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.
