Magallanes Street

Magallanes St. is part of Davao City’s old world. Though old buildings are slowly being replaced by new ones, the memories of this street marks its every corner. It is where the City Hall, the Sangguniang Panlungsod, City Engineers office, a new Museum, a hospital and a hotel is located.

One particular block was an interest of mine as a child. It wasn’t occupied by a structure then. The whole year, this small portion of land would be a field of grasses except in times of festivities like the Araw ng Dabaw, Kadayawan and Christmas. Either way, it was a playground for kids. Whenever there was a celebration in the city, they would put up a ferris wheel, booths and some other small rides. You would know this place because the Grand Men Seng hotel rests on top of it.

The old Brokenshire hotel once stood there, too, before the great fire which engulfed San Pedro and Magallanes Streets. Hmmm… I’ve heard there were ghosts in GMS hotel.