Manila

Manila (4 April, 2017)


B. Melayu

Manila is the capital of the Philippines. Officially called the City of Manila, it is part of the National Capital Region (NCR), which is also known as Metropolitan Manila, and often also called Metro Manila. Manila is the capital of the Philippines and one of the cities within Metro Manila. Composed of 16 distinct cities, it has a population of 12 million people. The biggest city within Metro Manila is Quezon City, with a population of 2.6 million, and the City of Manila, with 1.6 million inhabitants. The other cities within Metro Manila are Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Pasay, Pasig, Parañaque, San Juan, Taguig, Valenzuela and the municipality of Pateros.

Together, Metro Manila has a total of 11.5 million inhabitants, and accounts for one third of the GDP of the Philippines. If combined with the adjacent provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal, then whole area has around 20 million inhabitants.

World Street Food Congress 2017 @ Philippines

This is an important event that celebrates indigenous food from various countries of the world. It brings together industry players to a dialogue session, while food enthusiasts may enjoy the World Street Food Jamboree, where vendors from over a dozen countries will be selling their food. Selected members of print and social media were also invited to a 15-hour food frenzy to better appreciate the indigenous food of the Philippines.

Location of Sights in Manila on the map

List of Sights in Manila

Eateries in Manila

The history of Manila

The City of Manila, which is now one of the cities within Metro Manila, was established by Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi on 24 June, 1571. Then in late 19th century, the Province of Manila was created with Intramuros as its capital. The name Intramuros means "City within the Walls". Today it is the oldest district of the City of Manila. The City of Manila was established in 1901, with Intramuros being one of its districts. Then in 1945, with the Second World War at the horizon, the City of Greater Manila was created by merging the city and municipal governments of Manila, Quezon City, and a few other municipalities.

President Ferdinand Marcos created the Metropolitan Manila Area in 1975, with the Metropolitan Manila Commission as the administrative body. He appointed his wife Imelda Marcos as its governor. In 1986 President Corazon Aquino changed the structure of the Commission and renamed it the Metropolitan Manila Authority. The mayors of the cities in Metro Manila elect among themselves as chair of the agency. In 1995, the Metro Manila Authority became the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and the chair of the agency is thereafter appointed by the President without a concurrent elected position as mayor.

Metro Manila is located on a isthmus between Manila Bay to the west and Laguna de Bay to the southeast. The Pasig River connects these two bodies of water, dividing Metro Manila into two parts. Metro Manila experiences a tropical climate with temperature that is quite uniform throughout the year. Hottest months are from April and July, with the average high temperature at around 34°C, (93°F) while the coldest months are January to March, with the average low at around 21°C (70°F). The heaviest rain fall in the Metro Manila area in the months of August to September, averaging above 422 mm (16.6 inches). The driest month is March, with only 13 mm (0.51 inches) of precipitation.

Travel to Metro Manila

(April 2017 update) The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA, IATA code MNL) is the airport serving Metro Manila. It has four terminals. NAIA Terminal 1 is the main international terminal serving most international carriers. NAIA Terminal 2 is used by Philippines Airlines while the newly opened NAIA Terminal 3 is used by Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines and Air Asia. In addition, the old airport terminal, now called the Manila Domestic Passenger Terminal (and often known as NAIA Terminal 4), is used by a few domestic carriers such as Zest Air, Interisland Airlines and Southeast Asian Airlines. These terminals are not inter-connected, so if you have to transfer from one terminal to another, you need to get into the city streets. There is now air-side transfer buses going from one terminal to another. To take it, you need to produce a flight ticket or reservation. Allow at least three hours between flights if you have to transfer between terminals.

Travel within Metro Manila

(April 2017 update) The MRT in Manila is the first in Southeast Asia. It is relatively cheap and fast, if somewhat limited, and can get rather congested during rush hours. Taxis and jeepneys offer relatively affordable transportation. When taking the jeepney, the passenger seated nearest to the driver is responsible for collecting the fare and returning the change.

Traffic on Roxas Boulevard in Manila (4 April, 2017)

Cities of Metro Manila

Places of Interest in Metro Manila

Sights around Manila

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