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San Miguel is a primarily middle-class residential area of the City of Manila, and is one of the city's sixteen traditional districts.
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Map of San Miguel, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines
Background
Malacañang Palace, the official residence of the President of the Philippines, is located in the neighbourhood, and outside the Palace gates is Mendiola Street, a popular site for protests against the government.
The San Miguel district is also home to some colleges and universities that form part of Manila's "University Belt" which encompasses San Miguel, and the districts of Quiapo and Sampaloc. Educational institutions that are located in the district include Far Eastern University, San Beda College, Centro Escolar University, College of the Holy Spirit, Saint Jude Catholic School, La Consolacion College Manila and Victorino Mapa High School.
San Miguel is also the place where San Miguel Beer was originally produced, beginning in the Spanish colonial era. The brewery's buildings were demolished after the property was transferred to the state, and it today forms part of the Palace complex.
San Miguel also includes the Isla de Convalecencia, the largest island in the Pasig River, which is home to the Hospício de San José, Manila's oldest Catholic welfare institution.
Casa Roces
Casa Roces is a 1930s ancestral house of the Roces family which was renovated and turned into a full-service restaurant, café and an art gallery. Casa Roces is located in the district of San Miguel, Manila right across Malacañan Palace, the official residence of the President of the Republic of the Philippines. The ground floor of Casa Roces features a coffeehouse with an outdoor wooden deck, a dessert bar, and a memorabilia and accessories shop. A bar also serves cocktails, wine, beer and liquor for evening patrons. On the second floor are a bistro, an art and family heritage gallery as well as private rooms decorated with a mix of Commonwealth elegance and modern flair. The second floor of the house was turned into a multi-purpose dining venue and an art gallery.
Casa Roces was designed in the Pre-war modernist style with Art Deco articulation using a variety of construction materials which includes reinforced concrete, wood and masonry. On the ground floor, the distinguishing feature is the use of "Machuca" tile flooring which is typical with Commonwealth era house. The original layout of the rooms were changed to accommodate its new use as a restaurant and an art gallery.