Breathing new life into Plaza Cervantes

It takes more than just expertise and skill to create change.

It’s not enough, for a property developer for instance, to simply go into a locale, put up a skyscraper or two, sell the spaces, and leave it at that.

In the case of visionary and tycoon Andrew L. Tan and his company, Megaworld Corp., immersing themselves in the ways and culture of the community is also a must.

One’s presence in the locality should go beyond bringing flair and innovation to the table. Equally important is the preservation of the culture and legacy, by providing people a glorious reminder of their past.

Preserving historical value

And this is something evident in Megaworld Corp., whose projects have been infused with a character distinctly unique to the people in the said community. Every place that the company goes in, it brings with it the strong desire to preserve the overall historical value of the area.

A perfect example would be Chinatown in Manila.

“Mr. Tan’s goal and vision is to revitalize and transform the image of Chinatown. His decision to put up various developments and the Lucky Chinatown Mall was something worthy of praise and admiration. No other developer would even think of doing this,” said Wilson Sy, sales and marketing head for Megaworld Corp.

Sy admitted that it takes time, resources, and effort to rehabilitate and revitalize a place like Chinatown. But Tan, is highly determined to do it and he had done so.

New, glorious era

Recently, the company has also taken on the huge task to rehabilitate the Plaza Cervantes, which is seen to usher in a new glorious era for the Chinatown District. This formed part of Megaworld’s thrust to preserve national heritage sites such as the Plaza Cervantes, which is a major street in Chinatown that serves as a gateway to the Binondo business district.

“In front of Noble Place is the famed Plaza Cervantes and we are rehabilitating it as part of Megaworld’s efforts to bring the old glory of Binondo. The restoration of the historical street is being done in support to the local government’s beautification and preservation efforts to rehabilitate this famous landmark that the old Chinatown of Manila is known for,” Sy claimed.

“Once completed, Plaza Cervantes will feature a beautiful garden where people can enjoy and leisurely while away time,” he further said.

Regaining glory

Much, however, has yet to be done. But the entry of Megaworld in the world’s oldest Chinatown is allowing the district to regain its full glory.

“We are halfway already in our vision to fully revitalize Chinatown. But a lot of work still needs to be done. Little by little, we have managed to somehow modernize and improve the area towards the vision of our chairman, which is to fully transform the image of Chinatown and improve the way of life of the people living there as well,” Sy concluded.