After the Spanish-American War, there was an increasing demand for ice in the Philippines. This was mainly due to Americans who decided to settle here with their families. As a result, The Insular Ice Plant and Cold Storage was born in 1902.
Designed by an American architect named Edgar Bourne, Insular Ice Plant offered distilled water, ice, and cold storage services to the US military as well as the general public.
Unfortunately, it was demolished in the 1980s to make way for additional structures that were part of LRT1.
Interesting fact: According to Nick Joaquin’s Almanac for Manileños, the popular saying “mabilis pa sa a las cuatro!” originated from the ice plant’s whistles which regulated people’s lives at that time.
The whistle usually sounded three times a day: At 7:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 4:00 PM which signaled that it was time for people to go to work, take the lunch, and rush back home, respectively.
(Source: http://www.filipiknow.net/)
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