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San Francisco del Monte, also referred to asSFDM andFrisco, is a district ofQuezon City,Philippines. It is bisected by two major thoroughfares,Fernando Poe Jr. Avenue and the eponymous Del Monte Avenue, and is bounded by Atty. Pat Senador Sr. Street and Baler Street to the north, and Judge Juan Luna Street, Paraiso Street, and Cooper Street to the east.
The district encompasses the barangays of Del Monte, Damayan, Mariblo, and Paraiso, and its water borders are defined by theSan Juan River to the west and theMariblo Creek to the south.
San Francisco del Monte may be considered as Quezon City's oldest district. The site was offered byGovernor-GeneralSantiago de Vera toFranciscan missionaryFray Pedro Bautista on February 17, 1590.[1] It would be named it afterSt. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan Order.DelMonte, which isSpanish for "on the mountain" was added to the name not only because the area was hilly, but also to distinguish the place from theSan Francisco de Manila Church inIntramuros,Manila.[2]
The 250 hectare[1] hacienda was part ofSan Juan del Monte[3][4] prior to its inclusion inQuezon City in 1939.
AfterWorld War II, the portions of the district hosted theUnited States Armed Forces Cemetery #2, where remains of deceasedAmerican POWs from the early part of the war were interred.[citation needed]
The original land area of the old town of San Francisco del Monte was approximately 2.5 square kilometers (0.97 sq mi) and covered parts of what is currently known as Project7 and 8 andTimog Avenue. It later composed ofbarangaysSan Antonio, Paraiso, Paltok, Mariblo, Masambong, Manresa, Damayan and Del Monte. It featured a hilly topography with lush vegetation and mineral springs, in the midst of which the oldSan Pedro Bautista Church was built as a retreat and monastery forFranciscan friars.
Today, it is a heavily populated district with a mix of residential, industrial, and commercial areas. The most prominent educational institutions located in the area areSiena College of Quezon City,Angelicum College, andPMI Colleges, whileFisher Mall is the largest commercial establishment. The transmitter and studios ofIBC are located along Fernando Poe Jr. Avenue.
Famous residents include the late Filipino actorFernando Poe Jr. whose ancestral home can still be found in Barangay Paraiso along Roosevelt Avenue; the aforementioned avenue would be later renamed after him in 2022.
