Quiapo, Manila
Quiapo is a district of Manila, Philippines. It derives its name from the water cabbage (Pistia stratiotes), which is named quiapo or kiapo in the Tagalog language. Referred to as the "Old Downtown of Manila", Quiapo is home to the Quiapo Church, where the feast of the Black Nazarene is held with millions of people attending annually. Quiapo has also made a name for itself as a place for marketplace bargain hunting.
Plaza Miranda, in the heart of the Quiapo district, is a town square named after Jose Sandino y Miranda, who served as secretary of the treasury of the Philippines from 1853 to 1863. It is located in front of the Quiapo Church, and has become a popular site of political rallies. On August 21, 1971, while the Liberal Party held their miting de avance in the plaza, a bomb exploded, killing nine and injuring almost 100 civilians.
The Quiapo district is also home to a sizable Muslim population in Manila. The Golden Mosque and Green Mosque are located here.
A large population of self described fortune tellers and stores offering herbal products surround the Quiapo church. Ongoing sales of illegally copied media and thievery are prevalent in the district.