The capital of the Philippines is
technically known as Metro Manila -
a grouping of ten smaller urban
areas - but is usually referred to
simply as
MANILA. Today's
accepted wisdom is that Manila will
never be a serious tourist
destination until the authorities
deal with the twin evils of traffic
and pollution. Most tourists are in
the capital because they have a day
or two to kill either at the
beginning or the end of a trip to
the rest of the country. But all is
not lost. In its favour, Manila has
friendly people, some excellent
nightlife, a few sights that are
worth the effort, plus some of the
biggest and ritziest shopping malls
in Asia. At first sight, Manila may
seem clamorous, unkempt and a bit
rough around the edges, but what it
lacks in architectural
sophistication it makes up for with
an accessible chaotic charm. The way
to enjoy it is to step into the fray
and go with the flow, which is
exactly what
Manilenos have
learned to do.
Manila started life as a tiny
settlement around the banks of the
Pasig River. The name comes from the
words may ("there
is") and nilad (a type
of plant that grew near the Pasig).
With Spanish colonization, Manila
grew into an important port. King
Philip II of Spain called it Insigne
y Siempre Leal Ciudad
(Distinguished and Ever Loyal City).
Images of the city in the eighteenth
century show grand merchants' houses
and schooners moored in the Pasig.
The area around Bindondo, later to
become Chinatown, was alive with
mercantile activity. Before World
War II, Manila was one of the most
elegant and cosmopolitan cities in
the Orient. But when the smoke
cleared at the end of Japanese
occupation in March 1945, it was in
ruins, having undergone relentless
shelling from American howitzers and
been set alight by remaining
Japanese troops. The Battle of
Manila lasted 29 days and claimed
100,000 civilian lives. Rebuilding
was slow and plagued by corruption
and government inertia. As a
consequence, the city that greets
visitors today is one of emotional
counterpoints, with areas of extreme
poverty and degradation lying cheek
by jowl with tower blocks and
designer boutiques.
