- Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo, Ruiz Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz, Biinondo
- Mon-Sat 8am-12nn, 1-5.30pm Sun 8am-12nn, 1-5pm
- +63 2 242 4850
- Website
The heart of Binondo
This place of worship is a gateway to centuries of history and collective diversity. The massive church was founded five centuries ago by Dominican priests and is one of the oldest places of Christian worship in the Philippines. The church still proudly stands since 1596 despite numerous reconstructions and natural calamities. Its bell tower and Western façade are the original 16th-century structure, the rest of the church was reconstructed after World War II.
By the side chapel is a painting of the Nuestra Senora del Santisimo Rosario (Lady Mary) the oldest colonial painting in the country. The church floor is formed by pieces of tombstones with Chinese and Latin texts engraved. Masses are held in Filipino, English, and in the main Chinese dialects such as Mandarin and Hokkien.
First Filipino saint
St. Lorenzo Ruiz, an altar boy here in Binondo Church, is the first Filipino saint. He was tortured and executed in Japan during the mass persecution of Christians, all without ever renouncing his faith.
Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz
In front of the church is the popular Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz, with the statue in honour of Don Roman Ongpin, the Chinese businessman who contributed to the success of the Filipino uprising against Spain in 1896.