The Traveling Fountain

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Located in the Plaza Sta. Cruz and in front of the Sta. Cruz Church in Manila, the Fountain, is one of the oldest in the city. Carriedo Street is near the fountain, but the fountain is not originally located here.

The fountain is dedicated to Don Francisco Carriedo, who inherited in his will an amount to start up the piped water system in Manila. Upon the start of the construction of the piped water system, this fountain was inaugurated 1882 into then Sampaloc Rotunda, the intersection of Ramon Magsaysay, Legarda and Nagtahan in the Contemporary period. Prior to this, Manila just derive its water supply in the Pasig River and its Tributaries, this water is used for all purposes (laundry, cleaning, drinking) that's why in the 19th century all diseases and epidemics are water-borne.

In the 1970s' due to traffic, construction of the Nagtahan flyover and the transfer of Nawasa in Balara, Quezon City, the fountain was transferred and included in the new office of the Nawasa.

In 1992, upon Alfredo Lim's start as the Manila Mayor, he negotiated with the MWSS regarding the return of the fountain back to the city. MWSS agreed only if the fountain has to be duplicated. They hired National Artist Napoleon Abueva to replicate the fountain, and the original fountain was back in the city in its current location, though not the original one.