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15 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Cubao

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Cubao is one of those places in Metro Manila that almost every generation knows, but few know it well.

For commuters, it is a major transportation hub. For shoppers, it is home to malls, markets, specialty stores, and bargain finds. For sports fans, it is synonymous with the Big Dome. For longtime residents, Cubao brings back memories of cinemas, department stores, amusement parks, restaurants, and Christmas displays.

The area has changed dramatically since the 1950s. Some landmarks disappeared, others were reinvented, and several familiar names remain deeply connected to Cubao’s identity.

Here are 15 things you probably didn’t know about Cubao.

1. Cubao Was Once Mostly Open Land

It is difficult to imagine modern Cubao as anything other than a dense commercial district, but the area looked very different before its development.

Araneta City’s beginnings can be traced to the 35-hectare property that J. Amado Araneta acquired from the Radio Corporation of America in the 1950s. Historical accounts describe parts of the area as open fields and cogon-covered land before the commercial boom transformed it.

The location eventually became valuable because major roads converged nearby, particularly what was then Highway 54, now EDSA, and Aurora Boulevard.

That strategic location helped turn Cubao into one of Metro Manila’s most important commercial centers.

2. Araneta Center Was Built Around a Very Big Idea

Before it became Araneta City, the district was widely known as Araneta Center.

J. Amado Araneta envisioned a major entertainment and commercial complex anchored by a spectacular indoor arena. His vision eventually created an entire district of shopping, dining, entertainment, offices, hotels, residences, and transportation facilities.

The Araneta Coliseum became the centerpiece of that development, helping establish Cubao as a major destination beyond Manila’s traditional commercial districts.

Today, Araneta City remains at the heart of Cubao’s commercial identity.

3. The Big Dome Opened in 1960

The Smart Araneta Coliseum, popularly known as the Big Dome, officially opened on March 16, 1960.

Its first major event was a world championship boxing match between Filipino boxing legend Gabriel “Flash” Elorde and American Harold Gomes. More than 33,000 spectators watched the historic event.

The arena quickly became one of the country’s most important venues for sports and entertainment.

Basketball games, boxing matches, concerts, beauty pageants, religious gatherings, and international performances have all taken place inside its dome.

4. The Big Dome Was Once the World’s Biggest Covered Coliseum

The Big Dome was an engineering landmark when it opened.

Its approximately 108-meter dome made it the largest dome in Asia from 1960 until 2001, when Japan’s Oita Stadium surpassed it. The arena was also promoted as the world’s largest covered coliseum during its early years.

That scale helped put Cubao on the international map.

The building still stands as one of the most recognizable structures in Quezon City.

5. Cubao Hosted the Thrilla in Manila

One of the most famous events in Cubao’s history happened on October 1, 1975.

The Araneta Coliseum hosted the legendary Thrilla in Manila, the third and final heavyweight boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

The fight attracted worldwide attention and permanently linked Cubao to one of the most famous events in boxing history.

For many visitors, the Big Dome is simply an arena. For boxing historians, it is part of the story of one of the sport’s most significant fights.

6. Ali Mall Was Named After Muhammad Ali

The name Ali Mall is directly connected to Muhammad Ali.

The mall opened in 1976, following the enormous attention generated by the Thrilla in Manila the previous year. It became one of the country’s pioneering enclosed shopping malls.

Its location beside the Big Dome made it part of the same entertainment and shopping ecosystem.

For generations of Filipinos, going to Cubao meant watching an event at the Coliseum, shopping at Ali Mall, eating nearby, and spending the rest of the day around the Araneta complex.

7. Fiesta Carnival Was Once Cubao’s Big Family Attraction

Before today’s theme parks and entertainment centers became common, Fiesta Carnival was a major attraction in Cubao.

It opened in 1971 as an indoor amusement center and became known as a kind of “mini-Disneyland” for Filipino families. The attraction eventually closed in the early 2000s as entertainment preferences changed.

For longtime Cubao visitors, the name still brings back memories of rides, games, colorful attractions, and family outings.

The Araneta Group later revived the Fiesta Carnival name, reconnecting it with Cubao’s entertainment history.

8. Cubao Expo Was Originally the Marikina Shoe Expo

One of Cubao’s most recognizable alternative spaces has a very different origin.

Cubao Expo was formerly known as the Marikina Shoe Expo. The complex opened in 1972 to showcase products from Marikina’s shoe industry and consisted of rows of small two-story commercial structures.

Over time, the shoe industry presence declined, and the complex evolved.

Today, Cubao Expo is known for its independent shops, restaurants, bars, creative spaces, collectibles, and distinctive local character. The transformation made the area a different kind of Cubao landmark.

9. Cubao Once Had a Huge Cinema Scene

Before multiplexes became standard features of shopping malls, Cubao had numerous standalone cinemas.

Historical records list theaters such as Nation Cinerama, Quezon Theater, Cinema 21, Sampaguita Theater, ACT Theater, Ocean Theater, Diamond Theater, Remar Theater, Alta Cinema, and Coronet Theater in and around the district.

Many closed by the late 1990s as home entertainment and mall-based cinemas changed the movie industry.

Theaters were once a major reason for people to travel to Cubao.

Today, many younger visitors may walk through the area without realizing how much of its identity was once built around movie houses.

10. New Frontier Theater Once Had 3,500 Seats

The New Frontier Theater opened in 1967 and was considered the country’s biggest theater at the time, with approximately 3,500 seats.

It also had ice-skating and roller-skating facilities, making it more than a conventional movie theater. The skating rink opened in 1968 and could accommodate around 900 skaters.

The theater eventually fell into disuse as home entertainment, cable television, and modern mall cinemas changed consumer habits.

Its history is a reminder that Cubao once offered entertainment formats that were unusual for their time.

11. Manila C.O.D. Was Famous for Its Christmas Displays

The Manila C.O.D. Christmas display in Cubao

Before today’s elaborate Christmas attractions, Manila C.O.D. was a major holiday destination.

The department store became famous for its animated Christmas displays, which attracted families to Cubao during the holiday season. The displays became part of the Christmas memories of generations of Filipinos.

C.O.D. was part department store and part seasonal attraction.

Its disappearance is one reason old Cubao photographs can feel unfamiliar to younger visitors.

12. Matsuzakaya Brought Japanese Retail to Old Cubao

Matsuzakaya was another name associated with the shopping culture of old Cubao.

The Japanese department store operated alongside the entertainment and retail establishments around Aurora Boulevard and the Araneta complex.

Its presence reflected how Cubao attracted a wide range of retailers during the district’s rapid expansion.

For shoppers during Cubao’s commercial heyday, department stores offered a reason to spend an entire day exploring the district.

13. Rustan’s Had a Major Cubao Store

Rustan’s was another important part of Cubao’s old shopping landscape.

The company opened a major store in Cubao in 1973, adding an upscale retail option to a district that already had department stores, supermarkets, specialty shops, cinemas, markets, and restaurants.

Rustan’s eventually moved into Gateway Mall, reflecting the broader transformation of Araneta City and the changing retail landscape.

The old Rustan’s location is now part of Cubao’s development story rather than its current shopping map.

14. Cubao Is One of Metro Manila’s Major Transportation Crossroads

Shopping and entertainment made Cubao famous, but transportation helped make it indispensable.

The district connects major road corridors and is served by both MRT-3 and LRT-2. Araneta City also has major bus terminals serving routes to destinations outside Metro Manila.

This makes Cubao a natural meeting point for commuters traveling between different parts of Metro Manila and passengers heading to provinces.

For many Filipinos, Cubao is where a shopping trip, a concert night, a provincial bus ride, and a daily commute can all intersect.

15. There Are Still Traces of Older Cubao

The most interesting thing about Cubao may be how much of its past remains hidden among newer buildings.

The old water tanks, or “Twin Towers,” in Barangay Socorro are an important part of Cubao’s landscape. Completed in 1938, the tanks once supplied potable water and were among the tallest structures in the area. They became non-operational in the late 1950s.

Other historical accounts point to older structures and former landmarks around Mariposa Street, including the Benitez mansion and the former LVN studios.

These remnants reveal a side of Cubao that is easy to miss when walking between malls, train stations, restaurants, and busy roads.

Why Cubao Still Matters

Cubao has gone through several identities.

It was once an emerging suburban area. Then it became a major commercial district. It became famous for the Big Dome, shopping, cinemas, department stores, markets, restaurants, and Fiesta Carnival. Later, new malls, offices, condominiums, hotels, creative spaces, and transportation facilities reshaped the area again.

Yet the old Cubao has never completely disappeared.

The Big Dome remains. Ali Mall remains part of the landscape. Farmers Market continues the area’s long-standing tradition of everyday shopping. Cubao Expo preserves a different kind of commercial heritage. The transport terminals and train stations keep the district connected to the rest of Metro Manila and beyond.

That combination of old landmarks and new developments is what makes Cubao worth exploring beyond its reputation as a busy transport and shopping hub.

For visitors interested in Metro Manila’s history, Cubao offers a fascinating look at several generations of the city’s commercial, entertainment, and transportation history in a single district.

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