If you’re the type to brave the streets of Manila, you would have used the Lagusnilad underpass at least once in your life. At the state it was in before its renovations started in November 2019, going through the smelly and flood-prone passageway was an ordeal. Today, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno shared more photos of the plans for its makeover with the caption, “Coming soon, mga Batang Maynila! ? #BagongMaynila” The city plans to have it open to the public by the end of August.
When demolitions for the project started, one of the businesses affected was Books from underground. However, its regulars can now look forward to its return since the iconic shop will be the only business allowed to retain its spot and it will have better shelves to display its goods. We’re happy to hear that it has gotten the recognition it deserves as one of the city’s partly hidden gems.
It’s one of the many cool additions that you can see from city architect Antonio Toledo’s renovation plan. It also boasts of a modern-contemporary and well-lit design that features murals depicting Philippine history and bas reliefs made in collaboration with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts as well as vertical gardens.
Apart from that, the underpass will be getting a tech-y upgrade. Manila Public Information Office chief Julius Leonen shared in an interview with ABS-CBN, “In line with the goal of making Manila a smart city, an interactive wall will be installed, and it will feature city promotions and tourism,” he said. He adds that it will also be under 24-hour surveillance and that key issues such as flooding, vagrants and security have been addressed by key agencies.
Back in May, Moreno tweeted a video showing the progress on the rehabilitation project. We’ll finally get to see the end result very soon.
Photo courtesy of Mayor Isko Moreno’s Facebook account
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