The original name of Santa Ana before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors was Sapa, a territory ruled by the polity of Namayan, a small settlement whose last recorded rulers were Lakantagkan, and his wife Buwan ("moon").

The kingdom’s domain stretched from what is now Mandaluyong, Makati, Pasay, and the Manila districts of Pandacan and Paco.

[2] The Spaniards established settlements under the jurisdiction of Santa Ana, with the area awarded to the Franciscan missionaries.

The church as it stands today was first built in 1720 and is known as the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Abandoned (Nuestra Senora de los Desamparados).

[3] Edmund Roberts visited Santa Ana in 1832, writing about it in his travelogue, Embassy to the Eastern Courts of Cochin-China, Siam, and Muscat.

The cornerstone of the present church was laid on September 12, 1720 by Francisco dela Cuesta, then Archbishop of Manila and Acting Governor General of the Philippines.

Today, a statue of St. Ann with the child Mary at her side still stands in a niche directly above the exquisite image of Our Lady of the Abandoned that Father Vicente brought from Valencia.

This means that one cannot alter or demolish any structure in the area without securing consent from Gemma Cruz Araneta (former Ms. International), Sylvia Lichauco and the Fundacion Santiago.

Built in the 1850s–1860s, damaged in World War II, rebuilt in 1946, and declared a heritage house in 2010, the residence is open to the public from 8AM–5PM with minimal charges and donations encouraged.

These riverside vacation houses had verandas and wide opening to frame the river views as well as catch the breeze.

On the second floor, geometric stylized ventilation panels with the initials of the original owner (AV) embellish the wall partitions.