Agrifina Circle

Agrifina Circle
Agrifina Circle
Teodoro F. Valencia Circle (official)
Location
	Rizal Park, Ermita, Manila, Philippines
Roads at; junction	General Luna Street; Minor roads inside Rizal Park
Construction
Type	Traffic circle
Maintained by	Department of Public Works and Highways - South Manila District Engineering Office

The Agrifina Circle, officially the Teodoro F. Valencia Circle, is a traffic circle within the eastern portion of Rizal Park in Manila, Philippines.^[2] It has a diameter of 42 meters (138 ft).^[3]

Etymology

The name "Agrifina" is a portmanteau of the words "Agriculture" and "Finance" since two neoclassical buildings located on opposite ends of the circle formerly housed the Departments of Agriculture and Finance. The former building of the Department of Finance formerly housed the Department of Tourism until 2015, when the building was vacated to make way for the new National Museum of Natural History.

The circle was officially renamed Teodoro F. Valencia Circle on January 5, 1990, through Republic Act No. 6836,^[4] after the former head of the National Parks Development Committee, who initiated and maintained the Rizal Park's beautification.^[3]^[5]

History

The Agrifina Circle was intended to be a grand civic plaza surrounded by the planned Capitol Building and five wedge-shaped buildings, which included the Finance and Agriculture Buildings, according to the Burnham Plan of Manila by American architect Daniel Burnham.^[6]

After World War II, when it was decided that the capital of the Philippines was to be moved to Quezon City, the then-plaza was converted into a roundabout. Vehicular traffic was allowed on the road until the late 1960s when Rizal Park was consolidated, and most roads going through the park were pedestrianized. A globe fountain and skating rink were installed on the central island.^[7]

There were plans to construct Luneta Tower, a 390-meter (1,280 ft) observation tower, at the Agrifina Circle for the Centennial Celebration of Philippine Independence in 1998. However, the decision to build the tower at the site was controversial, and the plan was eventually shelved.

By 2000, the Binhi ng Kalayaan Monument had replaced the fountain, but the skating rink remained.^[2] The monument was later moved to a barren area of Rizal Park in 2004 and was replaced by the Statue of the Sentinel of Freedom, a monument dedicated to Lapulapu.

Layout

**Location of buildings and features along the Agrifina Circle**
Eastern side
Taft Avenue
Binhi ng Kalayaan Garden	*	Relief map of the Philippines (demolished)	*	Children's Park
Road		Agrifina Circle		General Luna Street
National Museum of Anthropology		Sentinel of Freedom (under restoration)		National Museum of Natural History
Road		Agrifina Circle		Road
Orchidarium	*	Bisig Marker	*	National Parks Development Committee Compound
Maria Y. Orosa Street
Rest of Rizal Park
Western side
Note: (*) Footpath

References

^ "Road and Bridge Inventory". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
^ ^a ^b Aning, Jerome; Rivera, Blanche (May 7, 2000). "Blast rocks Rizal Park". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
^ ^a ^b Aning, Jerome (January 1, 2012). "Vatican City can fit in Rizal Park". Inquirer.net. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
^ Republic Act No. 6836 (January 5, 1990), An Act Changing the Name of the Agrifina Circle, a Circular Road Near the Luneta Park in the City of Manila, Teodoro F. Valencia Circle, Chan Robles Virtual Law Library, retrieved July 29, 2016
^ Montalvan, Antonio II (June 7, 2023). "[The Slingshot] When heritage's wrecking ball comes from the National Museum". Rappler. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
^ "The Evolution of Manila". Malacañan Palace Presidential Museum and Library. Archived from the original on June 28, 2015. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
^ Alcazaren, Paulo (July 14, 2001). "Rotundas: Circles of urban life". City Sense. The Philippine Star. Retrieved July 29, 2016.

External links

Media related to Agrifina Circle at Wikimedia Commons

[dashboard-1] "Road and Bridge Inventory". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved July 20, 2022.

[blast-2] Aning, Jerome; Rivera, Blanche (May 7, 2000). "Blast rocks Rizal Park". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 29, 2016.

[vatican-3] Aning, Jerome (January 1, 2012). "Vatican City can fit in Rizal Park". Inquirer.net. Retrieved June 18, 2022.

[4] Republic Act No. 6836 (January 5, 1990), An Act Changing the Name of the Agrifina Circle, a Circular Road Near the Luneta Park in the City of Manila, Teodoro F. Valencia Circle, Chan Robles Virtual Law Library, retrieved July 29, 2016

[5] Montalvan, Antonio II (June 7, 2023). "[The Slingshot] When heritage's wrecking ball comes from the National Museum". Rappler. Retrieved October 26, 2023.

[6] "The Evolution of Manila". Malacañan Palace Presidential Museum and Library. Archived from the original on June 28, 2015. Retrieved February 8, 2022.

[7] Alcazaren, Paulo (July 14, 2001). "Rotundas: Circles of urban life". City Sense. The Philippine Star. Retrieved July 29, 2016.

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