ESCOLTA, MANILA 1920s

One of the oldest streets in Manila, Escolta was created in 1594. Its name was derived from the Spanish word escoltar, meaning " to escort ". It certainly has a rich history dating back to the early Spanish colonial days. Escolta used to be a sleepy town during the early part of the Spanish colonial regime. Later on, it became known for its concentration of immigrant merchants, mainly from Fujian, China, who came to make their fortune during the Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade. The street was lined with shops and boutiques selling imported goods from China, Europe and elsewhere in Latin America that arrived in the nearby port of San Nicolas.

The coming of the American troops after the Spanish-American War ended transformed Escolta almost overnight into a wild and noisy row of bars and saloon. But Governor-General William Howard Taft soon changed all this when one of his earliest official acts was to bar all saloons from the Escolta in 1902. It became a respectable shopping thoroughfare once again with the influx of a large number of American investors, most of them established their headquarters and offices in and around Escolta.