“I went in and made a thorough investigation, and I think it one of the most wonderful pieces of engineering that exists to-day.”
Frank Campbell to a letter to Sue Lacy
quoted by the Kansas Agitator, 21 July 1899
It may seem like a peaceful park from above, but underneath the Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine in San Juan City is the cavernous El Deposito.
Made of volcanic tuff, the underground reservoir held water pumped from Santolan before it flowed to various fountains and hydrants in Manila. It was part of the larger Carriedo waterworks designed by Genaro Palacios and built from 1878 to 1882. The infrastructure project was named after Francisco Carriedo y Peredo, a Spanish official who bequeathed a grant to the City of Manila in 1733.
El Deposito was also used as an armory during American and Japanese rule, a hospital for tuberculosis patients, and a firing range. It was chosen as the site of a national shrine inaugurated in 1973.
The Museo El Deposito narrates the rich history of the underground reservoir and the Carriedo waterworks as a whole. It aims inspire everyone to value water as a natural resource and appreciate the people who make access to it easier for everyday Filipinos.
The museum has three galleries featuring various artifacts recovered from the site, scale models, and interactive modules.
Gallery 1: Life before the Waterworks (Buhay Bago ang Patubigan)
Gallery 2: Ang Patubigang Carriedo (The Carriedo Waterworks)
Gallery 3: Pambansang Dambana (National Shrine)
Museo El Deposito
Address: Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine, Pinaglabanan St., Corazon de Jesus, San Juan City
Email Address: med@nhcp.gov.ph
Contact Number: (02)77535439 / 09982470042