Binondo Church
Iglesia de Binondo
Binondo Church (Plaza L. Ruiz, Binondo 1006, Manila) – located in Manila’s Chinatown district (Binondo), this church was founded by Dominican priests in 1596 to serve their Chinese Christian converts in the Binondo area where the Spanish authorities permitted Chinese and Chinese mestizos to live. The church also served native Filipino Christians.
The original building was destroyed by a bombardment by the British in 1762 during their brief occupation of Manila at that time (rebuilt in 1852). In September 1944 Binondo Church was greatly damaged by U.S. Air Force bombing. Only its stone walls, western facade and Chinese style bell tower survived. The archives of the Binondo parish, with all their irreplaceable historical documents, were unfortunately destroyed. A new roof was put in place in the 1950s and the church was renovated in the period from the end of the war until 1984. A parish center and a convent were added at the rear of the church. The church interior was rebuilt with marble and gilt reredos (screens or decorations behind a church altar).