The city of Manila, known as "Maynila" for the Filipinos, is the capital city of the Philippines. It is located on the shores of Manila Bay just west of the geographical center of Metro Manila, also known as the National Capital Region (NCR), which lies on an isthmus between Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay in southern Luzon.
History of Manila takes one back before the Christian era and the archaeologists date it around 500 B.C. The city of Manila was established in 1571 when the Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legaspi arrived and made it the capital of the colony "Felipinas". At the time of Legaspi's arrival, Manila was a walled Moslem settlement ruled by the Rajah Sulayman, who collected duties from the traders from neighboring island countries who wanted to travel up the Pasig River. Spanish conquistadors destroyed the settlement and founded the fortress city of Intramuros in its place. Manila became the capital of the new colony.
Manila's climate is characterized by two distinct seasons - the dry season, from December to April and the wet season, from May to November. High humidity and thunderstorms are common in July, August, and September, when more rain is received than in other months. January is usually the coolest month with an average temperature of 25.5°C (78°F), while May is the hottest at 28°C (83°F).
Manila's economy is multi-faceted. Diverse products, such as chemicals, rope, textiles, coconut oil and shoes, are manufactured within the metropolitan area. Tobacco and food processing also employ many residents. With its excellent protected harbor, Manila serves as the nation's principal port, most of the Philippines' imports and exports pass through this port. Manila is also the centre of commerce and finance in the Philippines. Private insurance companies and the Manila Stock Exchange also contribute to the mobilization of savings for investment.
Public transport is inexpensive and plentiful, including Light Rail Transit (LTR) and the Metrostar that has helped to alleviate some of the congestion. Both air-conditioned and regular buses travel all the major routes in Metro Manila except Roxas Boulevard. Local jeepneys (brightly coloured converted jeeps used as minibuses) run 24 hours and can be flagged down for a ride. The destination of the jeepney will be posted on the window. Taxis are also inexpensive and convenient, can be flagged down anywhere, and there are no taxi ranks in the city. There are also calesas (horse-drawn carriages) used by tourists for short trips and tricycle that is available in the inner city roads. Most of the major car rental agencies, including AVIS, Budget, and Hertz have offices in Metro Manila and carry a full line of vehicles from jeeps to limousines.
The Philippine educational system is made up of six years of elementary school, four years of secondary school (high school), and higher education (college or university). Children are required to attend the first four years of elementary school. Several universities are based in Metro Manila. The Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City offers elementary, secondary and undergraduate education, as well as graduate schools of arts and science, law, and business. University of the Philippines-Manila is one of the leading educational institutions in the country, which specializes in Health Sciences. De La Salle University-Manila is another premier educational institution in the country that offers highly outstanding academic programs.
The crown jewel of Manila attractions is Intramuros, the stately fortress city Spain built in the 16th century. The name is taken from the Latin, intra muros, literally "Within the walls", meaning within the wall enclosure of the city fortress, also describes its structure as it is surrounded by thick, high walls and moats. The Spanish government designed Intramuros as its headquarters and therefore made sure that no one could seize the city which served as its political, cultural, religious and commercial center. Inside Intramuros; there are several Roman Catholic churches, like the Manila Cathedral and the San Agustin Church, the Universidad de Santo Tomás, the Colegio de San Juan de Letran and the Ateneo Municipal de Manila, which were usually being run by religious orders such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans and Jesuits.
The San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila is one historic church where hundreds and hundreds of weddings are held each year. This church is actually the 3rd generation structure build on this location. The original one was the first religious structure built by the Spanish in Luzon back in 1571. The facade has a touch of Baroque by the ornately carved wooden doors that depict floras and religious images. Its present interior murals post date earthquakes in 1863 and 1889, which brought down one of its towers.
Rizal Park in Manila reminds one of the histories and the great national hero of Philippines - Jose Rizal. At the center of the Manila's Rizal Park is the bronze monument of Rizal that stands a few meters away from the execution site. Rizal Park has an observatory, gardens, plazas, historical markers, a grand stadium, restaurants, a light-and-sound theatre, an open-air concert hall, an artists' sanctuary, food kiosks and playgrounds, and dozens of fountains. The National Library and National Museum are next door.
Manila is known for its jovial spirit and festive occasions; festivals in Manila, like most Filipino culture, usually relate to Catholicism. Most famous of all Manila festivals is the Feast of the Black Nazarene or “Pistang Itim na Nazareno”, celebrated each January 9th of the year.
