Poblacion, Makati

Poblacion
Barangay
Skyscrapers at Poblacion, Makati
Location withinMakati
Poblacion
Coordinates:14°33′56.45″N121°1′55.48″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Metro Manila
City	Makati
Congressional districts	Part of the1st district of Makati
Government
• Barangay Chairman	Jose Mikhail Villena
•Barangay Councilors	Members Marcelino Crisolo Joanna Marie Cruz Alexander Diez Mark Anthony Gabutin Gio Brylle Labares Kirsten Adrienne Reyes Jullian Kyle San Mateo
•SKChairperson	Phoebe Marie Jara
Area
• Total	1.0342 km2(0.3993 sq mi)
Population (2020)
• Total	16,706
• Density	16,000/km2(42,000/sq mi)
ZIP code	1210
Area code	2
PSGC	137602020

Poblacionis anadministrative divisionof southernMetro Manila,thePhilippines.It is anurbanbarangayofMakati,named and centered on the city's historicpoblacionarea and serves as the second most important commercial center in Makati behind theMakati Central Business District.It is also the city's center of government, culture, history and entertainment and a major business district ofMetro Manila.

Poblacion belongs to the1st District of Makati.It is bounded byNicanor Garcia Street,Antipolo Street, and Barangay Valenzuela to the west,Kalayaan AvenueandBel-Air Villageto the south,Estrella Streetand Guadalupe Viejo to the west, and thePasig Riverto the north. It is also home to the upscaleRockwell CenterandCentury City.

It has a total land area of 1.0342 square meters (11.132 sq ft), which constitutes4.79% of the total land area of Makati.5.71% or 16,706 of Makati residents also live in this area, with a population density of 16,000 inhabitants per square kilometer or 41,000 inhabitants per square mile.

History

Pre-WWII

Aerial view of Hospital Español de Santiago, 1933

Museo ng Makati alongJ.P. Rizal Avenue

Barangay Poblacion is the first settlement of Makati. In fact, when one would mention San Pedro Macati during the pre-war period, it indicated Barangay Poblacion. Since it was the original community of the town, it became the center of the local government and has remained as such today.

In 1620, theSan Pedro Churchwas built by theJesuitsas the center of the Catholic faith of then San Pedro Macati. The residents corrupted this name to "Sampiro" and used this moniker to refer to both the church and the town. When theJesuits were expelledfrom all Spanish territories in the 18th century, the Spanish government confiscated all their properties which included San Pedro Macati. This began the turnover of the land from one owner to another until the Zobel de Ayala-Roxas family began its modern development during the latter part of the 19th century.

Official records show that the first municipal president of Makati was Marcelino Magsaysay, who hails from Poblacion. Most of the succeeding municipal presidents or mayors were likewise bona fide constituents of Poblacion namely: Eusebio Arpilleda, Hermogenes Santos, Urbano Navarro, Jose Magsaysay, Pedro Domingo, Ricardo Arpilleda, Nicanor Garcia, Jose Villena and Maximo Estrella.

The first municipal building, thePresidencia,was built in 1918 in the middle of Poblacion at Plaza Trece de Agosto, now J.P. Rizal Street. It is now occupied today by the Museo ng Makati.

What is now todayKalayaan Avenuewas built in the early 20th century as theMeralco streetcarline fromPacotoPasig(formerly the Manila Suburban Railway). The building of the line partly led to a residential and commercial boom in the town proper.

Post-WWII

The old and new Makati City Hall

From 1954 up to the late 1980s, Poblacion was served by the James Rockwell Power Plant owned byMeralco,one of many to be built within the capital region to provide electricity to millions of its residents.

In 1961, Mayor Maximo Estrella ordered the construction of a new municipal building in its present site, which was donated by the Ayala Land, Inc. In the early years of the 21st century, MayorJejomar Binayinstituted the high-rise 22-storey City Hall of Makati, making Poblacion as the center of Makati's government then and now.

In 2006 and 2007, local and foreign urban planning consultants and other public and private sector partners conducted a Cultural Mapping Report of the Heritage of Poblacion, through the grant of theInstituto CervantesSpanish Program for Cultural Cooperation.

Although Poblacion has kept its old-world charm, it has also embraced modernity and economic development with the presence of a number of commercial establishments in the area, specifically along the main thoroughfares of J.P. Rizal, Makati Avenue, P. Burgos and Kalayaan, the Rockwell Center, the A. Venue Mall and Suites and the upcoming development by Century Properties in the old site of the International School called the Century City.

In 2020, theSangguniang Barangayof Poblacion approved Barangay Resolution No. 2020-689 objecting to the name of Poblacion being shortened to "Pobla" by patrons of the commercial establishments in the area. The resolution cites that the residents of Poblacion "highly considers [sic] the image and values the rich heritage of Poblacion including its name ", denouncing the shortened name and" any inappropriate contraction or misuse of its name "as" offensive and derogatory to the community ". The resolution was reposted onFacebookin February 2023 bybarangay captainBenhur Cruz. The post drew mixed reactions online, with some Filipinos in support of the resolution, while others finding the resolution to be outlandish.

Divisions

Poblacion Makati Skyline

Century Cityis a mixed-used development alongKalayaan Avenue.Century Propertiesbought and developed the lot formerly occupied by theInternational School Manila.TheGramercy Residences,thePhilippines' tallest residential building, as well as theKnightsbridge Residencesare situated in this area. Recently, Centuria Medical Makati also opened within the community. TheCentury City Mallserves as the area's prime lifestyle center.

Makati City Hall Complexis located along the one-wayJ.P. Rizal Avenuewithin the poblacion. The complex houses the 22-storey Makati City Hall, the Old City Hall, the Makati Regional Trial Court, the controversial Makati City Hall Building II, Pio del Pilar National High School, and the Makati City Pumping Station situated along thePasig River.It is located within the eastern part of Rizal Village, which the barangay shares with the adjacent Barangay Valenzuela.

Saints Peter and Paul Parish Church

Makati Heritage Districtis a heritage area bounded by the streets of J.P. Rizal, P. Burgos, R. Palma andKalayaan Avenue.TheMuseo ng Makati,which was built in 1918 and has been used as Makati's town hall from 1918 to 1961, is situated in the poblacion alongJ.P. Rizal Avenue.TheSaints Peter and Paul Parish Church,Poblacion River Park,Makati Science High School,Makati City High School and Makati City Public Market are situated in this district.

Makati Commercial Districtis a commercial area bounded by the streets of Polaris, P. Burgos andMakati Avenue.It is known as the entertainment district of Makati, which restaurants, night clubs and boutique hotels in the city are mostly located in this area. On the west portion of the area, the Antel Lifestyle City, which houses the A. Venue Event Mall, is located.

Picar Placeis an upcoming mixed-use development by Picar Development located west of Century City which will contain one of the city's tallest buildings at 312 meters (1,024 ft),The Stratford Residencesnow under construction alongKalayaan Avenue.The area is currently the location of Buddha Bar Manila.

Rockwell Centerwas constructed on a 15.5-hectare (38-acre) lot previously used as a thermal power plant operated by the Lopez-ownedManila Electric Railroad and Light Companyuntil its closure in 1994. The project was named after James Rockwell, the Meralco's first president. The lot is bounded byJ.P. Rizal Avenueto the north, where it faces thePasig River,Estrella Streetto the east, Rockwell Drive and Amapola Street to the south, and R. Palma Street to the west. Rockwell Center began its construction in 1998. The architectural firm Skidmore, Owings, Merril (SOM) carried out the design under the direction of former Design PartnerLarry Oltmanns.Its centerpiece, thePower Plant Mall,opened in December 2000. The Rockwell Center includes high-rise office buildings, condominium towers, a law and business school and a shopping mall. Among the plans for the area is theLopez Centre,proposed to have a height of over 1000 feet, which would make it the country's tallest building. This design been abandoned in favor of a 19-storey building that will house the Lopez family holdings offices and museum.

San Miguel Villageis a residential subdivision developed byAyala CorporationalongJ.P. Rizal AvenueandKalayaan Avenue.It is one of the first subdivisions developed by Ayala inMakati.

Gallery

• 
  Poblacion Barangay Hall
• 
  Poblacion Covered Court
• 
  I Love Poblacion Marker
• 
  Makati Mayors Lane