PHILIPPINE TRAIN STATIONS

Manila Metro Rail Transit System Line 3 (MRT-3)

STATION NAME

ORIGIN OF NAME

1.     North Avenue

North Avenue Station is the thirteenth and northernmost station of the MRT line. It is located in Quezon City, near the intersection of EDSA and North Avenue. It is named after the North Avenue, a major road in Quezon City. North Avenue Station is near several landmarks, such as the SM City North EDSA, the TriNoma, and the Veterans Memorial Medical Center.

2.     Quezon Avenue

Quezon Avenue Station, named after Quezon Avenue, the station lies along the said road where Panay Avenue intersects. The avenue, formerly named after Mariano Marcos (Don Mariano Marcos Avenue), was later named after Former President Manuel Luis Quezon (Quezon Avenue).

3.     Kamuning

Kamuning station (also called GMA–Kamuning station) is named after the nearby barangay of Kamuning and the road named after the barangay.

The MRT Authority decided to rename the particular station "GMA-Kamuning Station" after the network allowed it to erect a train station on GMA property

4.     Cubao

Cubao has a more obscure origin. With no exact etymology, a folktale says that it is from the term "Kuba, o!" (Look, a hunchback!), a term used to describe the witches and sorcerers who were supposedly living in the area.

5.     Santolan-Annapolis

The station also combines two place names. The first component was named after Santolan Road (now Colonel Venancio "Boni"/"Bonny" Serrano Avenue), which extends from the pumping station in Barangay Santolan, Pasig City to the water reservoir in San Juan City (El Deposito). It gets its name from a fruit called "Santol" (Sandoricum koetjape).

6.     Ortigas

The namesake was Francisco Ortigas Sr. (1875 - 1935), lawyer, financier, and major partner in the company which took over the former "Hacienda de Mandaloyon." Native of Porac, Pampanga, his family soon moved to Manila where he studied. At Colegio de San Juan de Letran, he had Francisco Imperial and Manuel Quezon, among others, as classmates.

7.     Shaw Boulevard

Shaw Boulevard Station is named after William James Shaw, an American businessman known for founding the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong City in 1930. Shaw's diverse career included working as a busboy on a U.S. Army transport ship and later becoming involved in various businesses, including the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Steamship Corporation. Despite experiencing bankruptcy with the company in 1922, Shaw's legacy in the Philippines remains tied to the establishment of Wack Wack Golf and Country Club, which hosted prestigious events like the Philippine Open. The club's significance extends to the global stage, with its golf course being recognized as one of the world's best, having hosted the 1977 World Cup where Filipino golfer "Bantam" Ben Arda achieved his career-best finish.

8.     Boni Avenue

Named after Boni Avenue. The avenue was named after Dr. Bonifacio Javier in 1901, Mandaluyong's first postwar mayor. The road which began construction during his administration and finished in 1974 was named Boni Avenue, which was derived from his nickname.

9.     Guadalupe

Guadalupe MRT Station on Manila's MRT Blue Line is situated between Guadalupe Nuevo and Guadalupe Viejo barangays, named after the Virgin of Guadalupe. This revered image, Our Lady of Guadalupe, originated in Mexico City. The station, located along EDSA, has roots in a church built by Augustinian friars in 1629, giving rise to Barrio Guadalupe. Despite an earthquake's destruction in 1880, the church was rebuilt. During the American occupation, Fort McKinley (later Fort Bonifacio) was established nearby in 1901, increasing the area's population and leading to the distinction between Guadalupe Nuevo and Guadalupe Viejo.

10.  Buendia

People plying the Pasay/ Manila/ Makati route are no doubt familiar with Gil Puyat/ Buendia, or as veteran commuters call it, bwenja. Crossing from EDSA all the way to Taft Avenue, this road is named after two important senators. The avenue was originally named after Nicolas Buendia, a former senator, a Katipunero from Bulacan, and a lieutenant during the revolution.

After the revolution, he participated in the American colonial government, becoming municipal president of Malolos and even governor of Bulacan for a term. He was also one of the founders of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, the Aglipayan church. Buendia was also a delegate in the Constitutional Convention on 1934.

The name change happened in 1982 to honor former senate president Gil J. Puyat, who had passed away a year before. Puyat served under the senate from 1951 until its abolition in 1972 due to martial law.

Beyond that, Puyat was a businessman and industrialist, pioneering post-war rehabilitation under his father’s company, Gonzalo Puyat & Sons. His business ventures would continue throughout his senatorial career and beyond, with his forays in real-estate development and financial services growing during the Marcos years up to his death, and even today.

11.  Ayala

Named after Ayala Center, the station does not lie along Ayala Avenue, a road encompassing the center and extends from Gil Puyat Avenue to EDSA. The station actually lies along EDSA. The namesake of the area was the Ayala family. Antonio de Ayala (1803 - 1876), who was born in Spain, went to Manila and in 1834, he formed a company, named Casa Roxas, with his partner, Domingo Roxas (1792 - 1843).

12.  Magallanes

Named after Barangay Magallanes in Makati City, the station lies in the vicinity where EDSA and Chino Roces Avenue intersects.

The area was named from Ferdinand Magellan's Spanish name, Fernando de Magallanes (1480 - 1521).

13.  Taft Avenue

Named after Taft Avenue, the said road was named after William Howard Taft (1857 - 1930), the 27th President of the United States. Formerly called Calle Rizal, it was expanded during the American period and renamed Manila Road as it extends from Manila to Pasay. When there was a proposal to change the name of Taft Avenue to Jose W. Diokno Avenue, there was fierce opposition that it remains to be Taft Avenue to this day.

Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1)

STATION NAME

ORIGIN OF NAME

1.     Roosevelt

Roosevelt Station was named after Roosevelt Avenue, which was in turn named in honor of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. However, the avenue was later renamed Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ). With that, on Aug. 20, 2023, the Roosevelt Station in LRT 1 was also renamed Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ), by virtue of Republic Act (RA) 11608, mandating the station be renamed after the late Filipino actor. FPJ, who was born on Aug. 20, 1939 and died on Dec. 14, 2004, was an actor, film director, producer, screenwriter and politician. He once lived along Roosevelt Avenue. 

2.     Balintawak

“Balintawak” is a summer time 3-piece baro’t saya in the Philippines. 

Balintawak was the first referred venue of Cry of Balintawak a.k.a. Cry of Pugad Lawin. The so-called “cry” kicked off the Philippine Revolution sometime in August 1896 in Caloocan in between where Balintawak and Pugad Lawin are located, but the exact date and time are still contested.

3.     Monumento

Named after the historic monument located nearby. The monument, officially known as the Bonifacio Monument, commemorates the Filipino revolutionary leader Andrés Bonifacio. It stands in Caloocan City and is one of the most iconic landmarks in Metro Manila.

4.     5th Avenue

The station is positioned above the avenue's intersection with 5th Avenue (C-3), hence its name. 5th Avenue station is the fourth station for Line 1 trains heading to Baclaran, the eighteenth station for trains heading to Roosevelt, and one of two Line 1 stations servicing Caloocan (the other being Monumento station).

5.     R. Papa

Named after General Ricardo Papa Sr., a respected soldier who served as the chief of the Manila police during the 1960s. 

6.     Abad Santos

Abad Santos Station was named after Jose Abad Santos, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in the Commonwealth of the Philippines.

Jose Abad Santos was one of the personalities imprinted on the old one-thousand (1000) peso bill, along with Josefa Llanes Escoda and General Vicente Lim, who were the foremost Filipino martyrs of the resistance against the Japanese occupation during World War II.

7.     Blumentritt

Blumentritt Station was named after Ferdinand Johann Franz Blumentritt, a friend and mentor of Dr. Jose Rizal while he is in Europe.

He never visited the Philippines, but he writes articles and books in the Philippines and its ethnography. Blumentritt Station is close to Chinese General Hospital and the Manila North Cemetery. 

8.     Tayuman

The Tayuman Station was named after the indigo plant known as “Tayum”.

Before, Tayuman street, one of the well-known thoroughfares in Manila, was famous because of saints and horses.

9.     Bambang

Bambang Station, situated in Manila, Philippines, along Rizal Avenue in the Sta. Cruz district is named after Bambang Street adjacent to the station, leading towards Fernando Poe Jr. It's the ninth station for trains to Baclaran and the twelfth for trains to Fernando Poe Jr. 

Notably, the area around the station is a commercial hub for medical and laboratory supplies. The name "Bambang" likely stems from its association with healing or medicine, possibly linked to the former Bambang River renowned for medicinal plants along its banks.

10.  Doroteo Jose

The station is situated on Rizal Avenue and slightly past Doroteo Jose Street. Both the station and the street are named after Doroteo Jose, a Filipino who was arrested by Spanish authorities in 1898 for leading a movement against a corrupt archbishop.

Doroteo Jose Street in Sta. Cruz was formerly Melba Street. The old name commemorates the visit of Nellie Melba, Australian opera singer of that time. In August 6, 1914, the street was renamed in honor of Doroteo Jose, a patriot who suffered persecution for his convictions. He led a group of Filipinos in petitioning the expulsion of Archbishop Payo, predecessor of Nozaleda.  

11.  Carriedo

The Carriedo station was named after Francisco Carriedo Y Peredo who is a Captain-General of Santa Familia Galleon.

Francisco Carriedo is a Spanish native. who conceived the construction of a public water system in Manila in the 1700s and personally raised funds for the project and even donated his own fortune worth Php10,000.

12.  Central Terminal

The LRT Central Station, as its name suggests, is the main transportation hub for a number of important establishments such as the Manila City Hall, Central Post Office, National Museum of Fine Arts; Schools such as PNU, PLM, Letran in Manila.

13.  United Nations

The station is named after United Nations Avenue, which in turn is named after the United Nations organization.

14.  Pedro Gil

A late physician, journalist, and legislator, Pedro Gil was also an architect who was affiliated with opposition groups. As a journalist, he published Los Obreros, specifically for the working class. As a representative of the south district of Manila, he also worked to lower the prices of utilities in his area.  Herran Street, in Manila, was renamed after him.

15.  Quirino

Named after Former President Elpidio Quirino. He did many things for the country during his time as a congressman, senator, ambassador, and president, but one of his greatest acts of heroism and sacrifice was going underground during World War II after refusing to be part of the Japanese “puppet government,” losing his family in the process.  He then became the leader of the majority Liberal Party and president of the Senate.

16.  Vito Cruz

Vito Cruz station is named after Vito Cruz Street (now called Pablo Ocampo Sr. Street), which was named after the alcalde of Pasay from 1870-1871, Hermogenes Vito Cruz. He was known as one of the local leaders of the Katipunan in Pasay who fought in the Spanish revolution and Filipino-American war.

17.  Gil Puyat

Gil Puyat station was named after one of the country's well-known senator, Gil J. Puyat, simply because it lies above the avenue also named after the senator.

Before it was called Buendia Avenue, named after Nicolas Buendia, also a senator but in 1982, the name changed to Gil Puyat Avenue, named after the former Senate President Gil J. Puyat. He served in the senate from 1951 to 1972, six years of which he acted as the Senate President. He was a businessman, an industrialist, a pioneer of post-war rehabilitation under his father's company, Gonzalo Puyat & Sons, one of the first business empires in the country. 

18.  Libertad

The Libertad Station of the LRT-1 in Metro Manila, Philippines, derives its name from the area it serves, which is Libertad in Pasay City. "Libertad" is a Spanish word that translates to "liberty" or "freedom" in. Since Libertad Street was incorporated into Antonio Arnaiz Avenue, the term Libertad has persisted as an area name. 

When the LRT-1 system was being constructed in the 1980s, the decision was made to name one of the stations after the Libertad Market, given its historical significance and central location. Thus, the LRT-1 Libertad Station was named in honor of the Libertad Market, acknowledging its role as a vital landmark and transportation mode in Pasay City. 

19.  EDSA

"EDSA" actually stands for Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue, which bears the name of a renowned historian who was also a notable Filipino scholar, composer, painter, and lawyer. EDSA was only meant to be a two-lane highway. When construction started in the 1930s, under Pres. Manuel L. Quezon, the boulevard was named “North-South Circumferential Road.” In 1946, it was named Avenida 19 de Junio for Jose Rizal’s birthdate. In the ‘50s, EDSA was renamed Highway 54. Finally, on April 7, 1959, by virtue of Republic Act No. 2140, it was named Epifanio de los Santos Avenue or EDSA. 

20.  Baclaran

Baclaran is a barangay located in the northern area of the city of Parañaque, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is also known to be located at the borders of the cities of Parañaque and Pasay. Because of its proximity to the shore of Manila Bay, the place was named after a piece of fishing equipment called "baklad".

Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2)

STATION NAME

ORIGIN OF NAME

1.     Recto

The first station that connects the LRT (Doroteo Jose) to the LRT 2 line, was named after the author of the 1935 Philippine Constitution, Claro M. Recto. Prior to being called as Recto, the area was previously known as Calle Azcarraga. A staunch supporter of the late President Ramon Magsaysay, Recto later became one of his biggest critics.

2.     Legarda

Legarda station is an elevated Light Rail Transit (LRT) line 2. It is named after Legarda Street, where the station sits  above it. The street in turn is named after Benito Legarda, a Filipino legislator. 

3.     Pureza

Coined after the Spanish word meaning "purity." The name Pureza reportedly came as part of the scheme to name the streets of Sampaloc, Manila after virtues.

The station is the third station for trains headed to Antipolo and the eleventh station for trains headed to Recto.

Pureza was part of a trend used to name streets in Sampaloc at that time. Along the same vicinity, you can also find other streets named after a set of virtues like Economia (thrift), Honradez (honesty), Alegria (happiness) and Sobriedad (sobriety) among others.

4.     V.Mapa

Named after V. Mapa Street, the station does not lie along the street itself, but it lies along Santa Mesa Boulevard where Sociego Street intersects. Of course, V. Mapa Street is in the vicinity. The namesake is Victorino Mapa (1855 - 1927), who is more prominent compared to Juan Ruiz. Mapa was former Secretary of Finance and Justice (1913 - 1920) and the second Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (1920 - 1921). He obtained his law degree from the University of Santo Tomas in 1880, and was Associate Justice in 1901. The street, meanwhile, was formerly Calle Buenavista.

The area which the station serves is also historical in its own. According to recent research, it is in what is now the intersection of Silencio and Sociego Streets where the first shot of the Filipino-American War was made on February 4, 1899.

5.     J. Ruiz

The J. Ruiz station is named after its location on J. Ruiz Street, and it honors Juan Ruiz, a Katipunero who participated in the First Battle of Katipunan in Pinaglabanan, San Juan del Monte, where the Pinaglabanan Shrine is situated right now, where he, along with 171 others, lost their lives. 

6.     Gilmore

Gilmore Station is named after Eugene Allan Gilmore, who was a lawyer turned professor and held prominent positions in the Philippines from 1922 to 1930, including vice-governor and secretary of public instruction. He played a key role in improving public health and education during his time in office. After his tenure in the Philippines, Gilmore returned to the U.S. and held positions such as dean and president at the State University of Iowa Law School.

7.     Betty Go-Belmonte

Betty Go Belmonte Station, also known as Billie Mary Go-Belmonte, was a founder of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and the Philippine STAR. Through the Philippine STAR, she exposed the harsh realities of extrajudicial killings and corruption during Martial Law under the Marcos administration. She was also the late wife of House Speaker and former Quezon City Mayor Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte Jr. Interestingly, Betty Go-Belmonte was responsible for choosing the logo and the famous slogan ("Truth shall prevail") of the Philippine STAR. Even during her battle with cancer, she only took paracetamol as a painkiller.

8.     Araneta Center-Cubao

The Cubao LRT Station, officially known as the Araneta Center-Cubao LRT Station, is an important stop along the Manila LRT Blue Line (LRT-2) in Quezon City. Positioned in the vibrant Cubao district, it takes its name from the nearby Araneta Center, a popular shopping and entertainment hub in the Philippines.

The Araneta Center was established by J. Amado Araneta who, just like the Ayalas in Makati, dreamt of making the area a leading commercial hub.

9.     Anonas

The ninth station of LRT-2, Anonas, was named after a fruit that has the same name. A custard apple in English term that grew abundantly in Brgy. Quirino in the early 1950s. The station is near at Technological Institute of the Philippines and World Citi Medical Center.

10.  Katipunan

Located close to Katipunan Avenue, this LRT 2 station bears the name of the Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK), a significant revolutionary organization in Philippine history. The late 19th-century fight for freedom from Spanish domination saw a significant contribution from the KKK.

11.  Santolan

Santolan got its name from the santol (Sandoricum koetjape) trees that grew abundantly on the place even before the country was conquered by Spain.

12.  Marikina-Pasig

Marikina-Pasig Station of LRT-2 is named after the cities it serves. Marikina's name traces back to "Mariquina," a town in Spain, while "Mariquit-na" was the original term for the area. "Pasig" comes from an old Sanskrit word meaning "river flowing from one body of water to another." 

Despite a proposal to rename it simply to "Marikina Station," supported by local officials like Marikina 1st District Rep. Bayani Fernando and Antipolo City Mayor Jun Ynares, the Department of Transportation Secretary Arturo Tugade backed the original name, emphasizing its logical connection to the station's location. This practice of naming stations after nearby landmarks or streets aims to simplify navigation for commuters and avoid complexities related to shared boundaries.

13.  Antipolo

The name of the LRT-2 terminal station in Antipolo comes from the large number of breadfruit trees, also called "Tipolo," in the vicinity. The completion of the rail transit extension project is symbolized by this station, which improves accessibility and connectivity across the province of Rizal.