THE BEAUTY OF
Manila
THE BEAUTY OF
Manila
- Philippines
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is the most densely populated city proper in the world. The Spanish city of Manila was founded on June 24, 1571, by Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi. The date is regarded as the city’s official founding date. Manila was also the seat of power for most of the country’s colonial rulers. It is home to many historic sites, some of which were built during the 16th century. Manila has many of the Philippines’ firsts, including the first university (1590), light station (1642), lighthouse tower (1846), water system (1878), hotel (1889), electricity (1895), oceanarium (1913),[12] stock exchange (1927), flyover (1930s), zoo (1959), pedestrian underpass (1960),[13] science high school (1963), city-run university (1965), city-run hospital (1969), and rapid transit system (1984; also considered as the first rapid transit system in Southeast Asia).
The term “Manila” is commonly used to refer to the whole metropolitan area, the greater metropolitan area or the city proper. The officially defined metropolitan area called Metro Manila, the capital region of the Philippines, includes the much larger Quezon City and the Makati Central Business District. It is the most populous region of the country, one of the most populous urban areas in the world, and is one of the wealthiest regions in Southeast Asia. The city proper is home to 1,780,148 people in 2015, and is the historic core of a built-up area that extends well beyond its administrative limits. With 71,263 people per square kilometer, Manila is also the most densely populated city proper in the world
The city is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay. The Pasig River flows through the middle of the city, dividing it into the north and south sections. Manila is made up of 16 administrative districts: Binondo, Ermita, Intramuros, Malate, Paco, Pandacan, Port Area, Quiapo, Sampaloc, San Andres, San Miguel, San Nicolas, Santa Ana, Santa Cruz, Santa Mesa and Tondo, while it is divided into six districts for its representation in Congress and the election of the city council members. In 2016, the Globalization and World Cities Research Network listed Manila as an “alpha –” global city.
Padre Pio Shrine
The chapel’s façade was inspired by the structure of the Church of Our Lady of Grace in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. Its design represents the desire to bring St. Pio closer to the hearts, minds and souls of his spiritual children, by providing them w…
Manila Bay
Manila bay was the setting for the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898 in which American troops led by Commodore George Dewey, seized the area. Significantly, this battle showcased the United States’ naval strength when all major Spanish ships were destroyed and captured.
Manila American Cemetery
The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial is located in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. The cemetery, 152 acres or 615,000 square metres in area, is located on a prominent plateau, with a total of 17,206 graves, it has the largest number of graves…
Christ the King Seminary
Christ the King Seminary, also known as the Divine Word Mission Seminary is a Roman Catholic seminary in Quezon City, Philippines run by the Divine Word Missionaries, more popularly known as the Society of the Divine Word (SVD). This academic …
Quezon City Circle
Known for being the capital of the Philippines from 1948 to 1976, the Quezon Memorial Circle is a national park located at Quezon City where its 66-metre (217 ft) tall mausoleum contains the remains of Manuel Quezon, the second official president…
Venice Piazza Grand Canal
Inspired by the grandeur of the Piazza San Marco, the Venice Piazza at McKinley Hill is the perfect place to go for a quiet family weekend with its eclectic mix of Italian, Mediterranean and international dining establishments and a great variety of …
San Diego de Alcala Church
San Diego de Alcala Church is a parish church in Valenzuela, located about 15.5 kilometres (9.6 mi) north of Manila. The original church was the oldest church in the city, built by Father Juan Taranco and finished by Father Jose Valencia in 1632. Residents …
Binondo Chinatown
Binondo is a district in Manila and is referred to as the city’s Chinatown and is the world’s oldest Chinatown. Its influence extends beyond to the places of Quiapo, Santa Cruz, San Nicolas. It is the oldest Chinatown in the world, established in …
University of Santo Tomas
The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines, or simply the University of Santo Tomas (UST), is a private, Roman Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on 28 April 1611 by Miguel …
San Sebastian Church
The Basílica Menor de San Sebastián, better known as San Sebastian Church, is a minor basilica in Quiapo, Manila, and the seat of the Parish of San Sebastian. Completed in 1891, San Sebastian Church is noted for its architectural features. …
Binondo Church
Binondo Church, also known as Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz and Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish , is located in the District of Binondo, Manila fronting Plaza Calderón de La Barca. This church was founded by Dominican priests in …
Cultural Center of the Philippines
The CCP provides performance and exhibition venues for various local and international productions at its eponymous 62-hectare (150-acre) complex located in the Cities of Pasay and Manila. Its artistic programs include the production of …
Manila Abbey San Beda
The Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat, or Manila Abbey, is a Benedictine men’s monastery located on Mendiola Street in Manila, the Philippines. The monastery was founded by monks from Spain in 1895, in the final years of Spanish colonial era in the Philippines and is dedicated to Our Lady of Montserrat.
Manila Central Post Office
The Manila Central Post Office is the head office of the Philippine Postal Corporation, and houses the country’s main mail sorting-distribution operations. Designed by Juan M. Arellano and Tomás Mapúa, the post office building was built in …
Luneta Rizal Park
Located alongside Roxas Boulevard, Manila and next to the century-old walled city of Intramuros, the Luneta National Park or “Luneta” as many call it, is an historical urban park where the execution of national hero…
Bonifacio Monument
The Andrés Bonifacio Monument, commonly known simply as Bonifacio Monument or Monumento, is a memorial monument in Caloocan which was designed by the National Artist Guillermo Tolentino to commemorate Philippine revolutionary …
San Agustin Museum
The San Agustin Museum is a privately-owned museum maintained by the Augustinian Friars and housed inside the monastery of the San Agustin Church. The museum features ecclesiastical art and regalia illustrating the history of the monastery a…
Manila Zoo
Home of the popular asian elephant named “Mali” and other 90 species, the Manila Zoo is a both a landmark to the city of Manila and place where indigenous plants and hundreds of animals thrive. Animals in the zoo such as Hippopotamuses, Bengal…
Manila Cathedral
The Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception informally known as Manila Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic basilica dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Principal…
Santa Ana Church
The Santa Ana Church, also known as the Parish of Our Lady of the Abandoned, is a Spanish colonial period church located in the district of Santa Ana. The parish was established by the Franciscan missionaries in 1578 under the patronage …
Intramuros
Intramuros is also called the Walled City, and at the time of the Spanish Colonial Period was synonymous to the City of Manila. Other towns and arrabales (suburbs) located beyond the walls are referred to as “extramuros”, the Spanish for “outside the walls”. ….
La Loma Cemetery
The La Loma Cemetery (Campo Santo de La Loma) was opened in 1884 and is located in Caloocan City, Metro Manila. A portion of the southern part of the cemetery is located in Manila. The La Loma Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Manila with an area of slightly less than 54 hectares…
Luneta Hotel
The Luneta Hotel is a historic hotel in Ermita and was named after its location across from Luneta Rizal Park on Kalaw Avenue. It is one of the remaining structures that survived the Liberation of Manila in 1945. The structure is the only …
Jones Bridge
The William A. Jones Memorial Bridge is a bridge that spans the Pasig River in the Philippines connecting the Manila area of Binondo on Rosario Street (Calle Rosario, now Quintin Paredes Street), with the center of city in Ermita. The previous bridge that connected the two areas was the…
San Agustin Church
San Agustin Church is a Roman Catholic church under the auspices of The Order of St. Augustine, located inside the historic walled city of Intramuros in Manila. In 1993, San Agustin Church was one of four Philippine churches constructed during…
Manila Ocean Park
The main attraction of Manila Ocean Park is the Oceanarium which houses 14,000 sea creatures from about 277 species all of which is indigenous in Southeast Asia. The Oceanarium has seven sections and contains 3,000 cubic meters of sea water….
Makati City
Makati is the financial center of the Philippines and it has the highest concentration of multinational and local corporations in the country. The biggest trading floor of the Philippine Stock Exchange is situated along the city’s Ayala Avenue. Makati is also known for being a major cultural and entertainment hub in Metro Manila. Although its population is just half a million, the daytime population of the city is estimated to be more than one million during a typical working day because of the large number of people who go to the city to work, shop, and do business.
Casa Manila
Casa Manila is a museum in Intramuros depicting colonial lifestyle during Spanish colonization of the Philippines. The museum is the imposing stone-and-wood structure c. 1850, one of the grand houses in Barrio San Luis (one of the four original…
Plaza Miranda
Plaza Miranda is a public square bounded by Quezon Boulevard, Hidalgo Street and Evangelista Street in Quiapo, Manila. It is the plaza which fronts the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene (Quiapo Church), one of the main churches of the City of …
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz is a district in the northern part of the City of Manila, located on the right bank of the Pasig River near its mouth, boredered by the districts of Tondo, Binondo, Quiapo, and Sampaloc and La Loma (Quezon City). The district belongs to the 3rd congressional district of Manila in the Philippines.
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All photographs that appear on the site are copyright of Mariano Sayno. ©2017 Mariano Sayno.