▁gr en ades ▁were ▁launched ▁at ▁a ▁political ▁r ally ▁of ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Party , ▁killing ▁nine ▁people . ▁ ▁It ▁under w ent ▁a ▁ <0xE2> <0x82> <0xB1> 4 9 ▁million ▁renov ation ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁after ▁dec ades ▁of ▁neglect ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁Man ila ' s ▁urban ▁decay ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁giving ▁it ▁a ▁more ▁modern ▁design ▁despite ▁protest s ▁from ▁various ▁historical ▁groups ▁and ▁cultural ▁exper ts , ▁with ▁a ▁monument ▁ere cted ▁to ▁comm emor ate ▁bomb ing ▁vict ims ▁and ▁additional ▁architect ural ▁elements ▁installed . ▁ ▁Currently , ▁Pla za ▁Mir anda ▁serves ▁as ▁a ▁freedom ▁park , ▁where ▁assemb lies ▁and ▁protest s ▁may ▁be ▁held ▁without ▁need ing ▁a ▁permit ▁from ▁local ▁authorities , ▁and ▁with ▁thousands ▁of ▁people ▁crossing ▁through ▁it ▁every ▁day , ▁it ▁is ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁Man ila ' s ▁version ▁of ▁Times ▁Square . ▁ ▁Despite ▁front ing ▁the ▁Qu ia po ▁Church , ▁Pla za ▁Mir anda ▁and ▁the ▁streets ▁surrounding ▁it ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁a ▁center ▁for ▁fortune - t elling ▁and ▁the ▁sale ▁of ▁luck y ▁char ms ▁and ▁am u lets . ▁ ▁Most ▁fortune ▁tell ers ▁who ▁practice ▁around ▁Pla za ▁Mir anda ▁claim ▁that ▁they ▁are ▁able ▁to ▁draw ▁their ▁ability ▁to ▁tell ▁fort unes ▁from ▁their ▁dev otion ▁to ▁the ▁Black ▁Naz ar ene ▁( the ▁patron ▁of ▁the ▁Qu ia po ▁Church ) ▁despite