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Binondo

City	Manila
Population (2000)	11,619
– Density	17,576.52 per km²
Area	66.11 hectares
– Barangays	10
– Cong. Districts	3rd District

Binondo is an enclave in Manila primarily populated by Chinese immigrants who chose to live in the Philippines. Historically, the place called Parian near Intramuros was where the Chinese immigrants lived while Binondo was the place where their descendants, the Mestizos de Sangley or Chinese mestizos resided. The Parian was sited by the Spaniards within the range of Intramuros cannons, to prevent any uprising coming from the Chinese.

It is located across the Pasig River from Intramuros and the home of Chinatown in Manila. The district is the center of commerce and trade for all types of businesses run by Chinese merchants. It is said that this district was already a hub of Chinese commerce even before the Spaniards came in 1571.

Plaza Lorenzo Ruiz and the Binondo Church

Prior to Makati, Binondo was the main center for business and finance in Manila for the Chinese, Chinese mestizos and Spanish Filipinos. Before World War II there was a bustling banking and financial community which included insurance companies, banks and other financial institutions from Britain and the United States. After the war most of these businesses began to relocate to the newly developing area of Makati, which is mostly owned by the Ayala family. Binondo is also famous for its imitation of a small Chinese town which is locally called "China Town". During the financial crisis of the early 80s, Binondo earned the nickname "Binondo Central Bank" as Chinese businessmen in the district engaged in massive black marketing of US dollars, often dictating the actual Peso-Dollar exchange rate. The term has survived to this day.

The word Binondo came from the word Binundok which means mountain or boondocks. This place was mentioned several times in the novels of Dr. Jose Rizal Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Also, Andres Bonifacio got married to Oryang or Gregoria de Jesus in 1895 in the said place especially in the historical Binondo Church. Before many esteros (canals) have seen in the place of Binondo going to River Pasig during the Spanish colonization. The largest baranggays in Binondo is the San Nicolas Area. Zone 27: 287, 288, 289, 290, 291
Zone 28: 292, 293, 294, 295, 296

Zone 25: 276

Coordinates: 14.600° N 120.967° E

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