The Anda Monument, often erroneously referred to as the Anda Circle after the

roundabout A roundabout, a rotary and a traffic circle are types of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junct ...

where it is currently located, is an obelisk monument situated on the boundary of

Intramuros Intramuros () 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. Intramuros comprises a centuries-old hist ...

and Port Area in central

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. It was erected in honor of

Simón de Anda y Salazar Simón de Anda y Salazar (28 October 1709 – 30 October 1776) was the Spanish governor-general of the Philippines from July 1770 to 30 October 1776. He was born in the Basque Country in northern Spain. Oidor at the Royal Audience of Manila an ...

Governor-General of the Philippines The governor-general of the Philippines (; ; ) was the title of the Executive (government), government executive during the colonial period of the Philippines, first by History of the Philippines (1521–1898), the Spanish in Mexico City and l ...

from 1770 to 1776. The Anda Circle, the

, is an interchange system at the junction of

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

Mel Lopez Boulevard Mel Lopez Boulevard, formerly known as President Ferdinand E. Marcos Highway or simply as Marcos Road, is a , six-to-ten-lane divided highway in northern Manila, Philippines, connecting Bonifacio Drive in Port Area, Manila, Port Area and Intra ...

, 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 (; ) 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 southern halves. Its m ...

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 the History of the Philippines (1565–1898), colonial history of the Philippines when the Kingdom of Great Britain occupied the Spanish colonial capital of Manila and the nearby Cavite City, ...

, which began in 1762. It was heavily damaged during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

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), often referred to by his initials CPG, was a Filipino teacher, poet, orator, lawyer, public official, political economist, guerrilla and Commonwealth military leader who was the ...

recounted Anda's heroism and defense of Filipinos against Spanish abuses in his turnover 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 (correspo ...

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 (DPWH; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for serving as the country's engineering and construction arm. It is tasked with implementing the government's policy to ...

(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 () 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, facing Manila Bay, it is the largest and the prem ...

. 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 (NHCP; ) is a government agency of the Philippines. Its mission is "the promotion of Philippine history and cultural heritage through research, dissemination, conservation, sites management ...

, and the department coordinated to transfer the monument 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 (NCCA; , ) is the official government agency for culture in the Philippines. It is the overall policy making body, coordinating, and grants giving agency for the preservation, d ...

and Senator

Pia Cayetano Pilar Juliana Schramm Cayetano (; born March 22, 1966) also known as Pia Compañera Cayetano, is a Filipino politician, lawyer, economist, athlete, and television host serving as a Senator since 2019, a position she previously held from 2004 ...

to such plans.

Gallery

WTMP Noel Gonong A-23.JPG, The Anda Circle with the monument as its centerpiece Simon de anda with BIR building.jpg, The monument in 2014 prior to its 2020 renovation. The monument was heavily vandalized. Port Area, Manila South Harbor First Gate 24.jpg, The monument with the fountain Port Area, Manila South Harbor First Gate 25.jpg, Marker

References

{{Intramuros Buildings and structures in Intramuros Buildings and structures in Port Area, Manila Monuments and memorials in Metro Manila Spanish era monuments in the Philippines