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Known formally as the Lacson Underpass — named after former Manila Mayor Arsenio Lacson who commissioned this project but died two years before its completion in 1964 — it is now being run by Guru Property Development and Management Corp which also owns the Victory malls in Caloocan, Antipolo, Pasay, Bulacan and Batangas.
According to reports, the company shouldered the cost of renovating the underpass but will, in return, enjoy a profit-sharing scheme with the Manila City Hall.
Prior to the renovation that started in January this year, the underpass was grotty and a popular hangout of beggars and homeless people. These days it is airconditioned, has a pay-per-use comfort room (PHP10 per entry) and — believe it — operating hours (Mon-Thu & Sat 8:30am-8:30pm, Fri & Sun 7am-9pm).
Which is not nice. This underpass was built for the public and should be made available to the public 24/7.
As for the shops, most of the religious stalls selling Black Nazarene paraphernilia (statues, t-shirts, handkerchiefs and fans) are gone, replaced by kiosks offering massage and cellphone repair or travel agencies. The only shop worth visiting is the Bakerite Bakery — a Quiapo institution since 1946.
Overall the underpass is spic and span, but perhaps a little too clean? And crowded with commercial tentants? It looks and feels like any other mall in the metropolis, and reflects very little what makes Quiapo such a fascinating district of Manila. The Muslim community, for example, is not represented at all despite the presence of the Golden Mosque near the other end of the underpass which was originally built for a state visit by Muammar al-Gaddafi (the trip never happened).
