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.
The Pasig River is a water body in the Philippines that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for 25.2 kilometers (15.7 mi), it bisects the Philippine capital of Manila and its surrounding urban area into northern and southern halves. Its major tributaries are the Marikina River and San Juan River. The total drainage basin of the Pasig River, including the basin of Laguna de Bay, covers 4,678 square kilometers (1,806 sq mi).
Quezon City, also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C., is the most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,960,048 people. It was founded on October 12, 1939, and was named after Manuel L. Quezon, the second president of the Philippines.
Taguig, officially the City of Taguig, is the fifth-most populous city in the Philippines with a population of 1.2 million people. The city is one of the Philippines' cultural, financial, high-tech, entertainment and media centers with significant influence on commerce, health care, research, technology, education, politics, tourism, dining, art, fashion, and sports. Taguig is also an important center for the country's international diplomacy, hosting several embassies. It is also home to the headquarters of several major multinational corporations.
Santa Rosa, officially the City of Santa Rosa, is a 1st class component city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, its population was 414,812 people.
The University of Santo Tomas, officially the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila or colloquially as USTè, is a private, Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Miguel de Benavides, third Archbishop of Manila, it has the oldest extant university charter in Asia and is one of the world's largest Catholic universities in terms of enrollment found on one campus. It is the main campus of the University of Santo Tomas System that is run by the Order of Preachers.
Santa Mesa is a district in Manila, Philippines. It is surrounded by the Pasig River on the southwestern side, and by the San Juan River on its southern and eastern side. Land borders include the districts of San Miguel to the west and Sampaloc to the north; and to the northeast is Quezon City.
Hagonoy, officially the Municipality of Hagonoy, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 133,448 people.
Alfredo "Fred" Siojo Lim was a Filipino politician, police officer and lawyer who served as a Senator of the Philippines from 2004 to 2007. He also served as the 19th Mayor of Manila twice: first from 1992 to 1998, and again from 2007 to 2013.
Santa Ana is a district in the City of Manila, Philippines. It is located on the city's southeast, bordering the cities of Mandaluyong and Makati in the east, the city districts of Paco and Pandacan in the west, and Santa Mesa in the north. It is part of the 6th congressional district of Manila, with thirty-five barangays. Based on the 2020 national census, the Philippine Statistics Authority reports that the district has a population of 203,598.
Santa Cruz is a district in the northern part of the City of Manila, Philippines, located on the right bank of the Pasig River near its mouth, bordered by the districts of Tondo, Binondo, Quiapo, and Sampaloc, as well as the areas of Grace Park and Barrio San Jose in Caloocan and the district of La Loma in Quezon City. The district belongs to the 3rd congressional district of Manila.
The University Belt is the name of a de facto subdistrict in Manila, Philippines, referring to an area that has a significant concentration of major colleges and universities in the city. The districts of Quiapo, Sampaloc, and San Miguel are traditionally considered to be the University Belt, although other clusters of schools that lie along the southern bank of the Pasig River, mostly at the districts of Intramuros and Ermita, as well as the southernmost part of Malate near the city limits are also sometimes included. Each of the colleges and universities found in the district are a short walking distance of each other.
Francisco Moreno Domagoso, also known as Isko Moreno Domagoso or simply Isko Moreno, is a Filipino politician, actor, host and entrepreneur who served as the 27th Mayor of Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, from 2019 to 2022. Before entering politics, Moreno first gained notability as an actor and television personality.
Rizal Avenue, also known as Avenida or Avenida Rizal, is one of Manila's main thoroughfares running from its Santa Cruz and Quiapo districts to the Bonifacio Monument (Monumento) Circle in Caloocan. Named after the national hero José Rizal, it is a part of Radial Road 9 (R-9). The LRT Line 1 elevated railroad is built above the street in its entire length, and several jeepneys ply the area taking passengers from Caloocan, Quezon City, and Valenzuela. Most of the street is within Santa Cruz, Manila. By the 1960s, economic activities shifted from Binondo to Makati. The avenue forms part of National Route 150 (N150) of the Philippine highway network.
The Manila Police District (MPD) is the agency of the Philippine National Police (PNP) responsible for law enforcement in the City of Manila including the Manila South Cemetery exclave. Formerly known as the Western Police District (WPD), the MPD is under the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), which also handles the Quezon City, Eastern, Northern and Southern Police Districts.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Abandoned, also known as the Santa Ana Church, is a Spanish colonial period church located in the district of Santa Ana in Manila, Philippines. The parish was established by the Franciscan missionaries in 1578 under the patronage of Saint Anne. The present stone church was constructed by Vicente Inglés from 1720 to 1725 and was dedicated to its present patron, the Our Lady of the Abandoned. The revered image of its patron was made in Valencia, Spain in 1713 and arrived in the Philippines in 1717.
Circuit Makati is a riverfront redevelopment project by Ayala Land on the site of the former Santa Ana Race Track in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines. The 21-hectare (52-acre) site located in the northwest portion of Makati, on the south bank of the Pasig River, is planned to contain a mixed-use entertainment complex which would include an indoor theater, a shopping mall, hotels and residential and office skyscrapers. It would also contain a football turf, skate park and an outdoor entertainment area. The development is envisioned to become the new entertainment district of Makati and the city's lifestyle hub.
The University of Santo Tomas System is a network of private schools that belong to the Philippine Dominican Province of the Order of Preachers. The system is composed of its six campuses at Manila, Legazpi, General Santos City, Iloilo City, Santa Rosa, and Quezon City.
University of Santo Tomas Santa Rosa is an upcoming university in Santa Rosa, Laguna, Philippines. It is one of the five campuses in the University of Santo Tomas System. The new campus is envisioned to intensify the research activities of UST Manila by becoming a technological and innovative hub in Laguna.
