Right at the end of the service road of Ramon Magsaysay Blvd. (where most vehicles bound for Santol area pass through) stands one of the few skyscrapers that dominate the landscape of Santa Mesa district. Nowadays, this plain-looking building is home to some shipping and recruitment agencies and the preschool unit of STI Colleges. But who would have thought that this building has a colorful history of its own?
Last August 28, a new landmark in the metropolis was unveiled in a “soft launch” of sorts.
Yes, the Urban Roamer was there on the opening of Resorts World Manila, the gaming entertainment project of Alliance Global, Star Cruises, and Megaworld (the same developers behind Eastwood City among others) located on the yet-to-be-completed business-commercial hub of Newport City, which also happens to be another project of Megaworld.
Straddling between Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard and V. Mapa Street is a street with an interesting name: Old Sta. Mesa. Before the wisecrack questions are raised, yes it is old as it says it is. In fact, the area of Old Sta. Mesa is one of the oldest places in Manila’s geographic district of Santa Mesa, having served as the “poblacion” or town center of this suburb by the turn of the 20th century.
This is not about an attraction located in España Boulevard in Manila.
Even if it were an attraction, it’s not something people would be exactly proud of.
I’m talking about that perennial problem of flooding along the stretch of España Boulevard, turning almost the entire length of the road into a sunken wasteland.
