Manila (or Metro Manila, to be terminologically correct about it) draws mixed reactions from different people who see and experience it for the first time. Some remark of the robust cosmopolitanism in its financial districts while others focus on its slums with its mind-numbing poverty. The reason that Manila is hard to pin down is because of its polar opposite realities (its iconic jeepneys run side by side with SUVs) and its wild mix of cultural influences. The urban centers are decidedly Western, the neighborhoods are colonial Spanish, the cuisine is distinctively Malay, and the predominant language, after Filipino, is American English.
Urban status
Manila— though brewing with bumper-to-bumper traffic, air pollution and government bureaucracy—is at the brink of possibility. Price Waterhouse Cooper places it as the 40th richest urban agglomeration in the world. Thus, one can expect a city where conveniences are within easy reach and tourist infrastructure such as top-of-the-line accommodations, restaurants, attractions and nightlife is in place.
Makati as a financial district exhibits the glittery side of Manila with its skyscrapers, upscale shopping malls and contemporary museums. Taguig, however, asserts its premier status with the Bonifacio Global City—a mixed-used, masterplanned community—that is being developed as Manila’s “First World” model.
Roaming the city shouldn’t be a hassle: three train lines crisscross the city, taxis are available and most province-bound buses have their base in Manila.Telecommunication is also breeze in the city that calls itself as the “text capital of the world.” One in every two Filipino, as it’s been reported, has mobile phone service subscription.
In touch with its history
Central to the life of the country even during colonial times, Manila, specifically its capital, clutches a veritable number of historical sites, the most famous of which is probably Intramuros, a Spanish walled residential enclave that is home to Baroque churches listed as World Heritage Sites. Near Intramuros is the historic Luneta, the lungs of the city, and Binondo, one of the earliest Chinatowns which has kept its rich Chinese architecture, cuisine and beliefs.
Arts and culture is alive and well in Pasay, thanks to Imelda Marcos who created the Cultural Center of the Philippines, home to a collection of modern performance art structures, and the Metropolitan Museum—both of which are located by the Manila Bay which is the stage for the city’s famous sunset.
Beyond the capital
Taken together, Metro Manila has 17 cities and municipalities, each having a unique set of offerings. Pasig, named after the major river that runs by it, is an industrial city that serves as a gateway to the waterfalls, hot springs and indigenous art in the provinces of Rizal and Laguna. Mandaluyong is a shopping haven for its cluster of malls while Quezon City, a former Philippine capital, is home to most of the government offices, important universities and sprawling parks.
Cities in Metro Manila
