Metropolitan Manilais
composed of 13 cities and four municipalities, among them the City of Manila, capital
of the Philippines. The metropolis is one of two premier gateways to island
destinations of the archipelago, Cebu being the other prime city. The packed
metropolis is the political, social, cultural, religious, educational,
industrial and commercial center of the country.
The city was named after the "nilad"
plant, with its star-shaped flowers abounding along the riverbanks during the
pre-Spanish era. Maynilad means "a place were the Nilad grows." Long
before the arrival of the Spaniards headed by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi in 1571,
Maynilad was a thriving Muslim settlement ruled by Rajah Sulayman of Bornean
nobility.
The town was already a rich trading haven, being
situated between the Pasig River and Manila Bay. Chinese and other Asian
merchants dock at its safe harbor bringing in and out goods.
Legaspi was in Panay when he heard of this
flourishing Muslim settlement in the north. Thus he sent a mission led by Martin
de Goiti and Juan de Salcedo on May 8, 1570.
They were welcomed by the natives upon their
arrival but the colonial designs of the Spanish entourage was later revealed
and, thus on the morning of May 24, 1570, a bloody battle ensued between the
natives and the Spaniards. The well-armed colonizers subdued the natives and
conquered Maynilad.
Filipino-Muslim fighters persisted in harassing
the Spaniards from their new base in nearby Bagumbayan and Tondo, and were able
to retake Maynilad. The following year, in 1571, Legazpi brought his entire
force to Maynilad and for the second time conquered Maynilad on June 24, 1571.
Legaspi saw possess both potential and strategic
location as a Spanish stronghold in Asia, thus he proclaimed it as the capital
and permanent seat of the Spanish government in the East.
Legazpi ordered the creation of a town government
called "Cabildo", holding churches, monasteries, schools and Spanish
style houses. The Cabildo was encased in a walled city called "Intramuros"
or the "Ever Loyal and Distinguished City of Spain in the Orient."
Under Spain, Manila became the prime city in the
Far East, the gateway of the West to the East. The Manila Acapulco Galleon Trade
between Philippines and Mexico prospered from 1571 to 1815.
During the American period starting 1898, Manila
underwent a reformation as English street signs replaced the Spanish signs. For
the next 50 years, Manila continued to flourish as a premier city in Asia, until
in 1945 when during the final days of the four year occupation of the Japanese
forces, the entire city was laid flat by air bombings.
From a small city called Intramuros during the
Spanish period, Manila has expanded to the 13 cities and four towns comprising
it at present.
