Today, San Juan celebrates its 100th year of founding as an independent municipality.

A century of its existence has seen its evolution into one of Metro Manila’s fast-growing, potentially-rich and economically promising LGUs, where tell-tale signs of progress are seen and felt on its main thoroughfares.

Perhaps unknown to many, the Municipality of San Juan is one of the oldest of its kind, rich in an historical legacy that dates back to pre-Spanish times, when it was a barrio of Sta. Ana de Sapa ruled by King Lacantagean and his wife Bouan.

"San Juan has played a very significant role in the history of the Philippines," stressed its Mayor, Joseph Victor ‘JV’ Ejercito. "For one, it is where the first battle of the Katipunan took place. Two, it is a venue where a lot of historic events has unfolded. And three, San Juan is proud of the fact that four of the country’s Presidents lived here. Sum all these legacies up and you have a municipality that still retains its mystique as a place for history buffs, as well as a tourist attraction."

Yes, those legacies are still alive and well in San Juan. An epitome of history at its preserved best is experienced with a visit to the Katipunan Museum, located in the very spot where this revolution that led towards Philippine independence took place. Housed in a structure that combines contemporary and colonial styles, the museum takes pride in its collection of Katipunan relics that range from impressive dioramas and a realistic painting vividly depicting phases of the revolution to documents as well as weapons and paraphernalia used by the Katipuneros during their struggle against the Spaniards.

Not to be outdone are turn-of-the-century churches (Pinaglabanan Church, Sanctuario del Sto. Cristo), well-maintained monuments and shrines in honor of heroes of the Katipunan such as Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto and Dr. Jose Rizal as well as the infamous battle of Pinaglabanan and El Polvorin, thus lending an ageless aura to a municipality on the move.

That revolutionary spirit that has helped shape history is evident in the San Juan of today, steadily guided under the leadership of Mayor JV. The people-friendly projects that he helped initiate derive inspiration from the legacy of the Katipuneros themselves, known as the ‘5K’s’: Kaunlaran (infrastructure and socio-economic development), Kalusugan (health and sanitation) Kabuhayan (livelihood), Katahimikan (peace and order), Kalinisan (cleanliness and beautification).

Under Kaunlaran, Mayor JV’s incumbency was able to finish, among several other projects, the rehabilitation of the Liwasan ng Batang San Juan (formerly Mini-Park), the Museo ng Katipunan; the completion of the San Juan Arena; and install street lights on all major thoroughfare, as well as street names with signages. To boost the presence of San Juan, the municipality hosted the Asian Games Torch Relay and the Symposium of People with Disability (PWD) on Magna Carta. On the barangay level, Kaunlaran resulted in the distribution of jogging pants and bags to public school students, the holding of the annual Mayor’s Cup, Inter-High School Tournament and SK Cup and regular Talakayan sa Barangay sessions, while Sangguniang Kabataan Federation was reorganized.

Kalusugan yielded the more efficient and streamlined delivery and distribution of services such as Philhealth cards, the formation of Dengue-busters, and an Oplan Iwas-Tigdas program in addition to the construction of Botikas sa Barangay in all barangays, a Libreng Konsulta sa Unilab, a Free Cataract Operations project in cooperation with the Rotary Club of San Juan and regular medical and dental missions.

San Juan’s reputation as one of the most peaceful and safest LGUs is not only attributed to its surprisingly low crime rate, but to its consistency in furthering steps and moves to reduce such problems to a minimum. This is also behind the rationale of the Katahimikan program that has carried out the turn-over of new patrol cars to the San Juan PNP, the acquisition of Police Smart Bikes, the reactivation of RESCUE-SAN JUAN (Rescue 1226) and the incorporation of Disaster Preparedness, Self-defense and Self-discipline seminars for barangay police.

Noting that the municipality lies at the crossroad of growth in the Eastern Metro Manila Economic Area, and as his way of boosting San Juan’s economic competitiveness, Mayor JV’s Kabuhayan program resulted in the hosting of regular and mega job fairs, a Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES), continued manpower and livelihood trainings coupled with free livelihood courses, and the launching of the San Juan Business Council.

Finally, San Juan at its clean, green best has been epitomized in the accomplishments under the banner of Kalinisan, where the Pinaglabanan Shrine was rehabilitated side by side with frequent street repainting, daily garbage collections and declogging of drainage systems, regular Linis Bayan and clearing operations and the demolition of illegal vendors and shanties.

Putting to work all the activities under the ‘5K’s’ have equally honed San Juan’s competitive spirit that enables it complement the activities of the other big cities that surround it—aside from being honoured with distinctions such as the ‘best fiscally-managed municipality in the Philippines,’ as the ‘municipality with the highest gross income and cash in bank’ and a second-placer in terms of highest net income and current assets as affirmed by the Commission on Audit (COA), and as the ‘municipality with the lowest poverty incidence of 2.92%’ from the National Statistics Coordinating Board (NSCB).

Emphasized he: "San Juan may be small, and we really have to work hard to stand on our own. Yet we are persistent to become a developed LGU.

"As a business-friendly LGU, we have eliminated red tape to allow the easy setting up of new businesses, while at the municipal government we have professionalized our ranks, attitude and culture, thus creating an atmosphere conducive to growth. With the redevelopment of the Greenhills Commercial Center to make it more up to the times and attractive to both shoppers and entrepreneurs, this has equally made San Juan the ‘tiangge’ capital of the Eastern Metro Manila Growth Area. Thanks to these initiatives, over 3,000 new businesses have been set up in San Juan in the last few years alone.

"Not to be outdone, San Juan is also lucky for being at the center, as it enables services such as fire-fighting units from neighbouring cities to act fast in case of emergency."

What can be regarded as a turning point in San Juan’s history is its transition to cityhood. Last December, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would designate San Juan into a city. Yet there are two major obstacles that remain: its limited size and a population of nearly 200,000.

"We have almost given up on cityhood, but should this take place, we have asked for a five-year moratorium whereas there will be no increase in fees and permits, and for us to carry out our collection of taxes."

But just as cityhood will mean opening up to dilemmas that cities face, most notably congestion, how will San Juan manage to cope up?

"What is needed is regulation," the Mayor pointed out. "In San Juan’s case, we are careful about issuing new permits, just as we have a comprehensive zoning plan where specific areas are designated for residential, commercial or leisure purposes. As for traffic, our streets are not designed to carry so much vehicles; what we do to minimize traffic is the implementation of number coding."

100 years has passed, and San Juan has indeed experienced some of the most tumultuous events that have shaped the destiny of the Philippines. Yet the next era—as it attains its cityhood—may prove to be crucial. It is also time to realize that continuing to follow modernization with all its ills may lead to San Juan’s loss of mystique and identity. What is needed is for the city and its leaders to take time to reflect on the legacies of the past, and derive the strength from them to face the most testing challenges of tomorrow.

These elements, combined with charisma, credibility and a pragmatic approach to managing day-to-day affairs best epitomize the leader that is Mayor JV Ejercito. Armed with the spirit of determination that has been imbedded in the Katipuneros who fought for the country’s independence in his home town, Mayor JV has worked towards the reforms that have indeed uplifted the well-being of his constituents, giving them all the encouragement to create a better future while deriving their inspiration from the events that have put San Juan a rightful position in Philippine history.

There is more to San Juan than its colorful political and cultural history. The municipality has improved considerably all these years and merit must be given to the municipal government’s constant effort to address the fundamental economic, social and political concerns, especially the enforcement of laws and anti-crime campaigns, to make it better and safer place to live and to do business.

San Juan is officially named Municipality of San Juan del Monte. It is located nearly in the center of Metro Manila; bordered by Quezon City to the north and east, Mandaluyong City to the south, and Manila to the west. It is the second smallest among the cities and municipalities in the metropolis.

True, San Juan is small, with a total land area of 5.94 sq.m., less than one percent of the total area of the National Capital region, and one of the smallest political subdivisions of the metropolis. Its population as of today is has neared the 200,000 mark.

But don’t be belittled by San Juan’s small size. Out of its smallness come big wonders. It is one of the country’s top commercial/entertainment/leisure centers, thanks to the brilliantly refurbished Greenhills Shopping Center with its numerous top-class shopping, dining and entertainment diversions that include the numerous stalls that have made it the ‘tiangge capital’ of Metro Manila. Not far from it are the Wilson St. and Madison Square areas, both of which contain some of Metro Manila’s trendiest restaurants, fast-foods, watering holes and specialty shops. San Juan is also a centre for education, where the Xavier School, Immaculate Conception Academy and Montessori in Greenhills, as well as the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication are located. And one of the country’s premier cable TV providers, Home Cable, is headquartered in San Juan. This is in addition to Greenhills, one of the country’s top residential areas, and Little Baguio, noted for its wimding streets between well-preserved ancestral homes.

During the pre-Spanish times, San Juan was a mere village until it became a small encomienda in 1590. Formerly a barrio of Santa Ana de Sapa, which was ruled by King Lacantagean and his wife Bouan, the town derived its name from the patron saint San Juan de Bautista (Saint John the Baptist), and "Del Monte," often annexed to it, was named after the hilly structure of the land.

In 1602, the Dominican friars built a retreat house for their immediate use, where aging convalescing friars stayed. Later, the Dominicans Constructed a convent sanctuary and a stone church dedicated to the Holy Cross, a church destined to be ravaged during the Spanish occupation. To this day, the thrice-rebuilt church of the Holy Cross stands on the same site, with the Aquinas School for the boys and the Dominican College for the girls. In 1783, San Juan became independent of Sta. Ana but it was still then a barrio.

History remained silent in the town of San Juan until August 30, 1896 when Spanish-Filipino war erupted and became the most inspiring battle in our history, the Battle of San Juan Del Monte.

Before the arrival of the Spaniards, Santa Ana de Sapa ruled by King Lacantagean and his wife Bouan, was the mother town of San Juan, including the localities of Quiapo, San Miguel, Sampaloc, Pandacan, Paco, Malate, Pasay, San Pedro, Makati, San Felipe Neri and Taytay, then known as the Province of Tondo, later renamed Manila.

San Juan’s civil religious affairs were dependent upon the authorities of the Parish of Santa Ana until 1863.

In 1602, the Dominican Friars constructed a small church in Sitio Kabayanan and called it the Church of San Juan del Monte. In advocation of St. John the Baptist (San Juan Bautista), the name was given to the town and his image was enshrined thereat. The church was burned during the Chinese uprising of 1639 and by the British in July, 1763. It was reconstructed in 1774. Father Sebastian De Oquero, O.P. Priar of Sto. Domingo Church transferred a life-size image of the Crucified Christ from Binondo Church to the edifice. The image of St. John the Baptist gave way and waited for the construction of the new church. Being the seat and Sanctuary of the Confraternity of Santismo Cristo de San Juan, approved by Pope Innocent the Tenth, the Church was renamed "Sanctuario de Santo Cristo" in March 4, 1648.

On July 15, 1894, the Vice Royal patron of the Philippines issued a Royal Decree establishing the Parish of San Juan Bautista. A year later, St. John the Baptist Church was constructed at Pinaglabanan. The image of San Juan Bautista was transferred and permanently enshrined therein. The first town fiesta was celebrated on June 24, 1896, barely two months before the Spanish-Filipino War erupted on August 30, 1896, which ignited the Philippine Revolution, when Andres Bonifacio and the Katipuneros invaded the Almacen de Polvora (built in 1771), a Spanish ammunition dump located at the present site of the San Juan Elementary School, in A. Luna Street.

American Commodore George Dewey annihilated the Spanish Armada of Admiral Protacio Montojo on May 1, 1898 at Manila Bay. On June 12, 1898, General Aguinaldo9 proclaimed Philippine Independence at Kawit, Cavite. On August 3, 1898, Manila was occupied by the Americans. The treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898, formally concluded the Spanish-American hostilities.

On February 4, 1899, Private Willie Grayson of the U.S. Nebraska Volunteers Regiment fired the first shot at San Juan Bridge, killing two Filipinos. The incident started the American-Filipino War in 1899 and conquest of the country was made by the United States.

From the sixties onwards

The postwar era—most notably during the ‘60s, saw San Juan evolve as a prime residential area of suburban Manila, with the development of Greenhills subdivision. During the early ‘70s San Juan became synonymous with the Greenhills Shopping Center, which has evolved as one of Metro Manila’s key shopping, dining and leisure venues.

Presidential decree No. 84, promulgated on November 7, 1975, created the Metro Manila Commission. During the Martial Law Regime, San Juan together with four cities and twelve (12) municipalities were incorporated in the Commission. President Corazon C. Aquino issued Executive Order No. 392, reorganizing and renaming it Metro Manila Authority on January 9, 1990.

The Local Sangguniang Bayan of San Juan enacted Ordinance No. 42 on May 27, 1988 sponsored by Councilor Jose V. Alvior and co-sponsored by Councilors Vincent Pacheco and Angel Gil of the Sangguniang Bayan Committee on culture, History and Arts, declaring March 27, 1990, the first time in 83 years. In 1991 and 1992, no celebrations were held as the Foundation dates coincided with Holy Week.