Don Roman Santos Building

Don Roman Santos Building
The facade of Don Roman Santos Building along Escolta Street
Map
General information
StatusCompleted
Architectural styleNeoclassical architecture
AddressEscolta Street
Town or citySanta Cruz, Manila
CountryPhilippines
Coordinates14°35′55″N 120°58′49″E / 14.59869141612844°N 120.98015863292157°E / 14.59869141612844; 120.98015863292157
Completed1894
Renovated1957

The Don Roman Santos Building is a neoclassical building located along the historic Escolta Street in Santa Cruz, Manila, Philippines. It fronts Plaza Lacson (formerly Plaza Goiti) which leads to directly to Carriedo Street or to Rizal Avenue. It was built in 1894 and expanded in 1957.

A plaque which reads, originally in Filipino, translated: DON ROMAN SANTOS BUILDING THE BUILDING OCCUPIED BY THE CAJA AHORROS Y MONTE DE PIEDAD FROM 1894 TO 1937. PURCHASED AND EXPANDED BY THE CONSOLIDATED INVESTMENTS CORPORATION AND WAS SOLD TO THE ASYENDA MAGDALENA IN 1944. BECAME A HOSPITAL OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS, 1945-1947. PURCHASED BY ROMAN R. SANTOS IN 1955 AND OCCUPIED BY THE PRUDENTIAL BANK AND TRUST COMPANY AND BUSINESS COMPANIES. THE RESTORATION WAS COMPLETED IN 1957.
National historical marker installed in 1977

The site has been the original offices for Monte de Piedad Savings Bank from 1894 to 1937. It then became an American Red Cross-operated hospital from 1945 to 1947 after which housed Prudential Bank and South Supermart. Currently, the ground floor serves a branch for the Bank of the Philippine Islands after it acquired Prudential Bank in 2005.[1][2][3]

  1. ^ "Noble and Ever Loyal City • One of the last buildings in the Neoclassical -".
  2. ^ Torres, Ted (July 28, 2005). "BPI acquires Prudential Bank". The Philippine Star. PhilStar Daily, Inc. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  3. ^ Layug, Benjamin (June 19, 2013). "A walking tour of Escolta". BusinessMirror. Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing Inc. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2014.