Welcome to the archipelago of 7,107 islands
7,000 TIMES MORE MUSICAL
The capital of the Philippines - its heart and
soul - is Manila. It sets the rhythm of life in this
archipelago and is a pulsating hub that blends the Oriental
with the Occidental, the quaint with the modern, the mundane
with the extraordinary.
Manila was born out of the ashes of a once
flourishing Malay settlement by the banks of the Pasig
River. In 1571, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi established the Ever
Loyal City of Manila which, until 1898, was the seat of
Spanish colonial rule in Asia. He built the city within
walls and called it Intramuros. An anchor tourist
destination, Manila is the very core of the 7,000 times more
islands that make up the Philippines. It is a center for the
performing arts in Asia.
THE GRANDEUR OF INTRAMUROS
At the turn of the 20th century, the great
American architect and city planner Daniel Burnham noted
that "the old walled city of Intramuros at the mouth of the
Pasig River is one of the best preserved medieval cities
anywhere in the world." But the Pacific War of the 1940’s
took its toll. Faithful reconstruction goes on today in
Intramuros. A few of the gates and ramparts have been turned
into parks and performing venues, including Puerta Real and
Baluarte de San Diego. Chambers found along its gates are
now occupied by art galleries, souvenir shops, restaurants,
even a cyber caf้. Fort Santiago, the site of torture
chambers and dungeons where political prisoners from Spanish
to Japanese times were kept and executed, is now a lush park
with flowering trees and homing pigeons. Here, one may enjoy
a leisurely ride aboard a horse-drawn carriage.
At the center of Intramuros is the grand Manila
Cathedral with its detailed stone carvings, stained glass
mosaics and rose windows. San Agustin Church, completed in
1606, has withstood all the fires and earthquakes that have
hit Manila through the centuries. One of the four Philippine
Baroque Churches inscribed in the World Heritage List, its
monastery has been turned into a museum housing priceless
religious artifacts. Adjoining it are the restored gardens
of Fr. Jose Blanco who studied Philippine botanical life
during the Spanish period. Barrio San Luis along Juan Luna
Street is made up of five faithfully reconstructed colonial
houses - Casa Manila, Casa Urdaneta, Casa Blanca, Los
Hidalgos and El Hogar Filipino.
BEYOND THE WALLS
Manila has since expanded beyond Intramuros to
become the nucleus of the country’s largest metropolis,
Greater Manila, made up of 11 other cities and five towns.
But before it spread out of its confines, history saw Manila
figuring prominently in the Galleon Trade, the first
trans-Pacific commerce between Asia, America and Europe for
some 250 years.
The city was also scarred by many foreign
invasions, ravaged by Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese and British
marauders. Shortly after the country declared itself Asia’s
first democracy in 1898, the Americans invaded its shores
and ruled for 50 years. And after the Pacific War of the
1940's, when the Japanese Imperial Army reigned for four
years, Manila was the second most destroyed city in the
world. The rubbles of the past have seasoned and
strengthened Manila’s character today.
Just off Intramuros' walls is the world-class
Club Intramuros which offers day and night golfing. Adjacent
to it is the 58-hectare Rizal Park, which runs from Taft
Avenue up to the seawalls of the fabled Manila Bay. In 1902,
Burnham designed a U-shaped government complex within Luneta.
Only three buildings were however constructed: the Executive
House occupied by the National Museum, the Department of
Finance Building which now houses the Museum of the Filipino
People, and the Department of Tourism Building envisioned to
become the future Museum for Natural Sciences.
Across the Pasig River from Fort Santiago is
Binondo, or Chinatown. Not much has changed in terms of
lifestyle in this quaint district although, now, high-rise
buildings have started to appear in its skyline. A stone's
throw away from Rizal Park is the Ermita district which,
together with the Malate district, forms what is known as
Manila's Tourist Belt. Ermita is antique and art galleries,
curio and souvenir shops while Malate is cozy cafes, music
lounges and performance theaters.
At the heart of Manila is Quiapo. What has
caught the fancy of many bargain-hunters is Ilalim ng Tulay
- literally, "Under the Bridge" - where stalls sell an array
of handicrafts at prices that are practically a steal. Near
Quiapo is the genteel San Miguel district, with its
ancestral homes and Malacanang Palace, seat of the
Philippine government. A museum of presidential memorabilia
is open to the public.
A SAMPLING OF THE COUNTRY'S BEST
Manila mirrors the best of this country's 7,000
times more islands. A few minutes away from the Ninoy Aquino
International Airport and the Fiesta Duty Free Shop in
Paranaque City is Nayong Pilipino, or Philippine Village,
which features the country's famous landmarks in miniature.
Weekends are good days to visit, when the park assumes a
barrio fiesta (village festival) atmosphere, complete with
traditional games, indigenous music, songs and dances, and
craft demonstrations.
THE SUNSET STRIP
Roxas Boulevard, which extends from Paranaque
City to Manila, is the Bay Area from where one can have a
view of the famed Manila sunset. Many landmarks are found in
this area, including the Department of Foreign Affairs and
the Philippine Senate buildings. Within the stretch is the
International Trade Center complex, the Philippine Trade
Training Center and the World Trade Center. Further back is
the Government Service Insurance System building which
houses an art gallery by the bay.
The boulevard is also home to the country's
premier performing venue, the Cultural Center of the
Philippines. Within its complex are the Philippine
International Convention Center, the Product Design and
Development Center, the Folk Arts Theater, the Coconut
Palace and the Westin Philippine Plaza Hotel. Adjoining the
complex is the Manila Yacht Club and the Philippine Navy
Headquarters. A little farther is the US Embassy.
Across the Yacht Club is the Bangko Sentral
(Central Bank) complex which houses the Money Museum. The
bank has Asia's biggest and finest gold collection at the
Metropolitan Museum, a home for the modern masters. Roxas
Boulevard is lined with posh hotels, casinos and lively
nightspots.
CITY LIGHTS
Greater Manila is where the country's most
prestigious business addresses and the trendiest leisure
establishments are found. By day, it hums with the bustle of
commerce and, by night, throbs with the excitement of
varied, high class entertainment. Makati City is the
country's financial center and the most prestigious business
address. Many foreign embassies and multinationals call it
home. Fashionable hotels, restaurants, discos, music bars,
boutiques and specialty shops converge around the sleek
Ayala Center.
In Makati is Forbes Park, home to the rich and
famous. The most elite country club, Manila Polo Club, and
golf course, Manila Golf Club, are nestled within the
village. Giving Makati a run for its money is Mandaluyong
City, with Ortigas Center an impressive alternative to Ayala
Center. Home to the Asian Development Bank and the
Philippine Stock Exchange, it is also the site of three of
Metro Manila's gigantic shopping malls - SM Megamall,
Robinson's Galleria and Shangri-la EDSA Plaza.
San Juan is built on a hilly terrain, a drive
along the old residential section can be a pleasurable
diversion. Its Greenhills Commercial Center houses some of
Metro Manila's vibrant music halls. Quezon City was
envisioned by the late President Manuel L. Quezon (after
whom the city was named) to be the country's government
center. Many of the national government offices are located
here as well as the country’s leading educational
institution, the University of the Philippines.
Dominating Cubao, Quezon City's commercial
center, is Araneta Coliseum, the country's biggest enclosed
entertainment arena. For nightlife, the Quezon Boulevard,
Timog Avenue, Tomas Morato Avenue and West Avenue strips
offer varied, colorful fares. Marikina City is the Shoe
Center of the Philippines. The city takes pride in its
75.6-hectare River Park.
Paranaque City is generally associated with its
dry goods and seafood market and restaurants, and
Redemptorist Church, a pilgrimage site which houses the
Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Las Pinas City has
retained much of its provincial appeal. Visitors flock to
this city to see the world’s only bamboo organ, housed at
the picturesque St. Joseph’s Parish Church.
CITY FLAVORS
Metro Manila is one big gastronomic trip of many
cuisines. In Intramuros is Illustrado Restaurant with its
colonial ambiance and Spanish provincial cuisine. The old
Malate district, with Remedios Circle at its core, is the
favorite watering hole of artists, designers and the caf้
society who are only too willing to try the varied
international flavors offered by the many restaurants in the
area. Authentic Chinese cuisine can be had at the old
financial district of Binondo. Aside from Ayala Center, many
fine and theme dining establishments line Jupiter Street and
Pasay Road in Makati City. From theme restaurants to
beer-and-grill gardens, Tomas Morato Avenue, Timog Street,
Quezon Avenue and West Avenue in Quezon City have them all.
Interesting clusters of restaurants and bars are found in
San Juan's Greenhills and Mandaluyong City's Ortigas Center.
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