2020.03.04. Manila

 (Now: Tired.) 

The City of Manila has a very colorful history and features a lot of cultural heritage sites. Despite the problems that have plagued the city over the last few decades, such as the very high population, perennial traffic woes, sanitation and urban degradation, among others, Manila is still a very fascinating city, especially for those who are interested in the historical development of the city. 

Manila is a mixture of the old and the new, the cultural and the modern.

Well, I know I am. In fact, my recent publications have looked at the city in silico, that is to say, using computers for measuring the properties of its roads and buildings. Now, to have a different view of things (an actual, literal view, in fact), I decided to look at our data set via a walking tour. 

Manila is one of the first Spanish fortifications of its kind in the world. Being situated by a river and the Manila Bay made the Spanish Manila susceptible to pirates and other attackers. So the Spanish authorities built walls around the then very small Manila. It was a well-planned city, with perfect grid-like configurations, and thick fortified walls. This old section of the city is one of the oldest districts in the modern city, and is aptly called Intramuros (Spanish intra “within”, muros “walls”). 

A view from the top of the walls in Fort Santiago, showing the belfries of the Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church.

The best restored section of the Intramuros is at the westernmost tip, facing the Manila Bay at its meeting point with the Pasig River. This section, called Fort Santiago, used to be the military section of the city, precisely because of its location which is directly in front of the line of possible attacks from the waterways. This section now has a beautiful park and several museums. You can also walk on sections of the walls and take a good view of the river, the bay, or the inner sections of the city.

But outside the walls are just as interesting. Just outside and on the periphery of the walls, we find what I would call “transitional” districts, in the sense that they show a mix of influences from the different generations. For example, around the site of the old location of the University of Sto. Tomas, we find districts that have a mixture of very old Spanish-era styled houses from across buildings from the American era.

Monument of King Philip II of Spain, from whom the country was named after.

This marker of Felipe II (from whom the Philippines owes its name) is surrounded by the destroyed (i.e. the facade is retained but there is nothing inside) Aduana (Spanish, “Customs”) Building, two American-style buildings (one of which houses a BPI branch), and a Jollibee. And, oh, there is a Starbucks nearby, housed from the end of a hollowed-out portion of the Intramuros wall.

Still further, we can see the remnants of the historical events that have shaped the city for generations. For example, the newly refurbished Jones Bridge gives a good view of the earliest settlements outside of the walled city. This district of Binondo is the world's first Chinatown. Because the Spanish administrators thought lowly of the Chinese traders, they can only be allowed to settle outside of Intramuros and on the opposite side of the river. The district is still thriving to this day; this is, in fact, where we stopped to eat at a very nice restaurant. 

Many major cities have sprung up from riverbanks; Manila is no different. 
This is from under Jones Bridge, overlooking the Pasig River.

The view from above the Jones Bridge, towards the Manila Chinatown, the oldest in the world.

Noticeable in the pictures are the high-rise buildings for commercial and residential purposes that serve as the background for the older, smaller structures. In a very self-organized setting with minimal to almost zero intervention from authorities, the low-rise structures give way to modern buildings to house the continuously growing workforce and business operations. It is in fact very possible to see these structures eventually dominate the city, save for the very old buildings that are deemed to be important cultural heritage sites.

I am definitely tired now from all the walking, but the experience made me appreciate the capital even more. I hope to put these insights into use in our subsequent work related to the city. ■