Manila, the capital city and largest metropolitan area in the Philippines, is known by a number of nicknames, aliases, sobriquets and slogans, both officially and unofficially, now and in the past.
The city is most popularly referred to as the Pearl of the Orient. This nickname appears in the lyrics of the city's official hymn and is also depicted in the city's coat of arms. [1]
Manila is also frequently shortened to Mla or MNL (the IATA code for Ninoy Aquino International Airport).
Metropolitan Manila, officially the National Capital Region, is the seat of government and one of three defined metropolitan areas of the Philippines. It is composed of 16 highly urbanized cities: the city of Manila, Quezon City, Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, San Juan, Taguig, and Valenzuela, as well as the municipality of Pateros. The region encompasses an area of 619.57 square kilometers (239.22 sq mi) and a population of 13,484,462 as of 2020. It is the second most populous and the most densely populated region of the Philippines. It is also the 9th most populous metropolitan area in Asia and the 5th most populous urban area in the world.
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on the island of Luzon, it is classified as a highly urbanized city. As of 2019, it is the world's most densely populated city proper. It was the first chartered city in the country, and was designated as such by the Philippine Commission Act No. 183 on July 31, 1901. It became autonomous with the passage of Republic Act No. 409, "The Revised Charter of the City of Manila", on June 18, 1949. Manila is considered to be part of the world's original set of global cities because its commercial networks were the first to extend across the Pacific Ocean and connect Asia with the Spanish Americas through the galleon trade; when this was accomplished, it was the first time an uninterrupted chain of trade routes circling the planet had been established. Manila is among the most-populous and fastest-growing cities in Southeast Asia.
Davao Region, formerly called Southern Mindanao, is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region XI. It is situated at the southeastern portion of Mindanao and comprises five provinces: Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental and Davao Occidental.
San Juan, officially the City of San Juan, is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 126,347 people. It is geographically located at Metro Manila's approximate center and is also the country's smallest city in terms of land area.
A kalesa or calesa is a two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage used in the Philippines. It is commonly vividly painted and decorated. It was a primary mode of public and private transportation during the Spanish colonial era of the Philippines, though in modern times, they largely only survive as tourist attractions.
Binondo is a district in Manila and is referred to as the city's Chinatown. Its influence extends beyond to the places of Quiapo, Santa Cruz, San Nicolas and Tondo. It is the oldest Chinatown in the world, established in 1594 by the Spaniards as a settlement near Intramuros but across the Pasig River for Catholic Chinese, it was positioned so that colonial rulers could keep a close eye on their migrant subjects. It was already a hub of Chinese commerce even before the Spanish colonial period. Binondo is the center of commerce and trade of Manila, where all types of business run by Filipino-Chinese thrive.
Divisoria is a commercial center in the districts of Tondo, Binondo, and San Nicolas in Manila, Philippines known for its shops that sell low-priced goods and its diverse manufacturing activities. Tutuban Center is situated within the commercial hub along with a night market located in the Centers' vicinity. The area is riddled with different bazaars, bargain malls, and a few points of interest.
San Nicolas is one of the sixteen districts in the city of Manila in the Philippines. It is located at the west central part of the city, on the northern bank of the Pasig River bounded by the districts of Binondo to the east by Estero de Binondo, and Tondo to the north and west, and by the Pasig River to the south. Considered as a heritage district of Manila, this community has kept its 19th-century ancestral houses, which symbolizes the wealthy lives of the people who used to live there, similar to the ancestral houses of Silay and Vigan.
There have been several names of the Philippines in different cultures and at different times, usually in reference to specific island groups within the current archipelago. Even the name Philippines itself was originally intended to apply only to Leyte, Samar, and nearby islands. It was bestowed by the Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos or one of his captains Bernardo de la Torre in 1543 in honor of the crown prince Philip, later Philip II. Mindanao, which they reached first and assumed to be the greater land, they named after the reigning emperor Charles V, who was also Spain's king Carlos I. Over the course of Spanish colonization, the name was eventually extended to cover the entire chain. It has survived with minor changes. The Philippine Revolution called its state the Philippine Republic. The US military and civilian occupations called their territory the Philippine Islands. During the Third Philippine Republic, the state's official name was formally changed to the Philippines.
Pearl of the Orient may refer to:
Tourism is an important industry in Metro Manila, Philippines. In 2012, the city and region welcomed 974,379 overnight visitors. As the main gateway to the Philippines' many destinations, the city is visited mainly by international tourists to the country, with a total of 3,139,756 tourists visiting in 2012. Global Blue is ranked in Manila as eleventh as its "Best Shopping Destinations" in Asia. The city is ranked tenth in MasterCard's global top 20 fastest growing cities for international visitors from 2009-2013.
Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz or Plaza Lorenzo Ruiz is a major public square in Binondo, Manila, bounded by Quintin Paredes Street to the east and Juan Luna Street to the west, parallel to the Estero de Binondo. It is the plaza that fronts the Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz, one of the main churches of the City of Manila, and is considered the center of Binondo as a whole.
Parián or Pantin, also Parián de Arroceros was an area adjacent to Intramuros built to house Chinese (Sangley) merchants in Manila in the 16th and 17th centuries during the Spanish rule in the Philippines. The place gave its name to the gate connecting it to Intramuros, the Puerta del Parián.
Claro M. Recto Avenue, more popularly known as simply Recto Avenue, is the principal commercial thoroughfare in north-central Manila, Philippines. It spans seven districts just north of the Pasig River in what is generally considered Manila's old downtown area.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city and metropolitan area of Manila, the capital city of the Philippines.
Plaza Moraga is a public square in Manila, Philippines. Serving as the gateway to Manila's Chinatown of Binondo, the plaza is located at the foot of Jones Bridge at the west end of Escolta Street. It was named after a Franciscan friar, Fr. Fernando de Moraga and it is by the opinion of many, that were it not for him, the history of the Philippines would turn out differently from what it is now.
Lucky Chinatown is a lifestyle mall development of Megaworld Lifestyle Malls located along Reina Regente Street corner Dela Reina Street in Binondo, Manila.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Metro Manila: