Divisoria

“In everything the middle course is best: all things in excess bring trouble to men.”

Titus Maccius Plautus

I originally intended this to be just a “Quote of the Day” post. However, I realized that there are more interesting things to talk about regarding this receipt (or, should I say, the place where I got it from) than poking fun at grammatical errors.

Note: I’m not in any way saying that my English is anywhere near perfect. It’s just that I’ve become more critical about these things after working for a publishing company for many years. Admittedly, I oftentimes struggle in putting my thoughts into words, much more so in stating them in a grammatically-correct manner.

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I suppose most, if not all, Manileños know what “Divisoria” is (take note, I said “what”). Simply put, it is a place where you can buy just about anything you need (and don’t need) at dirt cheap prices. Divisoria is one of the most well-known places where many buy-and-sellers get their supplies… fabrics, kitchen utensils, plastic wares, ceramic wares, school and office supplies, toys, fishing gear, sports gear, livestock feeds, apparels and underwear for all ages and sizes, shoes, bags, crafting stuff, fruits and vegetable, meat, spices, baking needs… you name it.

So where exactly is this Divisoria?

I lived (very) near the “area” for close to 30 years but, still, I am unable to define its exact boundaries (if there ever is one). The only thing that I can say (with certainty) is that parts of “Divisoria” lie within the districts of Tondo, San Nicolas, and Binondo.

As far as I’m concerned, I think “Divisoria”, as it is known nowadays, is just a general reference to the area surrounding the section of Claro M. Recto Avenue (formerly known as Calle Azcarraga) that connects Rizal Avenue (formerly Avenida) to Elcano Street.

Again, that’s just my idea.

I’ve tried looking for historical information about it on the web but I haven’t been able to find any, like where the name “Divisoria” came from or which specific area it originally referred to. All searches for Manila’s “Divisoria” on Google only reveal articles in which it is used in (and as) reference to “Tutuban”, “168 Mall” and cheap prices. So, to those who are in-the-know, kindly enlighten me.