Encyclopedia
The
City of Manila , or simply
Manila, is the
capital of the
Philippines. The city is located on the eastern shore of
Manila Bay on
Luzon, the country's largest island.
Manila is the hub of a thriving metropolitan area home to over 10 million people. The
Metro Manila area also known as the National Capital Region , of which the City of Manila is a part, is a much bigger metropolis consisting of 17 cities and municipalities. This article discusses the city itself; see
Metro Manila for the article on the metropolis.
Manila is the second most populous city proper in the Philippines, with more than 1.5 million inhabitants. Only nearby
Quezon City, the country's former capital, is more populous. It is currently included in the roster of
global cities of the world.
Manila got its name from
may nilad,
Tagalog for "there is nilad," in reference to the flowering mangrove plant that grew on the marshy shores of the bay. In the 16th century, Manila grew from a
Muslim settlement on the banks of the Pasig River into the seat of the
colonial government of
Spain when it controlled the Philippine Islands for more than three centuries. In 1898 the United States occupied and controlled the archipelago until 1946. During World War II, much of the city was destroyed. The Metropolitan Manila region was enacted as an independent entity in 1975. Today, the city and the metropolis thrives as an important cultural and economic center. However, overpopulation, traffic congestion, pollution, and crime challenge the city.
Manila has been classified as a "Gamma"
global city by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network.
The city
Manila lies at the mouth of the Pasig River on the eastern shores of
Manila Bay, which is on the western side of
Luzon. It lies about 950 kilometers southeast of
Hong Kong and 2,400 kilometers northeast of
Singapore. The river bisects the city in the middle. Almost all of the city sits on top of centuries of prehistoric
alluvial deposits built by the waters of the Pasig River and on some land reclaimed from Manila Bay. The layout of the city was haphazardly planned during Spanish Era as a set of communities surrounding
Intramuros. Intramuros is the original walled-city of Manila and one of the oldest walled city in the far east. During the American Period, some semblance of city planning using the architectural designs by
Daniel Burnham, was done on the portions of the city south of the Pasig River.
Manila is bordered by several municipalities and cities in
Metro Manila:
Navotas and Caloocan City to the north,
Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and
Mandaluyong City to the east,
Makati City to the southeast, and Pasay City to the south.
City seal
The Seal of Manila depicts the words
Lungsod ng Maynila and
Pilipinas, Filipino for
City of Manila and
Philippines, in a circle around a shield. The circle also contains six yellow stars representing the city's six congressional districts. The shield, in the shape of pre-colonial people's shield, depicts the city's nickname
Pearl of the Orient on top; a sea lion in the middle, in reference to the city's Spanish influences; and the waves of the Pasig River and
Manila Bay in the bottom portion. The colors of the seal mirror that of the
Flag of the Philippines.
Districts
The city is divided into 15 geographical districts. Only one district was not an original town - Port Area. The seven districts north of the Pasig are Binondo,
Quiapo, Sampaloc, San Miguel, Santa Cruz, Santa Mesa, and Tondo.
The other eight are Ermita,
Intramuros, Malate, Paco,
Pandacan, Port Area, San Andres Bukid, and Santa Ana. San Andres was previously part of Santa Ana, and Santa Mesa was once a part of Sampaloc.
All of these districts, with the exception of Port Area, have their own churches, and several of these districts have achieved recognition in their own right. The district of Binondo is the city's
Chinatown. Tondo is the densest, largest but poorest, while the districts of Ermita and Malate are well-known and popular with tourists, having many bars, restaurants, five-star hotels, and shopping malls.
Parks and open areas
Directly south of Intramuros lies
Rizal Park, the country's most significant park. Also known as
Luneta and previously as
Bagumbayan, the 60 hectare Rizal Park sits on the site where
José Rizal, the country's national hero, was executed by the Spaniards on charges of subversion. A monument stands in his honor where Rizal's remains were buried. The big flagpole west of the Rizal Monument is Kilometer Zero for road distances on the island of
Luzon and the rest of the country.
Other attractions in Rizal Park include the Chinese and Japanese Gardens, the Department of Tourism building, the National Museum of the Filipino People, The National Library of the Philippines, the Planetarium, the Orchidarium and Butterfly Pavilion, an open-air auditorium for cultural performances, a relief map of the Philippines, a fountain area, a children's lagoon, a chess plaza, a light and sound presentation, and the Quirino Grandstand.
Another famous open space in Manila is the
Baywalk. This promenade lies in front of the Manila Bay where one can experience one of the most breathtaking sunsets of the world. Coconut trees, giant kaleidoscopic lamp posts, al fresco cafès and restaurants, and live acoustic bands dot this two-kilometer stretch of ample space beside Roxas Boulevard.
Aside from Rizal Park, Manila has very few other open public spaces. Rajah Sulayman Park, Manila Boardwalk, Liwasang Bonifacio, Plaza Miranda, Paco Park, Remedios Circle, Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden, and the Malacañang Garden are some of the other parks in the city. In the northern most part of the city lies the three cemeteries of Loyola, Chinese, and Manila North Green Park, the largest public cemetery in Metropolitan Manila.
People
Demographics
Ethnic groups
The original settlers of Manila were the Tagalogs. Throughout the centuries, there has been a constant migration of
Visayans, Bicolanos, Ilocanos, Maranaos, Chinese and Spaniards. There are also
Americans, Arabs, Indonesians,
Indians, and
Koreans in Manila. Intermarriage between ethnic groups is not uncommon in the Philippines.
There are 3 distinct local ethnic groups in Manila. The natives , the East Asians , and the Spanish. The East Asian and Spanish groups, companies and families control most political and financial institutions.
Population density
With a population of 1,581,082 and a land area of 38.55 km², it has the highest population density of any major city in the world with 41,014 people/km² . A million more transients are added during daytime as students and workers come to the city.
Manila's population density dwarfs that of
Paris ,
Shanghai ,
Buenos Aires ,
Tokyo ,
Mexico City , and
Istanbul .
Languages
The main language is Filipino, the lingua franca of the Metro Manila region, which is based on
Tagalog. In addition, many Manileños are proficient in
English, which attracts English students, and this fuels a
Call Centre industry. However, in recent decades, the use of the English language amongst the general population has declined significantly. You may find yourself unable to communicate with many Manila citizens unless you speak their language of Tagalog. A small percentage of the population is fluent in
Spanish, owing to Manila's Spanish heritage.
Religion
Roman Catholicism
Manila is the seat of the Archdiocese of Manila and the
Primate of the Philippines. Being the seat of the Spanish colonial government in past centuries, it has been used as the base of numerous Roman Catholic missions to the Philippines. Among the religious orders that have gone to the Philippines include the
Dominicans, the
Jesuits, the
Franciscans, and the Augustinians .
Intramuros is currently the seat of the Archdiocese of Manila, the oldest archdiocese in the country. The archdiocese's offices is located in the
Manila Cathedral in Intramuros.
Other notable churches and cathedrals in the city include
San Agustin Church in Intramuros, a
UN World Heritage Site is a favorite wedding place of notable people and one of two fully air-conditioned churches in the city; Quiapo Church, also known as the Minor Basilica of the
Black Nazarene, site of the annual January Black Nazarene procession; Binondo Church, also known as Minor Basilica of
St. Lorenzo Ruiz; Malate Church ; and San Sebastian Church or the Minor Basilica of
San Sebastian, the only all-steel church in Gothic style in Asia. Many of the other districts of Manila have their own notable churches.
Other faiths
There are many
Buddhist and
Taoist temples built by the Chinese community in Manila. The Quiapo district is home to a sizable Muslim population in Manila, and The Golden Mosque is located there. In Ermita is a large Hindu temple for the Indian population, while on U.N. Avenue, there is a Sikh Temple. In Malate, along Quirino Avenue, there once was a synagogue for the small Jewish community in the Philippines.
Education and culture
Manila is home to majority of the colleges and universities in Metro Manila. The University Belt or
U-Belt, informally located in the districts of Malate, Ermita, Intramuros, Paco, San Miquel, Quiapo, and Sampaloc is the colloquial term for the high number of institutions of higher education that are located in the city. Among them are private school
De La Salle University-Manila, all-girl school
St. Scholastica's College and the state-owned
University of the Philippines, Manila at Ermita, the private schools
Far Eastern University and
University of Santo Tomas in Sampaloc, previously all-girl school
Centro Escolar University and all-boy school
San Beda College along Mendiola, private school
Colegio de San Juan de Letran, technical school
Mapua Institute of Technology, and the city-owned Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila at Intramuros, and the state-owned
Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Santa Mesa.
Educational institutions
The Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippin...
The National Museum of the Philippines, where the
Spoliarium of
Juan Luna is housed, the Metropolitan Museum, the Museong Pambata , as well as the National Library is also in Manila, located within Rizal Park.
Economy
Commerce
Every district in the city with the exception of Port Area has its own public market, locally called the
pamilihang bayan. Public markets are often divided into two, the dry goods section and the wet goods section. Commerce in these public markets is lively, especially in the early morning. Under the urban renewal program of the incumbent administration, some of the public markets had been refurbished and given a fresher look, like the Sta. Ana public market. It is one of the more advanced markets in the city featuring a modern 2-story building with an escalator.
The tropical climate in Manila plus the facilities of its world-class malls continue to attract Filipinos to the shopping malls. Modern shopping malls dot the city especially in the areas of Malate and Ermita. SM City Manila, part of the country's largest chain of malls, stands behind the Manila City Hall. One of the popular malls that lies at the heart of Manila is Robinson's Place Ermita. In the southern part of the city in Malate district is Harrison Plaza, one of the city's oldest shopping malls.
For the adventurous shoppers, you may venture beyond the hotel/shopping complex package and combine other interesting destinations for cheap buys such as in Divisoria and Quiapo districts. Bargaining is the major part of your shopping experience when you pass by on these areas, as it sells goods at rock-bottom prices. In Divisoria, there is already a shopping mall that caters to the adventurous shoppers. Tutuban Center in Divisoria gives a little comfort to the shoppers as it offers air-conditioned mall, but the price of the goods here is still very similar to the goods bought outside. In Quiapo, one unique spot is the marketplace under the bridge. It sells indigenous Filipino crafts and delicacies. Raon Center is famous for its cheap electronic products. Though through the changing times, department stores began sprouting the Quiapo area, but still the flea market of Quiapo is still vibrant and very much popular among the average Filipinos.
Manufacturing
Transportation
Air
Ninoy Aquino International Airport outside the city proper serves Manila and the metro area, over 30 airlines provide daily service to over 26 cities and 19 countries worldwide. Approximately 14 million travellers use NAIA a year straining what was originally a domestic airport built in the 1930s, that a second airport, the Terminal 2 or the Centennial Airport was built with American, Korean, Japanese & German investments and opened in October 1999. The International flag-carrier Philippine Airlines now uses this terminal for both its domestic and international and while all other international flights use NAIA
Air Philippines is in the transition to the newer Terminal alongside PAL.
There is a small domestic airport approximately 1.5 miles from NAIA on Domestic Road that is the main hub of Asian Spirit,
Cebu Pacific,
South East Asian Airlines and
Air Philippines. These regional carriers use
Boeing 737 &
757 alongside
A320 and DC-9-30 airplanes as well as small two-engine propeller planes. The domestic airport serves every major city throughout the Philippines from 5am to 8pm daily.
Roads
The main roads of Metro Manila are organized around a set of radial and circumferential roads that radiate and circle in and around Manila proper. Roxas Boulevard, easily the most well-known of Manila's streets, line the southern shores of Manila with Manila Bay. The boulevard is part of the
Radial Road 1 that leads south to the province of
Cavite. Another well-known radial road is España Boulevard that starts in Quiapo and ends at the Welcome Rotunda along the border with Quezon City. Pres. Sergio Osmeña Sr. Highway, part of the
South Luzon Expressway or
Radial Road 3 is the most important highway linking Manila with the provinces of southern Luzon.
The most common types of public transportation are buses and the
jeepney.
Tricycles are used for short distances. Pedicabs are biciycles attached with sidecars, where the drivers uses foot pedals to propel the vehicle.
The Pasig River is crossed by a number of bridges in Manila. Eastward they are Roxas Bridge , Jones Bridge, McArthur Bridge, Quezon Bridge, Ayala Bridge, Nagtahan Bridge , Pandacan Bridge, and Lambingan Bridge.
Railways
Manila is the hub of a railway system on Luzon. The main terminal of the
Philippine National Railways is in the Tondo district. Railways extend from this terminal north to the city of San Fernando in
Pampanga and south to
Legazpi City in
Albay 
