España Boulevard is the main thoroughfare of Sampaloc district

Sampaloc, Manila

Sampaloc is a district of Manila which is primarily a residential and educational center. Part of the Malacañang Palace is located in Sampaloc. The University of Santo Tomas, University of the East Manila are part of the University Belt to name a few, the famous Dangwa flower market at Dimasalang...

, Manila

Manila

Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...

 and the extreme western section of Quezon City

Quezon City

Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...

. It is an 8-lane divided arterial road

Arterial road

An arterial road, or arterial thoroughfare, is a high-capacity urban road. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector roads to freeways, and between urban centres at the highest level of service possible. As such, many arteries are limited-access roads, or feature...

 and is a component of one of the radial roads of Metro Manila

Metro Manila

Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...

 — Radial Road 7

Major roads in Metro Manila

Metro Manila has a very extensive roadway system connecting the cities and municipalities of the metropolis and its surrounding provinces. The major roadways are the ten radial roads, braching from the capital city of Manila, and the five circumferential roads, which form semicircles around the...

 or R-7. España's name is taken after the Spanish

Spanish language

Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

 name of Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

, the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

' colonial power for 333 years. True to its name, several Spanish names abound the street.

Notable landmarks

España is an east-west artery of Manila. It connects Lerma and Nicanor Reyes (formerly Morayta) streets of Sampaloc district

Sampaloc, Manila

Sampaloc is a district of Manila which is primarily a residential and educational center. Part of the Malacañang Palace is located in Sampaloc. The University of Santo Tomas, University of the East Manila are part of the University Belt to name a few, the famous Dangwa flower market at Dimasalang...

 on the west end to Mabuhay (or Welcome) Rotonda, Quezon City

Quezon City

Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...

 on the east end. The entire street is straddled by a center island, which is only broken on major intersections and at the railroad crossing. Vehicles are allowed to make a left-turn only on two intersections: southward to Arsenio Lacson Avenue and at the western terminus going to Nicanor Reyes Street. España is two kilometers long.

España's north side is its west-bound (Manila-bound) side, while the south side is its east-bound (Quezon City-bound) side. Bus

Bus

A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...

es, taxi

Taxicab

A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...

s, jeepney

Jeepney

Jeepneys are the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They were originally made from US military jeeps left over from World War II and are known for their flamboyant decoration and crowded seating...

s and cabriolets serve the commuters.

Quezon City

At the east end is Mabuhay Rotonda, which connects España with Quezon Avenue, Eulogio Rodriguez, Sr. Avenue, and Mayon Avenue. Quezon Avenue leads to EDSA and ultimately to the Quezon Memorial Circle

Quezon Memorial Circle

The Quezon Memorial Circle is a national park and shrine located in Quezon City, former capital of the Philippines . The park is an ellipse bounded by the Elliptical Road. Its main feature is a mausoleum containing the remains of Manuel L...

. E. Rodriguez, Sr. Avenue leads to Cubao district of Quezon City, a popular shopping place. Mayon Avenue leads to A. Bonifacio Avenue then North Luzon Expressway

North Luzon Expressway

The North Luzon Expressway , and which is formerly called the North Diversion Road, and officially known as Radial Road 8 is a 4 to 8-lane limited-access toll expressway that connects Metro Manila to the provinces of the Central Luzon region in the Philippines...

 (formerly North Diversion Road). Vehicles pass through the Mabuhay Rotonda on a counter-clockwise direction, although the west side of the rotonda is now closed to traffic.

At the south side of España at the front of the rotonda is South East Asian College, a medical and nursing school.

At the north side of Macaraig Street are offices of telecommunications company PLDT. Macaraig marks the Manila-Quezon City boundary.

Manila

At Josefina Street's south side is a Meralco

Meralco

The Manila Electric Company , also known as MERALCO or Meralco, is the Philippines' largest distributor of electrical power.The word MERALCO, is an acronym for Manila Electric Railroad And Light COmpany, which was the company's original name from 1903 to 1919.MERALCO is the Metro Manila's only...

 branch, a power distribution firm.

The first major intersection is Blumentritt Road. The street is named after Austrian professor Ferdinand Blumentritt

Ferdinand Blumentritt

Ferdinand Blumentritt , was a teacher, secondary school principal in Litoměřice, lecturer, and author of articles and books on the Philippines and its ethnography...

, Jose Rizal

José Rizal

José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda , was a Filipino polymath, patriot and the most prominent advocate for reform in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is regarded as the foremost Filipino patriot and is listed as one of the national heroes of the Philippines by...

's best friend. The next intersections are characters from Rizal's novel Noli Me Tangere

Noli Me Tangere (novel)

Noli Me Tangere is a novel by Filipino polymath José Rizal and first published in 1887 in Berlin, Germany. Early English translations used titles like An Eagle Flight and The Social Cancer, but more recent translations have been published using the original Latin title.Though originally written in...

: Ibarra, Sisa and Basilio. Crisostomo Ibarra is the hero of the novel, while Sisa was the mother who went mad when her two sons, Basilio and Crispin went missing. Another is Macaraig, from El Filibusterismo

El filibusterismo

El filibusterismo , also known by its English alternate title The Reign of Greed, is the second novel written by Philippine national hero José Rizal. It is the sequel to Noli Me Tangere and like the first book, was written in Spanish. It was first published in 1891 in Ghent, Belgium...

.

From Mabuhay Rotonda to Blumentritt lies 2 Ministop Convenience Stores. One is the Macaraig branch, just beside PLDT, and the other one is the Blumentritt-Ibarra branch, across Equitable bank.

The next major intersection is Maceda Street (formerly called Washington Street), the street is named after a prominent politician, Antonio Maceda. Maceda also leads to A. Bonifacio Avenue then North Luzon Expressway

North Luzon Expressway

The North Luzon Expressway , and which is formerly called the North Diversion Road, and officially known as Radial Road 8 is a 4 to 8-lane limited-access toll expressway that connects Metro Manila to the provinces of the Central Luzon region in the Philippines...

. Along Craig Street on España's south side is a Mercury Drug

Mercury Drug

Mercury Drug is the leading chain of drugstores in the Philippines.- History :The company began in 1945 with a single store owned by Mariano Que. He named it after Mercury, the messenger of the gods in Roman mythology and whose staff, the caduceus, is sometimes used as a symbol of medicine.In 1945,...

 branch. Between Kundiman and E. Quintos, Sr. Streets is the only pedestrian traffic light along España. The yellow notice at the traffic light reads "Ped Xing," which means "pedestrian crossing." Between Antipolo and Algeciras streets is the Philippine National Railways

Philippine National Railways

The Philippine National Railways , or PNR, is a state-owned railway company in the Philippines, operating a single line of track on Luzon. As of 2010, it operates one commuter rail service in Metro Manila and a second in the Bicol Region. PNR restored its intercity service to the Bicol region in 2011...

 tracks, on which trains stop at the España station

España railway station

España station is a station on the South Main Line of the Philippine National Railways. Like all PNR stations, it is at grade. It is located along España Boulevard in Sampaloc, Manila, which is where it gets its name....

, on the south side.

Vicente G. Cruz (formerly Economia) and Manuel dela Fuente Streets (formerly Trabajo) each have traffic lights. This area is still referred to as "Trabajo" (Spanish for "hard work"). The surrounding streets are named after virtues in Spanish. For example, Pureza (purity), Sobriedad (sobriety), Verdad (truth), Honradez (honor),Prudencio (Prudence), and Alegria (joy).

Along Vicente Cruz lies a Mini Stop convenience store, while on M. dela Fuente lies a 7-Eleven

7-Eleven

7-Eleven is part of an international chain of convenience stores, operating under Seven-Eleven Japan Co. Ltd, which in turn is owned by Seven & I Holdings Co...

 branch, and Wendy's

Wendy's

Wendy's is an international fast food chain restaurant founded by Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The company decided to move its headquarters to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. It has been owned by Triarc since 2008...

 (now closed) and Chowking

Chowking

Chowking is a Philippine-based chain that pioneered the Asian quick-service restaurant concept in the Philippines. The concept combines a Western fast-food service style with Chinese food. Chowking predominantly sells noodle soups, dim sum, and rice toppings...

 food chains. Several meters from España on the south side of M. dela Fuente lies a Jollibee

Jollibee

Jollibee Foods Corporation is the parent company of Jollibee, a fast-food restaurant chain based in the Philippines. Among JFC's popular brands are Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Caffe Ti-amo, Mang Inasal and Burger King...

 branch. Vicente Cruz can only be crossed on a north-south route while dela Fuente can only be crossed on a south-north route.

Between Don Quijote (named after Don Quixote) and Carola streets is the Ramon Magsaysay High School

Ramon Magsaysay High School, Manila

Ramon Magsaysay High School is a high school in Manila, Philippines. It was founded as the Governor Forbes annex of V. Mapa High School in 1952. In 1959, it was renamed Ramon Magsaysay High School, in honor of former Philippine president Ramon Magsaysay....

, a reputable public high school. It can easily be distinguished from España's north side with its sky blue walls. The school is also the largest public high school in Manila.

On the north side, from Lacson Avenue to Padre Noval Street is the 21.5-hectare Manila campus of the University of Santo Tomas

University of Santo Tomas

The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines , is a private Roman Catholic university run by the Order of Preachers in Manila. Founded on April 28, 1611 by archbishop of Manila Miguel de Benavides, it has the oldest extant university charter in the...

 (UST).

Lacson Avenue is named after Arsenio Lacson

Arsenio Lacson

Arsenio H. Lacson was a Filipino journalist and politician who gained widespread attention as Mayor of Manila from 1952 to 1962. An active executive likened by Time and The New York Times to New York's Fiorello La Guardia, he was the first Manila mayor to be reelected to three terms...

, a former Mayor of Manila. It was formerly Governor Forbes Street after William Cameron Forbes

William Cameron Forbes

William Cameron Forbes was an American investment banker and diplomat. He served as Governor-General of the Philippines from 1908 to 1913 and Ambassador of the United States to Japan from 1930 - 1932....

, one of the American Governor-Generals

Governor-General of the Philippines

The Governor-General of the Philippines was the title of the government executive during the colonial period of the Philippines, governed mainly by Spain and the United States, and briefly by Great Britain, from 1565 to 1935....

. At the northwest corner of the España-Lacson intersection is UST's Roque Ruaño building, which houses UST's Faculty of Engineering. Between Mariano Jhocson (named after Mariano Fortunato Jhocson, founder of National University

National University (Philippines)

National University is a university in Manila, Philippines.It is a founding member of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines and is a pioneer of the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities...

) and Centro Streets is another pedestrian overpass, which serves UST students.

At the front of UST is a Shakey's Pizza

Shakey's Pizza

Shakey's Pizza is a pizza restaurant chain based in the United States. The chain currently has about 500 stores globally, and about 60 in the United States.-History:...

 parlor, branches of Bank of the Philippine Islands

Bank of the Philippine Islands

Bank of the Philippine Islands is the oldest bank in the Philippines still in operation and is the country's third largest bank in terms of assets, the country's largest bank in terms of market capitalization, and the country's most profitable bank...

 and Metrobank

Metrobank

Metrobank can refer to:*Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company , a Philippine bank*MetroBank, the subsidiary of MetroCorp Bancshares, an American bank based in Houston, Texas* Metro Bank , a British retail bank established in 2010...

, a Victory Liner bus terminal, Mayric's Bar, several review centers and dormitories. Viewable from España is the Arch of the Centuries

Arch of the Centuries

The Arch of the Centuries is a monument in the University of Santo Tomas at Manila, that stands fifteen meters away from the University's main vehicular entrance along España Boulevard. It is declared by the National Museum as a National Treasure, it serves as the link of the campus with its...

, which is a vestige of UST's connections with Intramuros district

Intramuros

Intramuros is the oldest district in the present day city of Manila, the capital of the Republic of the Philippines. Nicknamed the "Walled City", Intramuros is the historic fortified city of Manila, the seat ot the government during the Spanish Colonial Period. Its name in Latin, intramuros,...

.

At UST's west side is Padre Noval Street, named after Fr. Jose Noval, O. P., who served as UST's Rector from 1910-1914. At the street corner is the Beato Angelico building, which houses the Fine Arts and Design, and Architecture colleges of UST. The street is peculiar because the southbound vehicles are allowed to cross the street, while northbound vehicles are only allowed to make a left or right-turn along España.

At Padre Campa Street are branches of McDonald's

McDonald's

McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...

 and KFC

KFC

KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...

, both on the north side. At KFC's pedestrian side is another pedestrian overpass. Facing McDonald's on the south side is Saint Thomas Square, a shopping center.

España ends at the junction of Nicanor Reyes (formerly called Morayta) and Lerma Streets. Nicanor Reyes, named after the founder of Far Eastern University

Far Eastern University

Far Eastern University in the University Belt area, West Sampaloc, City of Manila, is a nonsectarian, private university in the Philippines. Created by the merger of Far Eastern College and the Institute of Accounts, Business and Finance, FEU became a university in 1934 under the guidance of...

, which straddles its north side, leads to Claro M. Recto Avenue. Lerma, on the other hand, leads to Quezon Boulevard (different from Quezon Avenue), named after the President

President of the Philippines

The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...

 Manuel L. Quezon

Manuel L. Quezon

Manuel Luis Quezón y Molina served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944. He was the first Filipino to head a government of the Philippines...

, who also studied at the UST.

Notable events

España is notorious for its floods during the rainy season. This is because it serves as a catch basin for runoff in Sampaloc Area. Somewhere under the cement roads are sewers. It is common to find people wading in waist-deep floods especially when a typhoon passes through Manila, causing suspension of classes.

Fernando Poe, Jr.

Fernando Poe, Jr.

Ronald Allan Poe y Kelley , better known as Fernando Poe, Jr. and colloquially known as FPJ and Da King, was a Filipino actor and cultural icon. From the 1950s, Poe played steadfast film heroes who fight for the common man, which won him respect and admiration...

's funeral procession passed through España on its way to North Cemetery from Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City. As many 3 million people took a part in the procession.

A new mass-transit line is planned to cross España, called MRT-4, also called by some as the Red Line. The said MRT line will traverse the Boulevard until it reaches San Jose del Monte City

San Jose del Monte City

The City of San Jose del Monte is a first class suburban component city in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. It is bordered by Caloocan City and Quezon City, both in Metro Manila, in the south; by Rodriguez, Rizal in the east; Santa Maria and Marilao, both of Bulacan, in the west and...

, Bulacan

Bulacan

Bulacan , officially called the Province of Bulacan or simply Bulacan Province, is a first class province of the Republic of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Region in the island of Luzon, north of Manila , and part of the Metro...

.

The boulevard will also provide access to the northern extension of Metro Manila Skyway

Metro Manila Skyway

The Metro Manila Skyway is an elevated highway crossing over much of the existing South Luzon Expressway as of the moment. It is located within the Metro Manila portion of the SLEX and crosses through Makati City, Pasay City, Parañaque City, and Muntinlupa City. The Skyway begins in Barangay San...

 via España Exit. The said extension will traverse over PNR tracks until it reaches Grace Park

Grace Park

Grace Park may refer to:*Grace Park *Grace Park * A district of Caloocan City, Philippines...

, Caloocan City

Caloocan City

The City of Caloocan is one of the cities and municipalities that comprises the Metro Manila region in the Philippines. It is a major residential area inside Metro Manila...

.

España is also frequently used by anti-government protesters as a gathering area due to its proximity to Mendiola, which ends at Malacañang Palace

Malacañang Palace

The Malacañan Palace, commonly known simply as Malacañang, is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the Philippines. Located at 1000 J. P. Laurel Street, San Miguel, Manila, the house was built in 1750 in Spanish Colonial style. It has been the residence of every...

, the presidential residence.

Intersections

List of intersections from east to west. Bolded names are road crossings with traffic lights. Names in italics indicate former names, some of which are still in wide use. Designations in square brackets indicate official Metro Manila national roads.

• Mabuhay Rotonda (Welcome Rotonda) — Mayon Avenue / Quezon Avenue [R-7] / E. Rodriguez, Sr. Avenue (España Extension)
• Macaraig Street (North side only)
• Josefina Street (South side only)
• Blumentritt Road / Ibarra Street
• Sisa Street
• Instruccion Street
• Basilio Street
• Maceda Street (Washington Street)
• Metrica Street
• Craig Street
• Kundiman Street
• Quintos, Sr. Street {Pedestrian Crossing}
• San Diego Street
• Antipolo Street
• Algeciras Street
• Prudencio Street
• Cristobal Street
• Miguelin Street
• Vicente Cruz Street (Economia Street)
• J. Marzan Street
• Dela Fuente Street (Trabajo Street)
• Maria Cristina Street

• Don Quijote Street
• Carola Street
• Dos Castillas Street
• Earnshaw Street (North side only)
• Arsenio Lacson Avenue (Gov. Forbes Street) [C-2]
• Valencia Street (South side only)
• Ruaño Drive (North side only, inside UST)
• Extremadura Street (South side only)
• Cayco Street (Isabel Street) (South side only)
• Quezon Drive (North side only, inside UST)
• Mariano Fortunato Jhocson (South side only)
• Centro Street (South side only)
• Osmeña Drive (North side only, inside UST)
• Moret Street (South side only)
• Galicia Street (South side only)
• Tamayo Drive (North side only, inside UST)
• Padre Noval Street
• Eloisa Street (North side only)
• Tolentino Street (Cataluña Street)
• Adelina Street (North side only)
• Padre Campa Street
• Pacquita Street (North side only)
• Lerma Street [R-7] / Nicanor Reyes Street (Morayta Street)