Manila City or simply Manila is the capital of the Philippines and one of the cities that make up the greater metropolitan area of Metro Manila. It is situated on the shores of Manila Bay just west of the geographical center of Metro Manila. This 38.55 sq km city lies on an isthmus between Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay in southern Luzon. The city of Manila has 16 district, 8 are located on the North of the Pasig River and another 8 on the South of Pasig River.

History
During the 13th century, the city consisted of a fortified settlement and along the bay of Pasig River is a trading quarter. The native city of Manila was conquered in 1570 and was declared as a Spanish City the following year. Manila became the seat of the colonial government of Spain when it controlled the Philippine Islands for over three centuries from 1565 to 1898. Being the traditional seat of education and liberal thinking in the Philippines, Manila was a rich field for anti-Spanish propaganda. On 13 August 13, 1898, the Filipino- American forces defeated the Spaniards in the Mock Battle of Manila. Thereafter, the city of Manila continued under an American military government until civil government was established for the city on 31 July 1901.

In 1902, the Philippine Commission provided for a new charter for the city of Manila, defining its boundaries, and thus annexing some towns of Rizal province to the city as its districts. On 30 July of the same year, the city board officially divided the city into 13 districts and the boundaries of each were defined. Since then the boundaries and city districts of Manila City proper have remained essentially unchanged.

The World War II brought Manila into a five-year period of sorrow and destruction. On the 26 December 1941 the government officials declared Manila as an open city in order to minimize the loss of life and property. Being practically destroyed in the process, the city was liberated from Japanese control in March 1945 by joint Filipino-American forces. The status as the capital of the country was robbed from Manila after Quezon City was declared as the national capital of the New Republic of the Philippines in 1948. It was May 1976 when President Ferdinand Marcos returned Manila as the national capital and declared that the area prescribed as Metro Manila.

Reflecting the vicissitudes of its history, the city of Manila is made up of a number of distinct parts:

1. Intramuros, containing what survives of the Spanish fortified town;

2. The districts north of the river Pasig, with the Malacanang Palace, Escolta Street, the port, Chinatown and the fishing quarter of Tondo;

3. The 19th century districts of Ermita and Malate extending along the bay to the south

INTRAMUROS

The fortified town
Intramuros, the old Spanish fortified town, still half in ruins, seems to slumber in the past, with its cobbled lanes and its old palaces; but it contains within its walls, pierced by their seven gates, two buildings of great interest, the church of San Agustin and Fort Santiago.

After taking Manila in 1570-1571 the Spaniards were faced with the necessity of defending the site a necessity rendered more urgent by the sacking of the town by the Chinese pirate Limahong in 1574. The work of fortification took more than three full decades and involved the construction of ramparts of earth, brick and the local volcanic stone (tufa). Within these ramparts was built a town in Spanish style, with narrow streets laid out in a regular grid round the Plaza Mayor. By the 18th century, Manila had eleven churches, three convents, two palaces, the University of Santo Tomas, 88 public buildings and 363 private dwelling houses. Only settlers of Spanish stock were allowed to live within the town: Filipinos and Chinese had to build their houses outside the walls.

In 1603 a moat was constructed to strengthen the town's defences, but this was drained at the beginning of the American occupation on health grounds and laid out in gardens. At present, the old moat that surrounded Intramuros was transformed into a golf course where locals and foreign nationals play the sport; at the southwest corner is a monument to Legazpi and Urdaneta. The town was entered by seven monumental gates, richly decorated.

In 1863 an earthquake destroyed the Cathedral and the Royal Palace as well as many houses, and the Governor moved over the river Pasig to the Malacañang Palace. At the beginning of the 20th century the Americans contemplated, pulling down the ramparts and laying out a ring of boulevards in their place, but were restrained from carrying out their plan by protests from archaeologists and historians, combined with the efforts of the two daughters of Governor R. Wright. The best preserved sections of the town walls (which escaped damage in 1942 but suffered considerable destruction in 1945) are those on the south side, above the municipal golf course. A number of the gates have been restored: the Puerta Real on the south side (Calle Real de Palacio or General Luna Street); the Puerta de Parian to the east; the Puerta de Isabel II to the north (Magallanes Drive); and the Puerta Postigo and Puerta Santa Lucia to the west (Bonifacio Drive). The governors and archbishops made their solemn entry into the town by the Puerta Postigo de Palacio, and through this gate too, Jose Rizal passed on his way to execution at Luneta. At the roundabout, outside the Puerta Postigo, at the end of Bonifacio Drive, is a monument to Simon de Anda y Salazar, hero of the resistance to the British during the Seven Years War and later a shrewd and enlightened governor.

A plan for the conservation and restoration of Intramuros has been prepared by an architect named Rosary Benitez and approved by the government (1979). After the removal of the present occupants (warehouses, etc.) it is planned to restore the exteriors of the houses to their original state and to establish a museum. In the 1980s under the governance of former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos, the Intramuros Adminsitration restored the city and at present the walled city is the only district of Manila where Spanish-era was retained. Much of the development of present-day Manila occurred outside the gates of Intramuros, leaving the old walls, streets and churches of Intramuros minimally touched by modernization. Through the WOW Philippines campaign, Intramuros grew as a prime urban tourist destination in the country.

Intramuros is best seen on foot, and lies within walking distance of the hotels in the city centre; if your hotel is farther away, at Makati or on Roxas Boulevard, take a taxi. A tour takes between 2 and 3 hours. The visit to Intramuros would not be complete without seeing its historic sites.

Fort Santiago
Fort Santiago, standing above the river, is a fortress within the fortress. Once the headquarters of the colonial authorities, it served also as a formidable prison. The ruins of the fort have been skillfully restored, and the inner courtyard is now used for official receptions and theatrical and other performances.

Fort Santiago, at the northwest corner of Intramuros, above the river Pasig, is named after the first Spanish governor, Santiago de Vera, who commissioned a Jesuit architect named Antonio Sedeo to build it in place of the old timber fort of Rajah Sulayman Mura. Building was built in 1571 and served as fortress against marauding Chinese pirates in 1574, but the fort was destroyed by fire in 1579. It was rebuilt by Santiago de Vera's successor Gomez Perez Dasmariñas, the architect being Leonardo Iturriano, and the new fort, built of volcanic tufa, was progressively enlarged until the early 18th century. It was attacked by the Dutch in 1646, and also, more persistently, by the British, who captured it in 1762. It was the scene of a mutiny by Filipino soldiers in 1843. It was taken by the Americans in 1898.

Fort Santiago also served as a prison. Jose Rizal's cell is shown to the visitors, in which he was confined from 3 November 1896 until his execution on 30 December. During the Japanese occupation (1942-1945) many members of the Resistance were imprisoned and tortured in the fort.

The San Lorenzo Bastion commanded the bay with 58 cannon manufactured by Krupp in Germany. There is now a small museum containing the anchors of Spanish galleons. To the North is the Shrine of Freedom, a park commemorating Rizal and other heroes of the Philippines. To the South, on a site formerly occupied by barracks, is an open-air theatre which bears the name of Rajah Sulayman (1967). Below the ramparts can be seen old state carriages used by governors and presidents.

Santa Clara Street
This street, between Fort Santiago and the Cathedral, takes its name from a convent of Poor Clares founded in 1621 by Mother Jeronima de la Fuente, who came here from Toledo with six nuns (there is a portrait of her by Velazquez in the Prado in Madrid). The site was presented by a wealthy landowner named Don Pedro Chaves. The nuns lived an enclosed life within the shelter of walls 10 m high. The convent was plundered by British forces in 1762 and destroyed during the fighting in 1945. The site is now occupied by warehouses (the port being only a short distance away). The nuns have moved to a new convent in Quezon City.

Aduana Street
This street runs northeast to the former Spanish Custom House, Aduana where goods coming from abroad were declared, occupied for a time by the Central Bank; the building was damaged in 1945. Behind it, above the Pasig, is a monument to the Manila Galleon, commemorating the vessel which maintained the link between Manila and Acapulco in Mexico. From here the wide Magallanes Drive runs southeast, with the offices of the immigration authorities, on the left is the Puerta Isabel II, named after the queen of Spain who was dethroned in 1868. There is a statue of the queen in the square which bears her name within the walls; it formerly stood outside the walls.

CATHEDRALS

Manila Cathedral
Of the twelve beautiful Baroque churches built by the Spaniards there remain only the ruins of the church of the Recollects; only one of them, Manila Cathedral, has been rebuilt.

The Cathedral stands on the southeast side of Plaza McKinley, formerly the Plaza Mayor and since 1956 known as Plaza Roma (renamed on the appointment of the Archbishop of Manila as a cardinal in that year, when a square in Rome was named after Manila).

In the square is a monument to three priests named Burgos, Gomez and Zamora, who were garroted in 1872 for supporting the rising of the troops of Cavite. The monument, by the Filipino sculptor S. Saprid, was unveiled in 1972, on the centenary of the execution (which took place at Luneta)

On the northeast side of the square there formerly stood the Spanish Town Hall (Ayuntamiento), which was destroyed in 1945. On the southwest side is a modern building on the site of the old Royal Palace, residence of the Spanish governors, which was destroyed in the 1863 earthquake. (Originally the mansion of a wealthy businessman, compulsorily taken over by the government, it was a handsome example of 17th century architecture).

The present Cathedral, dedicated to the Immaculate Concepcion, is in a fairly eclectic mingling of Romanesque and Byzantine styles. It was built between 1954 and 1958 by architect Fernando Ocampo, during the episcopate of Archbishop Rufino J. Santos, who became a cardinal in 1956.

The Cathedral succeeded five earlier cathedrals, all destroyed by natural cataclysm or by war: The first was a wooden structure built by the first bishop of Manila, Domingo de Salazar (a great protector of the natives) in 1581, on the site of a modest chapel of bamboo and nipa palm built by Legazpi in 1571 and destroyed by Limahong's Chinese pirates in 1574. It was scarcely completed before it was damaged by a typhoon (1582) and then destroyed by fire (1583); The second cathedral, built by the indefatigable Salazar in 1592, lasted only eight years before being destroyed by an earthquake in 1600; The third, completed in 1614, was destroyed by a further earthquake in 1645; The fourth was a splendid stone-built structure in Spanish colonial style erected by Archbishop Miguel de Poblete between 1654 and 1671 and destroyed by an earthquake on 3 June 1863; The fifth, built between 1870 and 1879, was damaged by an earthquake in 1880 and destroyed during the battle for Manila in 1945.

The two-storey facade has three doorways and four statues of saints. The bronze doors were the work of two Italian sculptors, A. Monteleone and F. Nagni; the central door has eight panels depicting the eventful history of the Cathedral, while the two side ones are devoted to the Virgin. On the left of the facade is a tower topped by a lantern, and there is a dome over the crossing.

The interior is of no particular character. It has mosaic decoration and modern stained glass by Galo Ocampo, depicting the life of the Virgin. Above the entrance is an organ of 4500 pipes made in Holland. The nave is flanked by aisles with chapels along both sides. The most interesting of the chapels is that of Nuestra Seora del Pilar, notable for its modern architecture by the Spanish architect Miguel Fisac, its red glass and a statue of the Virgin presented by the chapter of Zaragoza Cathedral.

The pulpit, on the south side of the choir, has bronze panels of the four Evangelists by the Italian artist Luigi Scirocchi. On the north side of the choir is the archbishop's throne, in Italian marble. The high altar, also in Italian marble, has a bronze panel by the German sculptor Toni Fiedler, who was also responsible for the tabernacle and is surmounted by a bronze Assumption of the Virgin (after Murillo) by the Italian sculptor E. Assenza. Under the choir is a crypt, decorated with a mosaic by Marcelo Avenali, it contains the tombs of the archbishops of Manila who died (since 1945). The baptistery has stained glass depicting the life of St. John the Baptist and a very beautiful font by an Italian sculptor, Morbiducci. The transepts, with an octagonal dome over the crossing, have beautiful stained glass depicting the various Marian symbols of the Philippines: Our Lady of the Remedies of Malate, Our Lady of the Rosary of Peñafrancia de Naga, Our Lady of Peace and the Good Voyage of Antipolo, etc.

San Agustin Church and Museum
The church of San Agustin, with a handsome stone roof, has been the scene of many dramatic episodes in the history of Manila. Used as barracks by the British in 1762-64, it contains the graves of the conquistadors Legazpi and Salcedo, and also of many civilians who took refuge here and were massacred by the Japanese during the fighting in 1945

A few hundred metres south of the Cathedral by way of General Luna Street (named after a general who played a prominent part in the 1898 war). The site was granted by Legazpi to the Augustinians, who played a major part in the evangelization of the Philippines, and on it, Father Diego Herrera built a wooden church which was burned down by Limahong's pirates in 1574. The present church, built between 1599 and 1607 by Juan de Macias and Antonio Herrera, is the oldest religious building in the Philippines, which has been relatively little damaged by earthquakes and wars but was pillaged by British troops looking for the monks treasure in 1762. A bomb burst through the dome in 1945 but caused no damage.

In spite of its name the church is dedicated to St Paul. It is a rather heavy building in Spanish colonial style, showing Mexican influence. The facade, preceded by four Chinese lions, perhaps presented by missionaries or by Chinese converts, has two tiers of eight columns each (the lower columns Done, the upper ones Corinthian); between the columns of the lower tier are statues of St Peter and St Paul. The triangular pediment is surmounted by a cross. Only the right hand tower (rebuilt 1861) remains; the left-hand one collapsed as the result of an earthquake. The door of molave wood is decorated with carved panels.

The church is entered by way of the museum, from one of the galleries of the cloister. The interior was decorated in trompe l'oeil at the end of the 19th century by two Italian artists, Alberoni and Divela, and recently restored by the Filipino artist Niceforo Rojo. It has a Latin-cross plan and is 62 m long, 27 m wide and 18 m high. The Baroque pulpit is decorated with Augustinian themes (a book, a heart pierced by arrows). In the right-hand arm of the transept is a wrought-iron arch (1866) leading into the cloister. Stalls of molave wood; six candlesticks imported from France in the 19th century.
To the left of the high altar is a chapel containing a recumbent effigy of Legazpi by the Spanish sculptor Joaquin Rubio Camin. Legazpi was buried here in 1572.

The Museum occupies a number of rooms opening off the galleries of the cloister. The walls of the galleries are decorated with paintings of episodes in the lives of St. Augustine and other saints. Among the figures represented is Father Manuel Blanco, 18th century monk who wrote a monumental Flora de Filipinas in six volumes. At each corner of the cloister is an altar.

The various rooms of the Museum (sacristy, library, refectory, chapterhouse) contain a rich collection of Spanish colonial art, vestments, statues, paintings on wood, books, etc., although many of the convent's former treasures disappeared during the Seven Years War and the later wars of 1898 and 1942-1945. The De Profundis Room, a kind of pantheon in which members of illustrious families were buried, now also contains the remains of the victims of Japanese massacres at the end of the occupation. In the Capitulation Room the act of surrender was signed by Spanish representatives in presence of the Americans on 13 August 1898. Another room contains interesting photographs of 19th century Manila.

Another range of 17th century buildings was destroyed during the battle for Manila in 1945.

SCHOOLS

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Manila
At the south ends of Intramuros, on the site of a former nunnery and Jesuit house. The nunnery was founded by Mother Ignacia of the Holy Ghost (1663-1748), who as the daughter of a Chinese father and a Filipino mother was unable to enter one of the regular convents, which were open only to women of Spanish stock: whereupon she gathered a number of nuns round her and founded an order which still exists, the Sisters of the Virgin Mary.

Colegio de San Juan de Letran
Facing the corner of Anda and Murralla Streets, this school was a result of two men's concern for the welfare of Spanish orphan boys. Juan Alonso Jeronimo Guerrero, founded the first institution in 1620, Colegio de los Niños Huerfanos de San Juan de Letran and Fray Diego de Santa Maria began a similar task of housing and educating orphans in rooms adjacent to the lobby of the Santo Domingo convent, the Colegio de Huerfanos de San Pedro y San Pablo. In 1640 the two institutions merged as an exclusive school for the boys.

Colegio de Santa Rosa
Colegio de Santa Rosa was founded by Mother Paula de la Santissima Trinidad in 1750. The school's primary duty was to take care of the welfare of the Filipina orphans. The school was ruined during the earthquake of 1863 and was rebuilt in 1882 as a three-storey building that was destroyed in 1941.

MUSEUMS

Casa Manila
Casa Manila was constructed based on archival building plans. It is a "colonial lifestyle" museum. The facade of Casa Manila was a reconstruction of 19th century home. The walls of the ground floor were made of volcanic tuff. The top floor, the living quarters were made of wood. Each room shows influence of the 19th century, complete with antique furniture, fixtures and artworks.

Rizal Shrine
The shrine in historic Fort Santiago is a two storey building formerly used as barracks for Spanish artillery soldiers. Here one can have a glimpse of Rizal's memorabilia: books, manuscripts, artworks, shells, insects, etc. There are also collections of Rizal's family household possessions.

Aquarium
Opened in 1913, the Manila Aquarium was a very popular tourist attraction during American period. The Aquarium was destroyed during the World War II but reopened in 1967. It is located outside the walls, in a free-standing bastion near the Puerta Real built in 1836. The aquarium was revived in 1998. It displays a fascinating diversity of tropical marine life.

MALACAÑANG AND THE NORTHERN DISTRICTS
Opposite J.P. Laurel Avenue is the Malacañang Palace, residence of the President of the Republic (visitors admitted at certain times by prior arrangement: apply to Ministry of Tourism). The name is said to come from the Tagalog word mamalakaya (village of fishermen) or perhaps from may lakan diyan (residence of the chief). Others derive it from Spanish mala cana (bad reed), referring to the reeds which formerly lined the banks of the Pasig river.

In the 18th century a wealthy Spaniard named Don Luis Rocha built a country residence here, on the North bank of the river. This was bought in 1802 by an officer named Jose Miguel Formento, and was acquired by the State in 1825 with the help of a tax levied on the Chinese. Thereafter, it became the summer residence of the governors, anxious to get away from the heavy moist air of Intramuros.

By the 19th century the town had already extended north of the Pasig. After the destruction of the Royal Palace by an earthquake in 1863 the Spanish Governor-General had transferred his residence to a large country house in the colonial style built, the Malacañang Palace became the permanent residence of the governor. The Americans carried on the tradition, and Governor Davis (1929-32, who gave his name to the Davis Cup) carried out large alterations and extensions. General MacArthur had his offices here. The palace, set in a large park extending on to both banks of the river, in which its beautiful white facade is reflected, is now the official residence of the President of the Republic.

In front of the palace are beautiful gardens enclosed by wrought-iron railings. The State Apartments are richly decorated and furnished. In the Grand Hall are three chandeliers of Bohemian crystal and portraits of Presidents of the Philippines. There are also collections of Chinese porcelain and pictures by Filipino artists.

Two other Spanish palaces of the period survive down river from the Malacañang Palace. Efforts are being made to clean up the Pasig and its banks, long in a filthy and neglected state, but it still needs a good deal of imagination to picture this as the elegant river promenade it was in the days when the governor traveled each day by boat, or by coach via Escolta Street, from his palace to his office in Intramuros. Nowadays, this district near the port contains the offices of the principal banks and shipping lines.

NORTHERN DISTRICTS
The districts of Manila beyond the river Pasig are largely working-class areas very different from Ermita and Malate. The mouth of the Pasig in Manila Bay was formerly the scene of great activity, with the comings and goings of the galleons and merchant ships. It is now much quieter, but unfortunately also more polluted than in the 18th century, when the limpid waters of the river were fringed by meadows and thickets of reeds and luxurious mansions lay farther upstream. Today the river is flanked by the two parts of the port, the North Harbor and the South Harbor.

In this part of Greater Manila the river is spanned by six bridges. Going upstream, they are the Roxas Bridge (on the line of Bonifacio Drive and Roxas Boulevard), which gives access to the San Nicolas district beyond the North Harbor; the Jones Bridge, the principal means of approach to Binondo and Chinatown; the MacArthur Bridge and Quezon Bridge, which lead to Quiapo; the Ayala Bridge, leading to the San Miguel quarter and the Presidential Palace; and, farther east, the Mabini Bridge, still known as the Nagtahan Bridge, the way to Santolan and New Manila and to Quezon City.

The Legislative Building, designed by Burnham, was originally built as a National Library and Museum. It was completed in 1934, damaged during the battle for Manila in 1945 and subsequently repaired. On the facade are statues of Manuel L. Quezon (President of the American-Philippine Commonwealth 1935) and Sergio Osmeña (President of the Philippines 1944-46).

The City Hall, opened in 1939, also suffered damage during the war. On the 2nd floor is a fresco by Carlos Francisco celebrating the deeds of the Bulwagang Katipunan, the secret society which led the fight against the Spaniards at the end of the 19th century.

To the right is the site of the old Chinese ghetto (Parian) of the early colonial period. Arroceros Street perpetuates the memory of these rice-sellers, who as non-Spaniards, were not allowed to live within the walls of Intramuros. A botanic garden and a small zoo were installed here in 1876; the area is now a public garden, with statues of the Spanish-Filipino botanist Sebastian Vidal y Soler and the Filipino Leon Maria Guerrero. The zoo has a number of naturalised African animals presented by Kenya. Close by is the Metropolitan Theatre, an art deco building with stylized relief carving of Philippine plants, this building was partly restored after 1945. The theater was closed in 1996.

Continuing North, the Plaza Bonifacio or Liwasang Bonifacio, named after the great revolutionary and organiser of the Katipunan secret society which prepared the way for the 1896 rising. The statue of Bonifacio (by the Filipino sculptor Guillermo Tolentino) was erected in 1971. A short distance farther on, on the right before Jones Bridge, is the white mass of the Head Post Office with a handsome colonnade by the Filipino architect Juan Arellano in 1940; this building was restored after the war.

Jones Bridge commemorates William A. Jones, senator for Virginia, promoter of the Jones Act which provided for Philippine self-government. On the far side of the bridge is the banking quarter, with the National Bank, the offices of insurance corporations, importing and exporting firms, etc., and then the district of Binondo.

Binondo
Binondo is now above all the Chinese quarter of Manila, which moved at the end of the 16th century from the old ghetto of Parian just outside the back side of Intramuros to the less restricted area beyond the river. At that time the Chinese population was already considerable: it has now reached more than 400,000 in Manila and over a million in the country as a whole. As in other parts of South-East Asia, the Chinese are active in trade and business, adapting themselves to every regime and every situation, and they have left an unmistakable mark on the way of life and customs of the Philippines.

In this maze of narrow streets Ongpin Street, Carvajal Street, Teodora Alonzo Street (named after Jose Rizal's mother), Rosario Street (spanned by an arch symbolising Chinese-Filipino friendship), Arranque Market, etc. the best way to get about is on foot or in a calesa (buggy). Everywhere are grocers' shops selling Chinese delicacies, jewellers' shops and Chinese restaurants. Here visitors can sample a typically Chinese rice-cake (tikoy).

Near Ongpin Street, in Plaza de la Basco, is the late 16th century. Binondo Church, built by Dominicans for the Chinese converts who had come to live in these parts. As restored since the war, it is a fine example of Spanish colonial architecture, with its octagonal tower and, in the interior, a beautiful retablo.

Tondo
Farther north is the Tondo district, a squalid and overcrowded area reminiscent of the favelas of Brazil, the home of many rootless peasants who came in from the country in the hope of finding work in the capital. It is possible to continue by car beyond the Divisoria Market with its busy and colourful activity and Tutuban Station, on the north side of Claro M. Recto Avenue (small railway museum), to the Chinese cemetery of La Loma (just beyond the intersection of Rizal Avenue and Aurora Avenue). The cemetery, which is still in use, offers a striking contrast to the sordid district surrounding it. Its avenues are lined with mausoleums which are sometimes of considerable magnificence, decorated with wrought-iron and marble, sometimes equipped with a kitchen and bathroom, or even with air-conditioning; for nothing is too good for the Chinese in the world beyond the grave. A Buddhist temple guarded by two dragons offers an interesting example of religious syncretism, with its images of the Buddha and the Virgin rubbing shoulders with one another.

Santa Cruz and Sampaloc
Returning to Jones Bridge, going to the east along Escolta Street (Escort Street, so called because the Spanish governors used this route) is the district of Sta. Cruz. This busy thoroughfare leads to the north end of MacArthur Bridge, in Plaza Santa Cruz.

The Santa Cruz Church was built by the Jesuits in 1608 for Chinese converts. Destroyed in 1945, it was later completely rebuilt (modern mosaic on high altar). There are numerous fruit and vegetable sellers in the neighbouring streets (particularly Bustos Street).

University of Santo Tomas
The University of Santo Tomas, founded in 1611, is the oldest in Asia. It is located along Sampaloc district. Composed of almost of perfect square 22,000 sq. m, this university is considered to be the oldest and largest university in the City of Manila.

The second archbishop of Manila, the Dominican Miguel de Benavidez, obtained the necessary authorization from King Philip III of Spain and himself paid for the first buildings of the Colegio Seminario de Nuestra Seora del Rosario, renamed the Colegio Santo Tomas in 1616 in honour of Thomas Aquinas. In 1637 Philip IV granted the college, then within the walls of Intramuros, the status of a university. In 1785 Charles III gave it the style of royal university; in 1902 Pope Leo XIII recognised it as a pontifical university; and in 1947 Pius XII granted it the title of the Catholic University of the Philippines. It was visited by Pope Paul VI in 1970.

Originally for male students only, Santo Tomas began to admit women in 1927. It moved to its present site in 1927, the site in Intramuros having proved too cramped. Among its students have been Rizal, Quezon, Osmeña and Aguinaldo. It now has more than 33,000 students. During the Japanese occupation (1942-45) the University buildings were used as an internment camp for American and Allied civilians.

There is an interesting Museum (botany, zoology, anthropology, archaeology, etc.), with some 1,500,000 items in its collections. The Library has valuable manuscripts and incunabula.

There are two other universities in the neighbourhood, the Far Eastern University and the University of the East (60,000 students). From the University of the East Legarda Street leads to the Plaza del Carmen, in which is the church of San Sebastian.

The first church on the site, built by Recollects in 1621, was destroyed in an earthquake, as were two later churches. The present neo-Gothic building was erected in 1891. It has a steel frame designed to make it earthquake-proof, for which 50,000 tons of steel were transported from Belgium in eight cargo ships. The church, modeled on Burgos Cathedral in Spain, has two bell-towers and a lantern tower. It contains a Mexican image of the Virgin of Carmel brought to the Philippines in the 17th century, the original head of ivory, was stolen in 1975.

Quiapo
Continuing east, crossing Rizal Avenue and turning towards Quezon Boulevard, at the end of Quezon Bridge; at the beginning of the boulevard, in Plaza Miranda is Quiapo Church, with the much venerated Black Nazarene, a statue of Christ bearing the cross which was brought from Mexico in the 17th century. On 9 January the ceremonies reach a high degree of fervour.

The first church on this site, a wooden structure, was built in 1586. After its destruction by fire in 1639 it was replaced by a stone church, which in turn was destroyed by an earthquake in 1863. A third church which was consecrated in 1899 was burned down in 1929. The present church, by the Filipino architect Juan Nakpil, was built in 1935. In the surrounding area there are many sellers of candles (who for a small payment will say the necessary prayers on the purchaser's behalf), amulets (to bring health, success in love, etc.), baluts (incubated ducks eggs which the Filipinos regard as a particular delicacy) and much else besides.

The whole of the Quiapo district is a scene of bustling activity, with many of the streets specialising in particular trades. It is also known as the "old downtown". Thus the shoe shops are in Carriedo Street, sports articles can be bought in Ronquillo Street, musical instruments, radios and tape recorders are sold, amid a deafening din, in Puyat Street (named after a wealthy Filipino industrialist), and cloth and groceries are to be found in Carlos Palanca Street (after a well-to-do Chinese convert of the early 20th c.). The Quinta Market, on the banks of the Pasig near Quezon Bridge, offers an exotic and colourful spectacle.

Runs north is Rizal Avenue, swarming with people at any time of day. In this street are shops, cinemas, and the Opera House, in which Patti sang and Pavlova danced. Here too was held the first session of the National Assembly (1916) after the grant of self-government by the United States.

Rizal Avenue cuts across Valeriano Fugoso Avenue. Along this street to the right is the Central Market, where the goods on sale include fish and turtles' eggs, vegetables and meat, Japanese-made gadgets and local woodcarving, batik from Indonesia and jade from China.

Crossing Quezon Boulevard on the pedestrian bridge, along Jorge Barlin Street (named after the first Filipino bishop, 1905), turning right into Padre Noval Street and then left into España Street to reach the entrance to the University of Santo Tomas, with two stone gateways brought from the old University in Intramuros after the war.

San Miguel
Crossing a canal, we follow Mendiola Street into the San Miguel quarter. In this area are a number of schools and colleges, the most famous of which is the Colegio San Beda, with a beautiful chapel dedicated to the Christ Child of Prague (rich decoration, painted ceilings).

Along J.P. Laurel Avenue (named after the President of that name) and Solano Street (Spanish governor, 1860), is the church of San Miguel, which served as a cathedral during the periods when the Cathedral in Intramuros was destroyed, and cross the Pasig on Ayala Bridge (named after a leading Filipino family), built after the war to replace an earlier bridge of 1980.

To the left, upstream, is Con Valecencia Island, on which is the San Jose Hospice for orphans and old people, run since 1782 by nuns of St. Vincent de Paul. The name of the island comes from its earlier use as a place of convalescence for Spanish troops recovering from illness or wounds.

Visitors with sufficient time at their disposal can continue beyond the Malacañang Palace and cross the Pasig on another bridge farther upstream, Mabini Bridge or Nagtahan Bridge. On the banks of the river at the south end of the bridge, to the right, is the Mabini Shrine, a modest wooden house with a roof of palm leaves which was once occupied by Mabini, now a museum. It formerly stood on the north bank of the river, but was moved to its present site in 1960.

SOUTHERN DISTRICTS
To the south are the districts of Paco, Malate and Ermita. The little cemetery of Paco, enclosed within a circular wall covered with moss and ivy, is an oasis of silence and greenery in the midst of the bustling city centre. In Malate and Ermita are government offices while in Mabini Street and M.H. del Pilar Street are shops for tourists.

Here, as elsewhere, the old houses which have been destroyed have been replaced by low houses in no particular style built in cheap prefabricated materials. Here and there a few old colonial houses have survived light and elegant buildings of carved wood, well adapted to the hot climate with their openwork walls, their verandas and their covered external galleries.

The church of San Andres in Malate has preserved a beautiful Baroque facade.

These two districts extend to the south of Intramuros along the bay, approximately bounded by the seafront boulevard (Roxas Boulevard) and Taft Avenue.

Roxas Boulevard is named after the first President of the independent Philippines (1946-49), who died suddenly of a heart attack. Taft Avenue commemorates William Howard Taft, who was governor in (1901-1903) and the President of the United States (1909-13), the two avenues, crowded with traffic, run through a part of Manila much frequented by tourists, with airline offices, large hotels, shops, restaurants, night clubs, etc.

To the north, on the bay near the harbour, is the Manila Hotel, opened in 1912, in which General MacArthur stayed (visitors can see the rooms he occupied). Now enlarged and modernised, it still occupies the leading place in Manila. Farther south are the Bayview Plaza, the Silahis, the Sheraton, the Holiday Inn, the Manila Midtown Hotel, the Pan Pacific and the Peninsula of Manila. To the east, near Rizal Park, is the Hilton Hotel. Most of these luxury hotels were built on the occasion of the International Monetary Fund meeting in 1976.

At the south end of the tree-lined Roxas Boulevard (dual carriageway: formerly called Dewey Boulevard, after the American admiral who sank the Spanish fleet in 1898) is held the picturesque and colourful early morning fish market. Before the war the boulevard was lined with handsome mansions belonging to the aristocracy of the Philippines, but these were destroyed in 1945, and the wealthy residents moved to Makati. One or two of these mansions still survive, like the Rococo-style house at the corner of Padre Faura Street, now occupied by a bank. Much land has been reclaimed from the sea in recent years, both to the North and the South.

Rizal Park
To the North of these districts, just South of Intramuros, is Rizal Park, named after the national hero of the Philippines, who was executed here by the Spaniards on 30 December 1896. It is also known as Luneta, the little moon, after a demilune outwork defending the Puerta Real which until 1910 occupied the position of the present Japanese garden. It was formerly called Bagumbayan, the new town, since the natives whom the Spaniards did not allow to live in the fortified town built their houses here.

Rizal Park occupies an area of 60 hectares bounded on the West by Roxas Boulevard, on the North by Padre Burgos Street, on the East by Taft Avenue and on the South by T.M. Kalaw Street, Although it offers little shade during the heat of the day, it is a popular resort of the people of Manila, particularly in the evening.

The entrance is in Roxas Boulevard. The flag of the Philippines flies on a flagstaff from which the American flag was hauled down on 4 July 1946, the day on which the Philippines became independent. All distances on the island of Luzon are measured from here.

Beyond the flag is the majestic monument of Jose Rizal (by the Italian Carlo Nicoli and the Swiss Richard Kissling), erected in 1913, when his remains were transferred here. There is a permanent guard of honour, changed every six hours. On either side are bronze tablets with quotations (in Spanish and Tagalog) from Rizal's famous poem "Last Farewell". On the left north side is the spot, marked by a marble and bronze plaque, on which Rizal was executed on 30 December 1896, just after 7 in the morning.

Beyond the monument, to the left is an obelisk, marking the spot where the three priests Jose Burgos, Mariano Gomez and Jacinto Zamora, were garroted on 17 February 1872. On the right is an allegorical monument (by Martinez, restored by A. Caedo) representing Madre Filipina which was brought here from Jones Bridge after 1945.

Farther East is an artificial lake with fountains and a floral clock. On the North side is the Japanese garden, opened in 1967, a present from the Chinese of Taiwan to mark the centenary of Sun Yat Sen's birth (1867); and beyond this are the Planetarium and the Japanese garden, a present from the Japanese people (1969). On the South side, beyond a cafeteria run by deaf mutes (communication by sign language), is the National Library, facing on to T.M. Kalaw Street (named after a former director of the Library). The 8-storey building, opened in 1966, contains a million volumes and fine collections of old maps and 19th century newspapers; it has 1600 places for readers.

Ermita
Ermita is a district in Manila, located halfway between Intramuros and Malate. It comprises of the finest entertainment centres, hotels, bars and restaurants. It has been the entertainment capital of the Philippines since the 1950s. In the morning Ermita is a busy commercial area which transformed into a long stretched endless party zone at night.

The far end of the Rizal Park centres on the Agrifina Circle. On the East side of this, in the middle of a lake, is a huge relief map of the Philippines. To the Southeast is a Children's Corner. To the North is the Ministry of Finance, and to the South is the Ministry of Tourism, where visitors can obtain, free of charge, any help or advice they require. The National Museum housed in the Old Congress Building shows works by Filipino painters and sculptors as well as the departments of prehistory, botany, zoology and ethnography. The plan drawn up by the American architect and town planner Burnham in 1903 provided for a number of other buildings in this part of the park.

Outside the park, in the direction of Ayala Avenue, are the Santa Isabel College, the oldest girls’ school in the country, founded in 1632, and the Philippine Normal University.

Returning along T.M. Kalaw Street, past the National Library, in the direction of Roxas Boulevard, we come to the Museum of Philippine Costume (dolls) and the Museum of Philippine Art (contemporary art). Near the Museum of Philippine Art, between the boulevard and the sea, is the massive United States Embassy. In the Chancery is an interesting library of works on the Philippines (open to the public).

Farther along Taft Avenue, on the left, are the Philippine General Hospital (1908-10, restored after the war) and, beyond the intersection with Padre Faura Street (named after the Spanish Jesuit who founded the Manila Observatory, which specialises in the study of typhoons),is a large complex of official buildings including the Supreme Court and several ministries (Justice, Foreign Affairs, etc.).

Malate
Opposite the National Library Mabini Street runs South, with a statue of Apolinario Mabini (1846-1903), an eminent lawyer and great patriot, paralyzed in both legs, who was exiled to Guam by the American authorities.

Mabini Street is lined with offices and shops, fashionable restaurants and little shops selling antiques and craft articles. It cuts across United Nations Avenue (to the left the Hilton Hotel) and continues towards the Flea Market and the Malate district.

Parallel to Mabini Street is M.H. del Pilar Street, which runs down towards the sea, with a number of bars and night spots. Between Mabini and Pilar Streets, at the corner of San Andres Street, is Malate Church.

The site was originally occupied by a church built by Augustinians at the end of the 16th century to house a wonder-working statue of Our Lady of Remedies, which was sacked during the British occupation (1762-64) and destroyed in 1773. The present church dates from the end of the 18th century.

The facade is a good example of Mudjar (Hispano-Mauresque) style. It is richly decorated, with twisted columns showing the influence of Mexican colonial Baroque. The interior, with a coffered wooden ceiling, is rather more austere.

Opposite the church is a little public garden containing two strangely assorted statues of Our Lady of Remedies and Rajah Sulayman, who defended the Philippines against the Spaniards in 1571.

Farther South is the Manila Zoo (entrance in Adriatico Street). Among animals of special interest are the tamaraw and the monkey-eating eagle of Mindanao. There is also a Botanic Garden.

To the East are the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, is a national sports complex opened in 1934. The National Stadium of this complex has a maximum seating capacity of 30,000. In these grounds, now houses the administrative office of the Philippine Sports Commission and quarters for the Philippine national athletes. On these same grounds, the Japanese herded together thousands of civilians in 1945 and massacred many of them during the battle for Manila.

Returning towards the sea along Vito Cruz Avenue, are the Century Park, Sheraton Hotel and the Central Bank, with a Monetary Museum. At the corner of Roxas Boulevard is the Metropolitan Museum, opened in 1976, it is mainly devoted to modern and contemporary visual arts. Adjoining the Museum and the Central Bank is the old Fort San Antonio Abad (partly restored), which contains various military relics. Beside it is Manila Hospital.

Along Taft Avenue to the right south are the Marist De La Salle University founded in 1911, and the Apostolic Nunciature, where Pope Paul VI stayed in 1970.

Turning left along Taft Avenue, we come to the only Synagogue in Manila. On the opposite side, to the right, is the Women's University, where performances of folk dancing are given by the Bayanihan group on Saturdays at 5 p.m.; then, beyond the intersection with Pedro Gil Street, the Holy Child Cathedral, built in 1969, the mother church of a schismatic sect led by Gregorio Aglipay (frequently known as the Aglipayan Church) which rejects the authority of the Pope.

Malate is continuously transforming itself as the centre of recreation and entertainment for Manila with the increasing number of restaurants, boutiques, entertainment halls, bars and discos. The life in the area starts as soon as the famous Manila Bay sunset is over and the neon lights and loud glaring sounds were turned on.

Paco
Along Padre Faura Street to the right east is Paco Park, laid out in 1966 on the site of a cemetery established during a cholera epidemic in 1820 and closed in 1912. Its layout is based on two concentric circles.

The Chapel of St. Pancratius, on an oval ground plan, contains the remains of Governor-General Ramon Solano y Lladeral, who died in 1860, allegedly by poison. It is frequently used for marriages.

Jose Rizal was buried in Paco Cemetery in December 1896, but his gravestone bore only his initials in reverse order, R.P.J. to prevent it from being recognised. The place is now marked by a white cross. His remains were removed in 1898 to the family property at Tondo, and in 1913 were transferred to their final resting-place in Rizal Park.

Beyond Paco Park is a Chinese Taoist temple, Paco Hong Giam, a colourful structure with its bright red bricks, dragons and Chinese-style decoration.

Santa Ana
Just outside the northwest limits of Makati, at the east end of Herran Street, in a bend of the river Pasig near Lambigan Bridge is the church of Santa Ana.

The church, founded in 1578 by Franciscans, was the first to be built outside the walls of Manila. Rebuilt in the 1720s after its destruction in an earthquake, the church had to be restored again after the battle for Manila in 1945. The facade has two tiers of pilasters and a four-storey hexagonal tower on the right-hand side; the interior, with lateral aisles, has a beautiful retablo and a wooden ceiling.

The adjoining convent housed monks who were old or frail. Excavations carried out in the gardens since 1960 have brought to light 200 burials dating from the l3th-l5th century and some from the 12th. There is a small museum containing numerous items of pottery.

Although Manila no longer appeals to the visitor with its old-world charm, it offers instead the no less powerful attractions of its gaiety, its pulsating life and its wide range of entertainments the lively and cheerful activity of the streets, the youthfulness of the crowds, the beauty of the women, the riot of colour and decoration on the jeepneys, the picturesquely ornamented minibuses which are truly a symbol of the city's good-humoured attitude to life. Manila's celebrated night life has revived, and the evenings are enlivened by the music of innumerable combos (orchestras).

The Filipinos are passionately keen on all kinds of sports and entertainments. Modern, classical and folk dances are all equally popular, and the Bayanihan troupe has given performances all over the world. Other very popular activities are the officially organised beauty contests, gambling in the floating Casino and the game of jai-alai, the Filipino version of the Basque pelota.

Visitors to Manila who manage to get away from the usual tourist circuit, make contact with the local people and enjoy their passion for fiestas and their generous hospitality may be sure that time will not hang heavy on their hands.