Proud son of Tondo

I am a Tondo Boy, and I wear that title with pride.

- OF TREES AND FOREST FORMER SENATE PRESIDENT MANNY VILLAR

I was the second of nine children, born and raised on Moriones Street, in a three-story home we shared with two other families. All 11 of us—my parents, siblings, and I—lived together on the second floor. It was cramped and chaotic, but it was home. Life wasn't easy, yet I remember my childhood in Tondo with warmth and joy.Tondo sits right in the heart of Manila. It's a place bursting with life and history, but it also carries an unfair reputation. To be called a “Tondo Boy” often sparks images of danger or trouble. People think of someone unruly, rough, maybe even criminal. These ideas, fueled for decades by movies and news headlines, completely miss the truth. Beneath the noise of jeepneys and the daily grind beats a strong heart—one that knows hard work, resilience, and pride. Being from Tondo doesn't mean we're violent; it means we're brave enough to stand our ground when life backs us into a corner.

This stereotype did not emerge overnight. Long before the slums and crowded streets, Tondo was once a proud kingdom under Lakandula—a center of early Filipino civilization. I remember hearing stories about those glorious days when I was a kid. But as Manila grew and more people flocked to the city, Tondo changed. Poverty and overcrowding took root, and over time, outsiders began to confuse hardship with wrongdoing. Before long, “Tondo” had become shorthand for trouble.