MALAPAD NA BATO — A Part of the Town of Pasig, 1862

    

  

In an article from the Gaceta de Manila—the official newspaper of the Spanish colonial government in the Philippines—one can read a public announcement regarding a subasta pública (public bidding) for the construction of a river ferry crossing (balsa) along the shores of Malapad-na-Bato, leading to the opposite bank of the river.

Here is my translation:

“By order of the Director of the Provincial Government, a public auction will be held for the establishment of a ferry crossing in Malapad-na-Bato, town of Pasig, in this province. The project will be awarded to the bidder who submits the best offer.

The starting amount for the auction is set at ₱1,250, and it will be gradually reduced in accordance with the terms and conditions stated.

The auction will take place before the Board of Provincial Government Auctions, at their office on 29 Palacio Street, precisely at ten o’clock in the morning on the 7th of March.

Anyone who wishes to participate must submit a written proposal in the usual form, accompanied by the necessary proof of funds or guarantee, written on third-class stamped paper, on the date, time, and place specified above.

Manila, February 3, 1862 — Jayme Pujades.”

 

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Many still wonder where exactly Malapad na Bato was located. This place was once a sitio (small settlement) that later became a barrio (village) of Pasig. It is one of the legendary sites along the Pasig River, mentioned by José Rizal himself in El Filibusterismo. (Today, it is said to be within the boundaries of either Makati or Taguig—an area that both cities now lay claim to.)

According to old reports and oral accounts, Malapad na Bato was said to be located between East Rembo and the C5 Bridge, along the border of Pasig and Makati. In early descriptions, it was a place visible and passable by boat when traveling along the river from Guadalupe toward the town of Pasig and onward to Laguna de Bay.

Directly across from it—where the Universal Robina Corporation stands in Pasig—was said to be the site of “Doña Jeronima’s Cave,” another place connected to Pasig River legends. On the other side, in Pineda, lies the tale of the “Buwayang Bato” (Stone Crocodile). All of these stories were brought to life by Rizal in his writings.

Perhaps these legends were born out of the imagination and storytelling traditions of our ancestors, inspired by the area’s unique topography—its wide swamps, dense forests, unusual rock formations, and mysterious caves that seemed to hide secrets of their own.

In fact, the mythical tales surrounding Malapad na Bato date as far back as the 16th century, to the arrival of the Spaniards in Luzon. When the Spanish missionaries—led by Fray Alonso de Alvarado of the Augustinian order—arrived in Pasig, they found a pagan settlement worshiping idols in a thickly wooded, peninsula-like area along the river. This, indeed, was what came to be known as Malapad na Bato and Pineda.

Later, in 1574, after the pirate Limahong failed in his attempt to capture Manila, it was said that many of his men fled and hid in the caves along the Pasig River—particularly around the vicinity of Malapad na Bato.

Many more stories surround Malapad na Bato, Doña Jeronima, and the town of Pasig itself.