A Drop of Milk in Manila
Posted by on July 1, 2007
Just a few blocks away from the Far Eastern University is another architectural masterpiece. A masterpiece that was almost forgotten by time. A treasure that could have been torn down to pieces. But heritage conservationists took a bold action before time finally eats this building into dust. Then in the 2002, 859 Lepanto Street (now S. H. Loyola) Manila never looked the same again.
Gota de Leche was established in the year 1917. True to its name, (Spanish for drop of milk) gota de leche has been a feeding center for indigent children. The building was designed after the great Renaissance architectural icons Brunelleschi’s Ospedale degli Innocenti,an orphange in Florence, Italy.
And because of the efforts of the heritage conservationists to bring back Gota de Leche to its Old Glory Days, the UNESCO Asia Pacific has recognized it as an Honorable Mention in the 2003 UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation
Today, Gota de Leche no longer just drops milk into the mouth of the young kids, they also have programs for indigent mothers as well. This building is now used as a headuarters of an NGO focusing of the advocacy of women’s rights.
Wow, is it still being used today?
saving a historical pride is a herculean task. kahit naman parang nagmumura ang gota de leche, with its rich and colorful past, mapapa-letse ka talaga kung walang gnagawang hakbang ang gobyerno to save whatever’s left
See you at the Taste of Asia, too
Doc Tess>>
Yup, its still being used today. same function just like it was ages ago. feeding the young kids, but there’s also an NGO housed there advocating women’s rights.
Badoodles>> hay dapat lang i restore nila mga buildings na yan. ‘ika nga, one down… many more to go pa… aheheh
Came here from carlos celdran website…I used to live in Sampaloc and I pass by SH Loyola everyday but unfortunately, I never noticed this building. It’s really nice! I hope to visit this when I go home. Can visitors go here to take photos?