My not-so-fond memories of passing through Jones Bridge were always associated with grinding traffic, so I never appreciated the bridge’s neo-classical design by architect Juan M. Arellano, nor the three arches resting on the two piers. First constructed in 1920 spanning the Pasig River to connect the Binondo district to Padre Burgos Avenue in Ermita, the bridge had undergone numerous reconstructions. The most tedious of them all was in the aftermath of the Liberation of Manila during the tail end of WWII. Another restoration was done in 1998, but still, the bridge remained an afterthought to most pedestrians. It was only in 2019 when Manila Mayor Isko Moreno injected twenty million pesos for a redevelopment of the Jones Bridge.
The Renovated Jones Bridge at Night | Manila
The outcome became a hit on social media as the formerly dimly lit bridge became a picture teeming with a 1950s film-noir vibe—thanks to the beaux-arts-styled lamp posts installed on both sides of the bridge. Apart from a new paint job and the lamp posts, there were also other fine details added—or returned—to the revamped look of Jones Bridge.
La Madre Filipina Sculptures
Originally, the Jones Bridge had four statues positioned on the four plinths of the bridge, standing as the "guard of the bridge." Those sculptures were called La Madre Filipina. Each statue symbolized the journey of the Philippines from a US colony to gaining independence. Of the original four statues, one was destroyed during WWII, and the other three were relocated to save them from the ruins of the war.
The statues were called Gratitude, Democracy, Progress, and Justice. Democracy was the one destroyed during the war and was replicated during the 2019 redevelopment of the Jones Bridge. Gratitude, which had been transferred to Rizal Park following World War II, was returned to its original location in 2019.
The other two La Madre Filipinas were still at the location where they had been transferred. The Justice and Progress statues could be seen guarding the entrance of the Court of Appeals. There were plans for those two statues to be returned to the bridge soon.
Neo-Classical Bridge with a Touch of Beaux-Arts
The man tasked with leading the makeover of the Jones Bridge was Jose Acuzar, the owner of Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar. As a controversial figure within heritage circles (because of his method of uprooting old and historic houses from their original locations and transferring them to Las Casas), Acuzar designed the beaux-arts lamp posts that now adorned both sides of the Jones Bridge.
Not only did it illuminate the bridge and wave off all prior fears of walking over it at night, but it also gave the bridge a cinematic appearance that proved to be a hit on social media.
Inconspicuous No More
For the younger generation, the significance of the Jones Bridge might have been lost due to several factors, such as the toxic, hurried lifestyle in the city. How many of us who passed by that bridge in the past never for a moment took a second look at it? It took a high-profile redevelopment project before we noticed it again: its history, architecture, and symbolism.
As the night unfolded past dinner time, I still saw scores of people taking pictures on the bridge. Some motorists even stopped their cars in the middle so they could get off and snap some images. As I walked to the other end in search of a good perspective to frame a photograph, I marveled at the other details of the bridge: the dolphin structures, its arching shape, and even its reflection over the murky waters of the Pasig River.
It was like a scene straight from a cinematographer’s dream. Even the Post Office Building provided a perfect background to the captivating new look of the Jones Bridge. How I wished we could preserve more historical structures in Manila, so more people would not only be enticed to capture them for postings on their social media accounts but also to study the many historical anecdotes that were ingrained into each heritage edifice.
Jones Bridge Heritage Profile
