Balete Drive
Balete Drive | |
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N180 (Aurora Boulevard ) | |
South end | Nicanor Domingo Street |
Location | |
Country | Philippines |
Major cities | Quezon City |
Highway system | |
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Part of a series on the |
Paranormal |
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Balete Drive is an undivided, two-lane street and the main thoroughfare of New Manila, Quezon City, Philippines. The road is a major route for jeepneys and cabs, serving the New Manila area and connecting Eulogio Rodriguez Sr. Avenue and Nicanor Domingo Street in Quezon City.
The road is noted for a number of
Route description
Balete Drive connects the long span between Eulogio Rodriguez Sr. Avenue and Nicanor Domingo Street in New Manila, Quezon City. The Balete Drive corner at E. Rodriguez is a bustling business area hosting fast food and other establishments.
The north end of Balete Drive starts at a dead end next to the Diliman Creek, 160 meters (520 ft) north of Eulogio Rodriguez Sr. Avenue.
Balete Drive is classified as a national tertiary road of the Philippine highway network.[5]
History
Balete Drive was named after a massive balete tree that used to stand in the middle of the road. The road, although the exact construction date is unknown, was cemented and asphalted and became a main thoroughfare during the regime of President Ferdinand Marcos in the early 1970s. There are several Spanish houses in the area, including the famous 200-year-old "Centennial House", which supports the claim that Balete Drive has been in use since the late Spanish era towards the end of the 19th century.[6]
Urban legend
In the past, the street was lined with large balete trees that darkened the area considerably and made it appear "frightening" to some Manila residents. In Philippine folklore, balete trees are believed to be a "home for spirits and mysterious creatures".
Most of the legends describe a
In 2005, a Quezon City barangay official proposed that the city could use the legends to boost tourism by declaring the street "haunted" and making it available for Halloween parties.[7]
In popular culture
The street is featured in the 1988 horror film Hiwaga sa Balete Drive, where it retells the supposed paranormal activities experienced by people who live, or have traveled, along the street.[9]
The Netflix-exclusive Singaporean anime-influenced series Trese features Balete Drive as the location of a crime scene. The exact intersection and the street where it occurs, however, are fictional, as 13th Street in New Manila does not actually intersect Balete Drive.[10]
See also
- Major roads in Metro Manila
- Aurora Boulevard
- Haunted highway
- List of reportedly haunted locations in the Philippines
References
- ^ a b c Sanchez, Shaina. "The Story Behind the White Lady in Balete Drive". Maganda Filipino. MagandaFilipino.com. Archived from the original on December 9, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
- ^ "Kamuning Road". Google Maps. Retrieved on April 18, 2012.
- ^ "Balete Drive". Google Maps. Retrieved on April 18, 2012.
- ^ "Balete Drive". Google Maps. Retrieved on April 18, 2012.
- ^ "Quezon City 2nd". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ a b Philippines Insider. "Myths Surrounding Balete Drive". Philippines Insider. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ^ a b Yap, Dj (November 1, 2005). "Balete may be official "haunted" site". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-59884-698-0. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
- ^ "Takutan 2018". ABS-CBN Entertainment. October 31, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
- ^ Santos, Kara (June 17, 2021). "Locations featured in 'Trese' – comics and series – in real life". The Philippine Star.
External links
Media related to Balete Drive at Wikimedia Commons