Newsletter Vol.
III
SEPTEMBER 2001 |
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FREE LINK TO BARKADAHANG PINAY
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ARCHIVE
Kalesa
In the days of our grandparents, it was actually a
ride the few and privileged could take, but nowadays the kalesa rolls on
as a heritage that the Spaniards handed down to the Filipinos.
The kalesa or karitela is a horse-driven carriage that was introduced
during the 18th century. It was used by Spanish officials and the nobles
as a means of transportation. The Ilustrados, the rich Filipinos who had
their own businesses, used the kalesa not only for traveling but as a
means a means of transporting their goods as well. It was used by tourists
who visited the island. They were fetched from the port area of Manila and
were toured around the city. Filipino men also used it as romantic vehicle
as they went around dates with the women they courted, and this was
considered to be special during those romantic times. Like in jeepneys, as
passengers do nowadays, pasaheros had to pay to Cochero (kutsero in
tagalog) for the trip in and around the city. Thus the kalesa became the
national transport system in the late 19th century. The early 20th century
brought about changes as trains and automobiles were introduced to the
public. So the kalesa was limited in small districts of Manila and some
barrios in the Philippines.
Today, the kalesa is an institution that acts as a romantic conveyance
bridging the past to the present. Aside from the technological
advancements in transportation, you can still find them operating in the
crowded streets of Quiapo, Binondo and Fort Santiago.
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source: Filipino Heritage
MORE ARTICLES...
* Tribute to the Late President
Ferdinand Marcos Part I
* Kalesa
* Find Out What Your Sleeping Position
Means
* Buying A Computer
* The Nativity of The Blessed Virgin
Mary
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Salamat po sa inyong pagdalaw
dito.
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