SAN JUAN

San Juan City is located at the core of Metro Manila. With a land area of only 5.94 square kilometers, it has the distinction of being the smallest city in the Philippines. It has been noted that its size also makes it a little bit easier to manage and govern. San Juan City is known for the Greenhills Shopping Center, which is a popular bargain haven for all sorts of goods, from clothes to collectible toys. The area gets particularly busy during Chritmas time. Among San Juan City's landmarks is the Pinaglabanan Shrine, which marks the 1897 battle of the Philippine Revolution. It is also home to Spanish-era churches such as the Saint John the Baptist Parish (also called the Pinaglabanan Church) and the Santuario del Santo Cristo. The Saint John the Baptist Parish is actually iconic for San Juan City, as it obviously tags the religious figure as its patron saint. Due to the fact its patron saint was known for baptizing people, San Juan City marks the saint's feast day every 24th of June with a festival that involves people throwing water at each other. In 2012, the city government passed an ordinance that officially renamed the "Feast of St. John the Baptist" as "Wattah Wattah Festival." This was, perhaps, in consideration of non-Catholic residents.