![]() R-2 | |
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![]() Taft Avenue below LRT-1 Quirino station | |
Former name(s) | Calle Rizal Manila Road Ermita-Pasay Boulevard Daitoa Avenue Manila South Road / Mexico Road (extension only) |
Part of | |
Namesake | William Howard Taft |
Maintained by | the Department of Public Works and Highways[1] |
Length | 7 km (4.3 mi)[2] Approximate length |
North end | ![]() |
Major junctions |
|
South end | Redemptorist Road, Elpidio Quirino Avenue, and Harrison Avenue in Parañaque |
Construction | |
Completion | 1899 |
Taft Avenue (Filipino: Abenida Taft; Spanish: 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 Philippines and U.S. President, William Howard Taft; the Philippines was a former commonwealth territory of the United States in the first half of the 20th century. The avenue is a component of National Route 170 (N170), a secondary road in the Philippine highway network and the entirety R-2 of the Manila arterial road network.[3]
Route description
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/Taft_Avenue_-_Route_170_sign_%28Pasay%29%282017-08-04%29.jpg/220px-Taft_Avenue_-_Route_170_sign_%28Pasay%29%282017-08-04%29.jpg)
From the north, Taft Avenue starts at the Lagusnilad vehicular underpass at its intersection with Padre Burgos Avenue in Ermita. It then crosses the Ayala Boulevard and Finance Street and forms the eastern edge of Rizal Park up to Kalaw Avenue. It then crosses United Nations Avenue, Padre Faura Street, Pedro Gil Street (formerly known as Herran Street, where it also crosses the district boundary with Malate), San Andres Street, Quirino Avenue, and Pablo Ocampo Street (formerly known as Vito Cruz Street) before entering the city of Pasay. In Pasay, it crosses Gil Puyat Avenue (formerly known as Buendia Avenue), Arnaiz Avenue (formerly known as Libertad Street), and Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), where the intersection is known as Pasay Rotonda and the National Route 170 (N170) terminates. The avenue then continues south towards Baclaran in Parañaque as Taft Avenue Extension up to its terminus at its intersection with Elpidio Quirino Avenue, Harrison Avenue, and Redemptorist Road.
History
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Old_St_La_Salle_Hall.jpg/220px-Old_St_La_Salle_Hall.jpg)
Construction of this avenue, originally called Calle Rizal, was completed in 1899, with Calle Padre Burgos as its northern terminus and Calle Herran (now Pedro Gil Street) as its southern terminus. Engineers Manny Aquino and Robin Santos led its extension in 1911, and the avenue was renamed Manila Road. However, a map of Manila produced in 1915 by the Office of Department Engineer, Philippine Department, indicates it was named Taft Avenue.[4] At the height of World War II during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, it was renamed to Daitoa Avenue in 1942.[5] The avenue's portion from Padre Burgos to Herran was also one of the right-of-way alignments of tranvía that existed until 1945.[6][unreliable source?]
Having previously ended at Calle San Andres in Malate, it was later extended towards Calle Vito Cruz (present-day Pablo Ocampo Street) in 1940.[7] It was later extended towards Pasay, then a part of the province of Rizal, and was named Ermita-Pasay Boulevard or Highway 50, with the route continuing past Highway 54 (P. Lovina Street, now EDSA) as Cavite-Manila South Road or Manila South Road (later renamed to Mexico Road in 1964).[8][9] Afterwards, the avenue's section from EDSA to Baclaran became Taft Avenue Extension.
The LRT Line 1, the first elevated rail track in the Philippines, was built over it and opened in 1984.
Proposed renaming to Senator Jose W. Diokno Avenue
[edit]In 1998, bills to rename Taft Avenue to Senator Jose W. Diokno Avenue, after the former senator and nationalist, were authored in the House of Representatives and Senate, respectively. Senator Franklin Drilon later filed Senate Bill No. 2011 in 2002;[10] it was passed on the second reading in January 2004. Manila local officials, led by Mayor Lito Atienza, opposed the passage, arguing that William Howard Taft was a "key figure in the history" of the Philippines and of Manila for establishing a civil government in the country. Additionally, they contended that the move contradicted a Manila city ordinance passed in 1998 or 1999, which disallows the renaming of streets.[11][12]
Later on June 30, 2004, Senator Sergio Osmeña III authored Senate Bill No. 497, another Senate Bill seeking to rename Taft Avenue to Senator Jose W. Diokno Avenue. However, the bill is still pending in the Committee as of August 2004.[13]
Moreover, a road in Bay City in Pasay and Parañaque has already been named Jose W. Diokno Boulevard.
Attractions
[edit]Rizal Park
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Taft_Avenue_-_Rizal_Park_%28Manila%3B_01-01-2020%29.jpg/220px-Taft_Avenue_-_Rizal_Park_%28Manila%3B_01-01-2020%29.jpg)
One of the three entrances to Rizal Park (the others being Maria Orosa Street and Roxas Boulevard), the Taft Avenue entrance is also adjacent to the National Museum of Fine Arts (formerly Old Legislative Building) and the National Museum of Anthropology (formerly the Finance Building), as well as the Statue of the Sentinel of Freedom.
Government buildings
[edit]Taft Avenue is home (or adjacent) to some government buildings: the Supreme Court of the Philippines, Court of Appeals, Bureau of Plant Industry, Philippine General Hospital, National Bureau of Investigation and Times Plaza.
World Health Organization
[edit]The office of the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region is located on Taft Avenue corner United Nations Avenue, adjacent to the LRT Line 1 United Nations station.
University Belt
[edit]Taft Avenue forms a part of the University Belt. Universities such as the De La Salle University, De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde, University of the Philippines Manila, Philippine Christian University, Philippine Women's University and the Philippine Normal University are located on Taft Avenue. The Santa Isabel College Manila, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Araullo High School and the Manila Science High School also face the road directly, while Adamson University has direct walkway access from the road.
National Cathedral of the Philippine Independent Church
[edit]The National Cathedral of the Holy Child (Holy Infant Jesus) of the Philippine Independent Church is located on Taft Avenue.
Intersections
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/EDSA_Station_LRT%2C_Manila%2C_Philippines1_-_Flickr.jpg/220px-EDSA_Station_LRT%2C_Manila%2C_Philippines1_-_Flickr.jpg)
Intersections are numbered by kilometer post, with Rizal Park in Manila designated as kilometer zero.[2]
Province | City/Municipality | km | mi | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Manila | ![]() | Northern terminus. No left turn from northbound. | |||
Antonio Villegas Street | Northbound entrance and exit only. | ||||
![]() | Traffic light intersection. | ||||
![]() | Traffic light intersection. | ||||
![]() | Traffic light intersection. No left turn from both sides. | ||||
Padre Faura Street | Traffic light intersection. One-way road. | ||||
Apacible Street | Northbound entrance only. | ||||
PGH Road | Traffic light intersection. Access to Philippine General Hospital | ||||
Escoda Street | Northbound entrance only. | ||||
Pedro Gil Street | Traffic light intersection. | ||||
General Malvar Street | Traffic light intersection. | ||||
Nakpil Street | Traffic light intersection. | ||||
3 | 1.9 | Remedios Street | Traffic light intersection. | ||
![]() | Traffic light intersection. No left turn on both sides. | ||||
Castro Street | Unsignalized intersection. | ||||
Dagonoy Street | Northbound access only. | ||||
4 | 2.5 | Estrada Street | Traffic light intersection. Entrance only. | ||
Ocampo Street | Traffic light intersection. No left turn from northbound. | ||||
Pasay | 13 de Agosto Street | Northbound access only. | |||
Menlo Street | Unsignalized intersection. | ||||
Inquimboy Street | Northbound access only. | ||||
Leogardo Street | Northbound entry only. | ||||
Lakas ng Bayan Street | Northbound entry only. | ||||
San Juan Street | Unsignalized intersection. | ||||
Samonte Street | Northbound access only. | ||||
![]() | Opposite directions provided by U-turn slot. | ||||
G. Villanueva Street | Unsignalized intersection. | ||||
Cartimar Road | Traffic light intersection. | ||||
Taylo Street | Unsignalized intersection. | ||||
College Road | Unsignalized intersection. | ||||
Villareal Street | Unsignalized intersection. Entrance only. | ||||
5 | 3.1 | Arnaiz Avenue | Traffic light intersection. | ||
Market Road | Southbound entry only. | ||||
Primero de Mayo Street | Southbound access only. | ||||
Escobal Street | Southbound access only. | ||||
Raymundo Street | Southbound access only. | ||||
Lions Road, Protacio Street | Traffic light intersection. | ||||
7 | 4.3 | F. Sanchez Street | Southbound entry only. | ||
Vergel Street, Pilapil Street | Unsignalized intersection. | ||||
![]() | Traffic light intersection (Pasay Rotonda). No left turn on both sides. Change from N170 to unnumbered highway. | ||||
Cuneta Avenue | Unsignalized intersection. | ||||
F. Angeles Street | Southbound only. | ||||
Narra Street | Unsignalized intersection. | ||||
Park Avenue | Southbound only. | ||||
Parañaque | E. Rodriguez Street | Unsignalized intersection. | |||
Elpidio Quirino Avenue R-2, Harrison Avenue | Southern terminus and southern end of R-2 segment. Continues southwards as Redemptorist Road. | ||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
|
Transportation
[edit]Taft Avenue is accessed through jeepneys, taxis, buses, UV Express, the LRT Line 1, and the MRT Line 3. The avenue houses some LRT Line 1 stations, namely: Baclaran on Taft Avenue Extension, EDSA (interchange to MRT Line 3 at Taft Avenue station), Libertad, Gil Puyat, Vito Cruz, Quirino, Pedro Gil, and United Nations.
References
[edit]- ^ "South Manila". Retrieved July 17, 2020.
- ^ a b "Road and Bridge Inventory". Department of Public Works and Highways. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
- ^ "Latest alignment of all radial and circumferential roads in Metro Manila". Freedom of Information Philippines. Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ Map of city of Manila and vicinity (Map). 1:10560. Office of Dept. Engineer, Phil. Dept. 1919.
- ^ Executive Order No. 41 (1942), Changing the name of Dewey Boulevard to Heiwa Boulevard; Taft Avenue to Daitoa Avenue; Harrison Boulevard to Koa Boulevard; Jones Bridge to Banzai Bridge; Harrison Park to Rizal Park; and Wallace Field and Burnham Green to Plaza Bagong Filipinas, retrieved April 26, 2021
- ^ "Malate – Ermita District: Part 1". Lou Gopal / Manila Nostalgia. June 27, 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
- ^ Castro, Alex (October 4, 2017). "Take a Retro Trip Down Taft Avenue". Spot.ph. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ^ Manila, Philippines map (Map). American Red Cross Service Bureau. August 1945.
- ^ Presidential Proclamation No. 320, s. 1964 (October 2, 1964), Naming the Cavite-Manila South Road as Mexico Road, retrieved April 15, 2022
- ^ Vanzi, Sol Jose (March 1, 2002). "DRILON WANTS TAFT AVENUE RENAMED DIOKNO AVENUE". PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE. Manila. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
- ^ "Manila expresses outrage over renaming of Taft Avenue". The Philippine Star. January 25, 2004. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
- ^ Sison, Bebot Jr.; Felipe, Cecille Suerte (January 29, 2004). "Manila officials oppose renaming of Taft Avenue". The Philippine Star. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
- ^ "13th Congress - Senate Bill No. 497". Senate of the Philippines. June 30, 2004. Retrieved July 24, 2023.