Capitol Commons is a new shopping and commercial complex in Pasig City which is located at the former site of Rizal Provincial Capitol. The new Rizal Provincial Capitol is now located in Antipolo City since March 2009. After the transfer of Rizal Provincial Capitol from Pasig City to Antipolo City with the help of Ortigas Company, the capitol building at the old site is returned to Ortigas Company. Later, the old capitol building is demolished and converted into shopping and commercial complex. They called it Capitol Commons because the former site is Rizal Provincial Capitol.
Let's talk about the history of Rizal because it is part of the history of Pasig City. On June 11, 1901, the province of Rizal was created and Pasig became its capital. The first capitol building is located at Lopez Jaena Street in Barangay Santa Rosa (near to Pasig River) which was built in 1901. During Japanese Occupation and World War II, the capitol building was used for prison and it is damaged by fire in 1944. From then, the capitol building didn't repair because of the shortage of the provincial fund.
Later in 1950, the Ortigas Company donated their building to the provincial government of Rizal which is located at Shaw Boulevard corner Meralco Avenue. That building became the second capitol building. Rizal became a premier province because Manila is surrounded by the towns of Rizal. The towns which are closer to Manila became most progressive including Pasig, its capital.
On November 7, 1975, Metro Manila was created thru Presidential Decree 824 and the 12 most progressive towns are separated from Rizal. Because of that, the second capitol building became out of the provincial territory for more than 30 years because Pasig is also separated from the province . Pasig became an independent city on January 21, 1995. Still, the second capitol building is out of the provincial territory.
On March 4, 2009, the capitol building of Rizal was transferred from Pasig City to Antipolo City with the help again of Ortigas Company. The new building in Antipolo City is their third capitol building. The old capitol building in Shaw Boulevard is returned to the donor and later, it is demolished and converted into shopping and commercial complex. Right now, that site is Capitol Commons.
We walked around at Capitol Commons and there are many restaurants, fast food chains, and office buildings there. Later, there will be new condominiums and townhouses in the area.
After that, we took again a jeepney ride and we dropped off at Barangay Santa Rosa to visit the old provincial capitol of Rizal along Lopez Jaena Street. Unfortunately, the area is closed to the public and you can take the pictures from outside. The whole area is closed and secured by wire fences . We're glad that the first capitol is still there. The government of Pasig City is trying to preserve and build the first capitol building later for their tourist spot.
After that, we went to the downtown area of Pasig City. The city hall is now bigger and taller. The public market is still the same. I missed Pasig City very much because I used to live there in Barangay Rosario when I was working at CFC Corporation (now Universal Robina Corporation) and Republic Asahi Glass Corporation. I was eating my lunch and dinner at the carinderias of Pasig public market. Unfortunately, because of the shortage of time, we are not able to visit at my former residence at Barangay Rosario along Ortigas Avenue. We just passed along Shaw Boulevard and Pasig Boulevard.
While riding in a jeepney going back to EDSA Crossing, we passed at Rizal Medical Center along Pasig Boulevard. Rizal Medical Center is formerly Rizal Provincial Hospital. Because Pasig is separated from Rizal, Rizal Provincial Hospital is changed later into Rizal Medical Center. I'm glad that the hospital is still there in spite of being a crowded city.
Pasig City is still a memorable place for me since my childhood days. We used to visit my aunt and my relatives often in Barangay Rosario and visit at Pasig public market. There are so many changes in Pasig City because there are many buildings and establishments and the whole city becomes more crowded. The traffic is so terrible especially during rush hours at Ortigas Avenue and Shaw Boulevard as well as in Ortigas Center where most of the Head Office of the well known companies are located.
#RizalCapitol #OrtigasCenter #CapitolCommons #Pasig #Rizal
On October 3, 2015, I went to Pasig City, Philippines with my cousin, Rose Ann Zapanta. From EDSA and Shaw Boulevard...
Posted by Armando Magtalas Balajadia on Monday, October 19, 2015