City Jail (Old Bilibid Prison) * Manila Grand Opera Hotel * Tutuban railway station

References