[url=http://www.manila.gov.ph]Manila[/url] (Tagalog: Lungsod ng Maynila) is the capital of the [wiki=77dab2f81a6c8c9136efba7ab2c4c0f2]Philippines[/wiki] and the nation's center of education, business, and transportation. [wiki=21c2c0aa20f66ce85068ef326d9a792b]Metro Manila[/wiki] is the most populous metropolitan region composing the city of Manila and surrounding cities like [wiki=44ce7bf0f35725d9d7bff80f0af8dc65]Makati[/wiki], [wiki=6b7314ca3ff7510c0a9f8944dac8a724]Mandaluyong[/wiki], [wiki=19b93eeaa2385415295cd2e02cfece0f]Muntinlupa[/wiki], [wiki=6648a771d994f96958f049f3aac2e16a]Parañaque[/wiki], [wiki=9c83be6110a9d03d9f28e64cb503c2bf]Pasay[/wiki], [wiki=4dc7544d778bd4ea663175add9b1cd92]Pasig[/wiki], [wiki=d2b2e4ab8978d081befb23ebcbfcd179]Quezon City[/wiki] and [wiki=137274977bb89007ba7a83b2b3c1dfaf]Taguig[/wiki].
Manila has a reputation as a congested, polluted concrete jungle, and is often overlooked as a mere stopover for travellers aiming to reach other Philippine provinces or islands. To an extent this reputation is deserved, but Manila is nevertheless rapidly developing and has its own rich history and experiences to offer. The city is sprawling, bustling, and culturally complicated, with a colorful multi-cultural heritage and varied nightlife.
For over three centuries Manila was colonised and administered by [wiki=907eba32d950bfab68227fd7ea22999b]Spain[/wiki] which left an enduring architectural heritage throughout the Philippines, especially with respect to churches, forts and other colonial buildings which can still be seen in the ruins of Intramuros, built in the late 16th century. Manila began as a settlement on the banks of the Pasig River, and its name originates from "Maynilad," referring to the mangrove plant known as Nilad, which was abundant in the area. Prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, Manila was home to Muslim-Malays, who were descended from the Arabs, Indians, East Asians and other Southeast Asians. In 1571, 50 years after Magellan's discovery of the islands, Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi claimed the Philippines as a colony and established Manila as its capital. Manila was also briefly colonised by the British for two years. Manila was also part of the Spanish East Indies until 1898, when the U.S. took over the Philippines after the Spanish-American War.
Manila was first sought by the Spaniards, then the Americans. The Spaniards wanted a counterbalance to the expanding Portuguese empire which had almost taken a big slice of the pie in the lucrative Spice Trade. They got it through Manila, so strategically placed between China together with the rest of Asia, and Mexico - the next closest transit point for goods onwards from Asia to Europe.
Its location seemed a well thought out choice. Legazpi took five years after arriving in the Philippines and settling in Cebú in 1565 to mull over before deciding to finally move up north to Manila in 1571 and make it the capital of the new territory. By numbers, it shortened the travelling distance to the other side of the empire in Acapulco. Manila is also in a much easy and straighter drafting reach for sailing ships to catch the Pacific Trade Winds as it blow northeastward to Japan for Acapulco and blow precisely at San Bernardino Strait for the westward-bound return trip without being diverted any farther. Most importantly, Manila is much closer than Cebú to China.
When Mexico pushed for its independence from Spain and finally shoved her out, the Philippines' glittering importance began to dwindle due to the discontinuance of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade, cutting off the Acapulco to Vera Cruz segment and it accelerated more when the Suez Canal was opened enabling the Chinese exports to go opposite direction and making Singapore as most important transit hub to Europe in the region. A token administration was just maintained in Manila which confined it to the doldrums being one of the unreachable and hard to maintain colonies of Spain. Until a new imperialist era dawned, emboldened countries embarked on a new competition for raw materials and market.
Netherlands, Britain, and France are already there now with Germany, lurking somewhere and fit to fill in the voids about to be vacated by waning superpowers. Germany was already sniffing its way around the Pacific Ocean like a shark smelling a kill when the US, spurred by the windfall of acquiring Hawaii and which desperately wanted a toehold in Asia for her trade, notably with Japan and China, grabbed the first opportunity of coveting the Philippines. The Philippines once more, so strategically placed as the soon-to-be-linchpin of American imperialism extended her colonial servitude to the US.
Being a city with its ears and antennae acutely tuned in to American and some European trends, and in the forefront of modernisation and constant cultural refinement, Manila witnessed or hosted innovations - political, cultural, civic etc. more than any other city in Southeast Asia or Asia as a whole.
Manila sits on an archipelago just at the edge of the Asian continent, some 14° 35' N, 121º 00 E'. It’s 700 miles (1,100 km.) or 2 hours flight time from Hong Kong, 1,400 miles (2,200 km.) or 3:15 hours from Bangkok, 1,500 miles (2,400 km) or 3:35 hours from Singapore, 1,900 miles (3.000 km) or 4:15 hours from Tokyo, and 1,800 miles (2,800 km.) from 4:25 hours from Beijing.
Ever so physically endowed, it is sitting in the throes of two notoriously dangerous volcanoes - Pinatubo to the north, which made headlines in 1991 when it spewed dust all over the world and dropped global temperature by 2°, and Taal to the south which always makes headlines every decade or so, while this city straddles the Pacific Rim of Fire underneath. What more, it lies in the path of the tropical monsoon bringing those more and more powerful typhoons during the second half of the year. It is fringed to the south by the idyllic Lake Bai - a veritable scenic showcase of Hispanized native folk and traditional culture, and farther south by cool and refreshing Lake Taal.
The City of Manila is in the western part of Metro Manila. It is bordered on the west by Manila Bay, to the north by [wiki=450bcd53271886ffad10a77e448c4e80]Navotas[/wiki], [wiki=d2b2e4ab8978d081befb23ebcbfcd179]Quezon City[/wiki] and [wiki=25083e42bf2543232fb7d0759b770e1d]Caloocan City[/wiki], to the east by San Juan and [wiki=451e951b13ee366f0d53f9c571105c76]Mandaluyong City[/wiki] and to the south by [wiki=9c83be6110a9d03d9f28e64cb503c2bf]Pasay[/wiki] and [wiki=44ce7bf0f35725d9d7bff80f0af8dc65]Makati[/wiki].
The Philippines has only six official entry points by sea, and all are all the way down south. (Namely Bongao and Turtle Islands in Tawi Tawi, Taganac and Balabac in Palawan, and Batunganding and Tibanban, Davao del Sur. These serve sea voyages from Malaysia or Indonesia, its only close neighbors.)
The most reasonable and practical way to reach Manila is by air.
The Philippines´ primary international airport and generally regarded as the worst airport in Asia, especially for transferring passengers. Terminals 1, 2, 3, 4, are not internally-connected, and require an actual drive through the crowded city streets in taxis or jeepneys. Allow lots of time for connection. Better yet, book your flights on 1 reservation so you are "protected" with continuity. See guide here for connection logistics and times: http://www.silent-gardens.com/air-transfer.php
Terminal 1 is used for most international flights. It is in poor condition.
Terminal 2 is used exclusively by Philippine Airlines.
Terminal 3 is used by domestic carriers like Cebu Pacific and now includes several international airlines.
Terminal 4 is used by budget carriers like Cebu Pacific and AirAsia, and includes several international airlines.
The terminal fee for domestic flights originating from Manila is now included into the ticket price, and is not charged at the airport anymore. The PHP500 terminal fee for international departures is now also included in the ticket price.
There are buses outside the arrival area heading to downtown Makati City and Quezón City via EDSA or Efipanio de Los Santos Ave..
Airport metered taxis are colored yellow, and have the right to stop and pick up passengers and line up the porte cochere area as you step out of the arrival hall. Each departing taxi is registered by a dispatcher. Despite this, there have been frequent scams (accelerated meters, charging full days' mileage, etc). Do not let the yellow taxi driver retain both taxi slips. You should not need to pay more than ₱250 to most hotels in the city. Keep an eye on the meter at all times.
White taxis are warned as "not officially sanctioned" by NAIA, but often times are much more honest and cheaper. Base fare start at ₱40. But they can only be caught in the departure level, where they are dropping off departing passengers.
Clark airport 2 hours North of the city has a direct bus connection (450 pesos) to the city centre area.
Other than taxis there are buses and jeepneys (small buses) that will take you places for much less than taxis (around 15 pesos). Most of them connect to the a train line which is just as cheap as the buses but could get very crowded during the rush hours. Some buses/jeepneys will drive down the ESDA road and makes a lot of the city accessible in one bus. The train stations of Taft Avenue/Pasay/EDSA Stations are a cluster of separated and confusing platforms or stations in the same area with unclear links - ask the locals if not sure where to go. Around here its also possible to catch buses and jeepneys to the various airport terminal. Seek helpful locals. See the airports voyage page for more detailed info. One word of warning as the jeepneys, buses and especially trains are jam packed and pick pockets are very likely. Protect your valuables and luggage well and remember you will be very tightly squeezed so moving your bag will be difficult. Exercise tough love and imagine that you are at one side of the train and the doors you need to exit by are on the other side.
Under Philippine customs´ regulation, for all residents and non-residents, each person may only up to PHP10,000 through the customs. Exceeding amounts require authorisation from the Central Bank of the Philippines. Foreign currencies: up to USD10,000 or its equivalent, the larger amounts must be declared.
400 cigarettes OR 250g of rolling tobacco OR 50 cigars.
2 bottles of alcoholic spirit, no more than 1 litre per bottle.
- See more at: http://www.taxfreetravel.com/Philippines-Duty-Free-Allowances#sthash.6wEKBD41.dpuf
- See more at: http://www.taxfreetravel.com/Philippines-Duty-Free-Allowances#sthash.6wEKBD41.dpuf
The airport officer might charged you penalty if exceeded the amount. The luggage is not routinely screened, but the custom officers do spot checks.
Manila is the hub of the Philippine ferry network, and ferries to most major cities will stop at the Manila South Harbor, the city's main passenger seaport. Several companies operate ferries to Manila from points throughout the Philippines, and cruise ships occasionally stop in Manila throughout the year.
Around the capital are numerous attractions for people desiring a quick daytrip away from the hustle and bustle of this mega-metropolis.
Provincial bus companies also operate their own terminals which are dispersed throughout the city. They concentrate mostly in EDSA in Cubao District, Quezon City for those destined north (Northern, Central, and Southern Luzon, the Bicol Region including Catanduanes & Masbate Islands), around the junction of EDSA and South Superhighway for those destined south (Southern Tagalog Bicol Region), and around the Sampaloc District in Manila for those heading north.
Manila is crossed by three lines of the Strong Republic Transit System (SRTS), Metro Manila's (partially) integrated railway network. The SRTS Yellow and Purple lines, operated by the Light Rail Transit Authority, cross through Manila city proper, converging at the intersection of Rizal Avenue and C.M. Recto Avenue. The Yellow Line, also known as LRT Line 1 (LRT-1), serves [wiki=d3fe50020aff3015ec840625e159c395]Malate[/wiki], [wiki=2bf66ee1fb1270ce71f79c8f0c92aba7]Ermita[/wiki], [wiki=43c85276717b0a6718101f2ba523752f]Quiapo[/wiki], [wiki=d8e25a91adc097d63b79ab336e154f69]Binondo[/wiki] and [wiki=1c5dcdfe4d904dc361da5721894f22ad]Santa Cruz[/wiki], while the Purple Line, also known as MRT Line 2 (MRT-2), serves Quiapo, [wiki=1ae86fb56ca1261c79a306b1b818fa77]Sampaloc[/wiki] and Santa Mesa. Most tourist sites are along the Yellow Line.
Metro Manila's main regional passenger train station is Tutuban in Tondo. From Tutuban station, the Philippine National Railways (PNR) operates the Commuter Express (Commex), also referred to as the SRTS Orange Line. Fifty trains serve the commuter service daily, with the line crossing through Tondo, Sampaloc, Santa Mesa, [wiki=6c7caf3a6c922b0eb06504758eb7d41c]Paco[/wiki] and San Andres before extending to Metro Manila. There is an interchange with the Yellow Line at Blumentritt station, and with the Purple Line at Santa Mesa station.
Several city and provincial bus routes either cross through or terminate in Manila. Most buses which serve Manila proper will cross through the Lawton bus terminal, which is conveniently located in front of the LRT-1 Central Terminal station. Routes include points in Metro Manila, Laguna, [wiki=0b5264bf4fe22fc2fe2a593e47aac551]Cavite[/wiki] and [wiki=a139b2dcf518f4a5a4c1a834e90a614e]Bulacan[/wiki], and bus fares normally begin at ₱10.
Manila city bus routes are not numbered. However, the bus route is prominently displayed on the side of the bus as well as on the dashboard, listing both the route's endpoints and major points in between which will be served by that particular route. When in doubt, ask the bus conductor if a particular bus will go to a particular destination.
Manila is also served by several jeepney routes, some of which ply the routes previously served by Manila's pre-World War II tram system. The Lawton bus terminal is also a major jeepney terminal, with several jeepneys either crossing through, terminating or originating here. Fares begin at ₱8.00 for the first four kilometers. Like buses, jeepney routes are not numbered, but the route is prominently displayed on the sides of the jeepney as well as on the dashboard, and drivers, or specialized barkers announce their destination and departure at route origins.
Tricycles and pedicabs are, in the City of Manila, limited to short distances as it can access hard-to-reach areas. Tricycle and pedicab terminals are found throughout the city: major points for taking tricycles and pedicabs within the downtown area include the Lawton bus terminal, the area around LRT-1 Doroteo Jose and MRT-2 Recto Stations, Tutuban railway station, Plaza Lacson in Santa Cruz, and Plaza Lorenzo Ruiz in Binondo. Tricycle and pedicab terminals are normally located alongside jeepney terminals and train stations.
By law, tricycles and pedicabs must display a fare matrix which displays fares to areas served by the vehicle, and is normally adhered to for short distances. For longer distances, it is not uncommon to negotiate the fare beforehand with the driver.
In Ermita, Intramuros and Binondo, it is still possible to ride a calesa, or traditional horse-drawn carriage. While no longer used as a meaningful form of transport by most locals, calesas are useful for navigating through narrow streets (similar to tricycles and pedicabs), as well as getting a feel of transport in colonial Manila. Fares are negotiated beforehand with the cochero (driver), and a one-hour ride for two people normally costs around ₱50-70.
SCAM ALERT: Be aware of the well known calesa scam. When you ride, they will just say 50 or so Pisos but while hopping off they'll ask for 50 US dollars.
Baywalk - South of the Luneta is the renovated Baywalk a linear park adjacent to Manila Bay. Restaurants formerly on the actual baywalk have been moved inwards to allow a clear view of Manila's legendary sunsets.
* Bonifacio Shrine - A shrine in honour of Andrés Bonifacio who was one of the Filipinos who struggled and fought for freedom for the country against the Spanish forces.
* [wiki=d8e25a91adc097d63b79ab336e154f69]Chinatown[/wiki] - Manila has one of the largest Chinatowns in the world, where one can find exotic Chinese goods and delicious cuisine. The area, however, is dirty and polluted, plus getting there can be a hassle given heavy traffic.
* Coconut Palace - a residence commissioned and built along the waterfront by First Lady Imelda Marcos for Pope John Paul II's visit in 1981. While open to the public at some point, it is currently (as of June 2011) occupied by the current Vice President and still open for public visits (by appointment by calling the Office of the Vice President, leaving a return call number and waiting for a confirmation).
* [wiki=e154e06e0f7f303f39fc9a69f37b03fb]Intramuros[/wiki] - At the northern end of the Bay lies the remnants of the old walled Spanish settlement of Manila, Intramuros (Spanish for 'within the walls'). Intramuros contains some of the city's most interesting museums, ruins, and churches including the Manila Cathedral, the most important church in the country.
* Mabini Shrine - Apolinario Mabini's former home. Mabini was a Lawyer and fought for Philippine Independence. During the American Occupation, this home became the first intellectual headquarters of the First Philippine Republic.
* Malacañán Palace - Manila is the host of the official residence of the president of the Philippines. While heading your way here, you will see wonderful places. People can roam the garden afterwards.
* Manila Hotel - Just outside Intramuros and on the edge of Manila Bay is the beautiful and historic Manila Hotel, a legacy of the American colonial era and the place where General Douglas MacArthur made his home before World War II.
* Plaza San Luis - A commercial complex consisting five house; Casa Manila, Casa Urdaneta, Casa Blanca, Los Hidalgos and El Hogar Filipino. Plaza San Luis showcases Filipino-Hispanic Architecture. Other than Souvenir shops there is a museum in Casa Manila.
* This University, constructed by the Spanish, is the oldest existing University in the whole of Far East and second to be founded in the Philippines. Used as a concentration camp by the Japanese during their occupation and cramming about 10 000, exceeding the maximum capacity of 4000. The University has a museum housing a collection that dates back to 1682 mostly natural history, coins & medals, ethnography, oriental arts, and catholic iconography. The building where the museum sits, known as the paraninfo or simply Main Building to most, has a lobby containing powerfully steering wall-to-wall mural by National Artist Botong Francisco in the genre of his contemporary, Diego Rivera. Fee.
* Manila Metropolitan Theater - [[Manila Metropolitan Theater]The|Manila Metropolitan Theatre or MET is an art deco building designed by the Filipino architect Juan M. de Guzman Arellano, and inaugurated on 10 December 1931, with a capacity of 1670. The theatre is located on Padre Burgos Avenue, near the Manila Central Post Office. Renovated under the auspices of Imelda Marcos, it now falls back under the management of neglect and decadence.
* Manila Central Post Office - [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_Central_Post_Office]]Designed by Filipino architect Juan Marcos de Guzman Arellano, located in a very prominent visual and commanding spot of the first Civic Centre in Manila and could have been perfect location for a Senate building, the Post Office building was built in neoclassical architecture in 1926. It was severely damaged in World War II, and rebuilt in 1946 preserving most of its original design. It is located in the Intramuros district of the city, at the bank of the Pasig River. The front of the building faces the Liwasang Bonifacio plaza (now known as Plaza Lawton).
Manila has seen a drastic improvement in its museum offerings with the recent renovation of old favorites such as the National Museum of the Filipino People and the Ayala Museum (located not in Manila but in nearby Makati City). Other must-see museums in the city are the Bahay Chinoy (Chinese House), Casa Manila, San Agustin Museum the Museum of Filipino Political History, the "Museo Pambata" children's museum'.
* Built and opened in the 1900s The museum showcases significant collections from archaeology, arts, cultural properties, zoology, botany and many more. This museum boasts of amassing over a million artifacts but in actual, only 125 pieces or so are on show. An optimist would describe something as a glass half full, and for one, this museum is less than half full for one would see halls and halls of empty space. A floor would have just about a maximum of two utilised halls with displays in it. As in anywhere in the Philippines, things are forever in transition. At the entrance is somewhat an apology board explaining that there's supposed to be three separate buildings - this one and the one facing it as showcases for anthropological and archaeological artefacts while the third one, the former Senate Building functioning as the National Art Gallery where paintings and sculptures are to be housed. There is no time frame when will this wishful thinking be achieved.
*The National Art Gallery as explained, took over the premises of the former Senate Building and the repository of works of Filipino masters. The more than life-sized painting of Juan Luna titled "Spolarium", a powerful imagery in the mold of classical theme and Romanticist in style is the museum's version of "Mona Lisa", meaning the most priced Philippine artwork.
*Includes documents such as the signing of Independence displayed in a holy grail-like showcase.
*Inaugurated during Imelda's heyday, it used to display works by Caravaggio. This premiere art museum of Manila showcases both traditional, hispanic and modern art through its exhibits. Located along Roxas boulevard, across the Manila Yacht club.
* Bahay Tsinoy is the only museum of its kind in Southeast Asia and, arguably, the world. The Chinese, having come to the Philippines in batches since pre-Spanish colonial times, have been settling and assimilating as Filipinos. The museum gives an idea of the nuanced past that Chinese immigrants had to live through, and details their impressive journey from largely being itinerant vendors and coolies during the Spanish Occupation to being captains of industry and prominent figures in art, politics, media and government today.
Museum is closed on Mondays, but open on Sundays. Although Bahay Tsinoy is open by 9AM, try to go there at 1PM at the earliest; only then is the air-conditioning turned on, for electricity-saving reasons.
*The Museo Pambata is a children's interactive museum, the first of its kind in the Philippines. Opened in 1994, Museo Pambata is the dream come true of Nina Lim-Yuson, who was inspired by the Boston Children’s Museum to open up a similar facility in Manila.
Rizal Park [[Rizal Park]|Right outside the walled city is Rizal Park more widely known as the Luneta. The Luneta is the venue for the national museums, bayside restaurants, an open-air theater featuring free classical music concerts and acclaimed international films, a planetarium, an open gym for early morning jogging and tai chi enthusiasts, or a night ballroom, as well as Japanese, Chinese, Filipino gardens, an orchidarium, an aquarium, and a children's museum. It is a popular meeting spot for family picnics and lovers' trysts, and was the site of the execution of José Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines, and where a monument and final resting place most importantly - but sadly and disrespectfully overshadowed by poking skyscrapers nearby - is erected, as well as the inaugural grandstand for the incoming President.
*Paco Park [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paco_Park]]was actually built as a final resting place for Spanish families residing in Manila. After José Rizal's execution, his remains were sent and buried here, which is today commemorated by a monument in the park. It is now a public park with jogging lanes and open air concerts, and is also a popular venue for weddings. It is accessible by taxi and bus, as well as a 10 minute walk from the LRT-1 United Nations Ave. station.
*Mehan Garden
Manila Zoo [http://www.manila.gov.ph/manilazoo.htm]is rather decrepit, and in need of drastic renovations. The Manila Zoo covers an area of 0.055 square kilometres. Accessible via LRT-1 Quirino station. Also here is housed its famous occupant, the lonely elephant Mali, the Philippines' only living elephant, known and friend but not intimately to Hollywood stars such as Sir Paul McCartney & Pamela Anderson who have yet to personally inspect her condition and 'solitary confinement'.
*Manila Ocean Park is a much better maintained marine wildlife facility which was recently opened in 2008 and is located behind the Quirino Grandstand at Rizal Park. The 8000 square metres (86,000 sq ft) oceanarium is larger than the Sentosa Underwater World oceanarium in Singapore, and features a 25 metres (82 ft) underwater acrylic tunnel. Mostly accessible by taxi, but can be walked if you are in the vicinity of Rizal Park.
*Arroceros Forest Park Situated in the heart of downtown Manila, Arroceros Forest Park is a 2.2-hectare piece of land behind the old art deco Metropolitan Theatre. Arroceros got its name, which means “rice dealers,” from the rice trade along the Pasig riverbank during the early colonial period.
Manilans are mostly very pious Catholic people. On a different angle, being afflicted with problems and ailments, Manilans may not have much alternative and feel that some things are just out of their control and the best way is to ask for answers and solutions to their favorite saints. It would be interesting to note that some streets leading to a patron saint's home church are extra tight during their special days.
For the anthropologically curious, it also provides a good peek into the daily life of the locals, young and old, men or women. It alo reveals a facet trait of the Filipino - being fatalistic and true blue believer of some higher spirits.
*St. Jude Thaddeus Shrine, San Miguel District, Manila - Near Malacañán Palace, this church is the busiest on Thursdays.
*Our Lady of Perpetual Help Shrine, Not in the City of Manila but situated in Baclaran District of Pasay City. Nevertheless heavy traffic affects the southern portion of the city towards the cities of Pasay-Parañaque, all interconnected by the LRT-1. This Church is the liveliest on Wednesdays much more especially so because the surrounding area is carpeted by a flea market.
*The Black Nazarene Minor Basilica, Quiapo District, Manila - Its feast day is on 9 January but its special day of the week falls on Fridays.
New Year Welcoming Festival, not a recommended place to be where Manila is converted into a war zone with unbearable noise, blanket haze, and stray bullets fired from unknown sources.
*Chinese New Year Welcoming Festival, Chinatown, Binondo District
*Oblation Run, University of the Philippines Campus, Diliman District, Quezon City not in Manila although it may have its own version.
*Feast of the Black Nazarene and Caroza Parade, Quiapo District, Manila, January 9
*Fiesta del Santo Niño, Tondo District, Manila, 3rd Sunday of January
*EDSA People's Power Revolution Comemmoration, not in the City of Manila
*Manila Summer Sea Sports Festival, March along Roxas Boulevard
*Holy Week or Semana Santa, Catholic Churches throughout Metropolitan Manila
*Santacruzan Festival, the famous one hosted by Manila Hotel
*Flores de Mayo
*Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, not in the City of Manila
*Philippine Independence Day Celebration at the Luneta
*La Naval Fluvial Parade at the Pasig River
*All Souls & Saints Day Celebration, Cemeteries throughout Metropolitan Manila
*Marián Festival in Intramuros
*Misa De Gallo held in all churches.
*Christmas Day held in all Christian homes
*Metro Manila Film Festival along Roxas Boulevard
*Pageant of the Three Kings held in all churches
*Bota De Flores, Ermita District, Manila
The unit of currency is the Peso (symbol: ₱), and judging by the impressive performance of the economy and its big foreign currency reserves, the peso is at US$1 to ₱40 and dollar is still sliding down. Bill denominations are in ₱20, ₱50, ₱100, ₱500, & ₱1000 while coin denominations are in 25¢, ₱1, ₱5, & ₱10. 25¢ has always been very common and the jeepney fare has decreased to a base fare of ₱8.00 (January 2013).
Banks and Money Changers are available in the airport but it's better to change money outside where competition abound. Money changers are everywhere and most homecoming Filipinos prefer to change them here than in banks, Western Union or M. Lhuillier branches. There is no commission. The farther it is from the Tourist Belt Area, and the nearer it is around a town or city public market, the better the exchange rate is. Safety is not a problem especially if you change them during busy hours (safety in numbers). Be sure to count everything and put them safe in your person before you leave the premises.
Money can be withdrawn from ATM and they are also everywhere. The Philippines are one of the countries with the most available ATM machines per capita.
Credit Cards are accepted almost everywhere especially at all upmarket shops.
A part of the Philippine's bustling capital is a remarkable melting pot of Asian, Oceanic, and Latin cultures, which are thick with history and flavor in tune with most traveler's interests. The best way to get a feel for Manila shopping is to go to a ‘tiangge’, a market of stalls where everything can be bargained. Market! Market!, St. Francis Square, Greenhills Shopping Center and Tiendesitas in Pasig City are examples of such. There are shopping centers catering to handicrafts, antiques, and curio souvenirs. Aside from Ilalim ng Tulay in Quiapo are the shops in the districts of Ermita and Malate around M. Adriatico, A.Mabini, and M.H. del Pilar.
If you are interested in a Western-type mall, you cannot pass SM Mall of Asia, currently the 4th largest mall in the world. Warning to shopaholics and their spouses: You could spend a day there and still not see every shop or have to time to ice skate. That's right, there is an ice rink as well.
Manilans, or Filipinos in general are avid mallers, the Philippines outranking affluent Thailand, Malaysia, or Indonesia, and to some degree, competing with Japan and China in mall per capita. It's best to see these living museums to observe Filipino behavior and culture.
Public markets are one microcosm of Manila. Practically, Manilans from all walks of life come here to buy their everyday needs. They are as lively and colorful as any market in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, or Vietnam. Generally, they are divided into wet and dry sections and another section for dining. Dining is very cheap and can be wholesomely hygenic. Just look out for the huge block of ice dragged along the floor on its way from the delivery truck to a dining stall. If you see one delivered in that manner, never mind, don't eat there, ever. Joking aside, a filling meal will cost you as little as US$1.25.
If you happen to see just about every Tom, Dick, and Harry in a blighted neighborhood in Manila wearing Abercrombie & Fitch & Levis jeans, chances are it's original and bought at Ukay Ukays. How can they afford it? Ukay Ukay is the answer. It's the Philippines' answer to Salvation Army. Nowadays, they are everywhere and Manilans love them. Ukay ukay happens to be a contraction of the Tagalog word "Hukay" meaning to dig, the description for the exact action done while rummaging through the bins of clothes. But there are actually no bins installed in those stores, only clothes neatly hanged on the racks. For less than $2, one can find hand me down good qualities of branded wear. The more enterprising provide home delivery and roaming services by hanging them on racks installed on pedicabs, as they make the run on neighborhoods. Judging by the unafforable cost of living to most of the middle class and the soaring gasoline prices, they may be here to stay.
It's also great for the budget tourist who would not want to have the hassle of packing and carrying tons of clothes by simply buying them here, then discarding them somewhere as his piles of souvenirs accumulate.
Make sure you buy the traditional barong Tagalog. These are long shirts made of very light-weight, semi translucent material, often with Filipino arts and decorations and are worn by both men and women on most special Filipino and formal occasions. Cotton varieties are much more affordable, but for the real deal, go for one made by the strands of a pineapple leaf. It is worn outside trousers - ie not "tucked in".
If you really want to look the "bee's knees" travel to the [wiki=51f459a6c412aa0125fcd509e4a6b708]Visayan[/wiki] island of [wiki=7f10cf54e8dca2b4db05b826cd358df9]Negros[/wiki] and buy some barongs hand woven from Abacá fibre (used to be called Manila Hemp - made from the trunk of Musa textilis, a species of banana native to the Philippines) with geometric design details from the mountains to the west of[wiki=ec315e434889a4db13a584f92da91334]Bais City[/wiki].
Manila is a national hub of regional cooking and has almost all the regions of the Philippines represented - either in exclusively regional eateries or featured with other cuisines. General restaurants, either catering for the working class or the elite, can offer varied dishes coming from every region and cater for almost everyone's taste palette. For example, the northern region called Ilocos has its favorite fare called Pinakbet approved by practically everyone but still closely identified as Ilocano fare.
Here are just some of the regional dishes that feature in the restaurants, canteens, and carinderias in Manila:
Street Food is often described as "Pamatid Gutom" or food to tide over, something to temporarily hush a stomach growl, sold at small food stalls, food stands, or food carts set up in places with high amount of pedestrian traffic. Cheap and rushed, it could be something commuters can chew & swallow, or gulp in seconds while transferring from one route to another, or from station to station, with a quick standing stop at a sushi, siomai, barbecue, or hotdog stall.
The variety of street food available is tremendous and may reward the truly adventurous traveler. Because of the huge variety, we have split the examples into two sections: those dishes normally sold by Stationary Vendors and those often sold by Ambulant (or itinerant) Vendors:
Breakfast in the city is described as dry - meaning not wet as in noodle and soup or porridge like what is taken in the morning in most Southeast Asian cities. More like an amalgam of the East and the West, specifically the American, Hispanic, and Malay, somehow as if McDonald's and Cuban entrees collided with Nasi Lemak to form these creations that are very catchy to begin with for they all end with "SILOG".
First, these are the key words in Tagalog: Sinangag for fried garlic rice and Itlog for egg more often sunny side up and rarely scrambled. They combine to form the portmanteau "SILOG". Along with these is the main item - meat or fish plus the given mainstays - Set A: lettuce-sliced tomato(s)-sliced cucumber(s), Set B: carrots and peas toppings over sinangag, Set C: achara or pickled unripe papaya and carrots, Set D: fried garlic or shallots over sinangag, or Set E: onion rings. The main items are as follows:
*Tapsilog - for tapa or cured beef jerky
*Dasilog - for daing or any sun-dried fish
*Adosilog - for adobo (vinegar & soy sauce marinated chicken, pork or beef)
*Hamsilog - for ham
*Disilog - for dilis or fried smelt or anchovy
*Cornsilog - for corned beef
*Bacsilog - for bacon
*Bangsilog - for bangus or milkfish
*Bisteksilog - for beef steak
*Dangsilog - for danggit or rabbitfish
*Vicsilog - for vic or chinless hogfish
*Chosilog - for chorizo or Spanish style sausage
*Chiksilog - for fried chicken
*Embotidosilog - for embotido or Philippine-style meatloaf
*Shanghaisilog - for shanghai roll or Philippine-style fried spring roll
*Hotsilog - for hotdog or Philippine-style red hotdog
*Longsilog - for longganisa or Philippine-style sausage (derived from Chinese style)
*Tosilog - for tosino or sugar/honey cured meat
*Masilog - for 'Ma Ling' brand Chinese luncheon meat
*SPAMsilog - for 'SPAM' brand luncheon meat
*Nuggetsilog - for chicken nuggets
*Porksilog - for chuleta or porkchop
*Lechonsilog - for roasted pork
*Liemposilog - for crispy pork
*Bangusilog - for fried milkfish
*Baloneysilog - for Bologna sausage
*Pusitsilog - for fried breaded squid rings or octopus tentacles, or plain midget squids
*Siomaisilog - for siomai ( a type of meat dumpling)
*Tuyosilog - for sun dried mackerel
*Isawsilog - for a piece of pork intestines
Of course, this is assisted with hot coffee, tea, or juice and a couple of morning bread called Pan de Sal (salted bread).
There are stalls or Carinderias/Carinderyas that specialize in this breakfast "SILOG" fare called "Tapsihan" named for the first type of of these combo ever concocted, the tapsilog, or "Silogan".
There are now food carts that sell these Silogs packed in paper bowls like instant noodles and eaten on the go.
Snacks or nibblers called Chichireya or Papak while office workers multi-task and at the same time working and chatting. Also, it is eaten on long journeys or while watching movies or simply doing school work.
*Peanut - garlic-flavored fried peanuts.
*Adobo Peanut - adobo-flavored fried peanuts.
*Hot Chili Peanut - chili-flavored fried peanuts.
*Skinless Peanut
*Japanese Peanut - batter cracker coated, sometimes with minutely chopped seaweeds.
*Peanut Brittle - caramel coated peanuts.
*Sung Sung
*Pop Beans
*Sweet Beans
*Tip Top - local version of M&Ms.
*Shrimp Chicha - shrimp-flavored crackers.
*Onion Twist Chicha - dipped in vinegar.
*Onion & Garlic Potato Chicha - dipped just like any Mexican corn snacks.
*Shing-A-Ling - fried stick crackers.
*Chicharon Ilocos - pork crackers styled from Ilocos region.
*Chicharon Classic
*Cornick - garlic-flavored fried corn kernels.
*Cornick Ilocos - styled from Ilocos region.
*Cheese Cornick - cheese-flavored fried corn kernels.
*Green Pea - garlic-flavored fried green peas.
*Butong Pakwan - watermelon seeds.
*Sunflower Seed
*Sampaloc - preserved tamarind flesh.
*Santol - preserved santol seed & flesh.
*Champoy - preserved dried fruits.
*Kiamoy - preserved dried plums.
*Dikiam - preserved dried plum variety.
*Cherry - preserved dried cherry.
*Haw Flakes - imported from China, extracted from dry sweet plums, formed into super thin, small communion wafers
*Macapuno Balls - soft glutinous candy from coconut flesh.
*Ube Balls - soft yam balls.
*Yema Balls - candy from carabao milk.
*Macapuno Pastillas - coconut sport with solidified carabao milk candy.
*Ube Pastillas - yam with solidified carabao milk candy.
*Egg Dilis - fried anchovies coated with egg.
*Squid - squid in thick semi-dry dark caramel syrup.
*Cheese Curls - popular junk food from corn.
*Chippy - popular junk food from corn.
*Ampao - pop rice molded in blocks by sugar syrup.
*Banana Chips
*Camote Chips - cheese-flavored Pringles-type from sweet potato chips.
*Polvoron - some foreigners call this volcano candy because it inevitably spews the powdery concoction once the mouth is opened while chewing it, a Spanish shortbread from flour, sugar, carabao milk, and nuts.
When it comes to dining, in a nutshell, Filipino food can be described as timid in flavor, not much creativity, as well as care for presentation. Food is trained to have only one dominant flavor - either the bitterness, the sweetness, the sourness, the saltiness, or the umaminess is enhanced. For some reason, the ingredients used don't have that wide range like those in Malaysia, Vietnam or Thailand, its closest neighbors. Filipinos are just as happy and contented to limit their range of ingredients, people that have no sophisticated royalty, say as the Thais, who, among those that had/have a monarchy, developed their superior palate taste through the royal court. No particular doting attention to food is given other than it fills the stomach of the ordinary hungry person.
Just for example in a close comparison between the Philippines and Vietnam on a vegetable & spice market tour, the Philippine counterpart is limited. For seasoning, Filipino dishes do not digress from the daily triumvirate of garlic, onion, and tomatoes, sometimes ginger. No cinnamon, anise, or cardamom, available only in a high end specialty supermarket, not an everyday thing. On the herb section, only parsley, spring onion, and lemon grass are popularly known to Filipinos, while in Vietnam, there are so many kinds of herbs used in the daily diet by an average Vietnamese. While the troika of soy sauce, vinegar, and fish sauce defines the limited vocabulary of Philippine sauce condiments section. One glaring observation, basil and laurel are not eaten fresh, only as seasoning sold as dry as a dead leaf. As a side note, the saw-leaf herb which is an everyday ingredient in Vietnam which happened to originate in Mexico, ironically skipped the Philippines during the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade.
Speaking of Acapulco, Mexicans drink tamarind as a beverage. Surprisingly another conundrum, tamarind juice coming from the tamarind fruit, being as Asian as rice, is surpisingly absent in the Philippine beverage menu even though it is popular in Latin America and the rest of the Southeast Asian countries, which are on its left and right spheres.
Noodle varieties are limited to a handful. The lack of creativity is also seen in rice wrappers for spring roll is just one type, unlike in Vietnam. Having plenty of variation and versatility for example as other people, the Vietnamese would use rice as sesamed crackers in their main meal. And even Mexicans would make their corn into taco shells, or Indians would use wheat as poppadoms. A far out creative imagination of rice for Filipinos would be granola-type dried rice snack bars.
Filipino food is safe to say more as a comfort food, a peasant food concocted at a time when all Filipinos were all living on agricultural-fishing existence, contented to eat simply on rice and one or two-dish meal - one dry and the other wet or soupy. Even if Filipinos have attained a higher degree of sophistication (although others would rather patronize Japanese and French cuisine to match their economic and educational attainment), the same ingredients are used and the same flavor is maintained. It's only now that Filipinos are slowly realizing after the diaspora of the 1970's to the present, startling revelations of how low their standard is in the totem pole of world cuisine are getting to consciousness. And with increasing pride and economic competition among neighboring countries, nowadays, one can find Manila restaurant offering haute cuisine adobo laced with cayenne pepper and Spanish paprika.
Most sit-down and casual dining restaurants in Manila would fall under the mid-range category. But there are budget ones as well. For budget dining, just follow the office workers making a beeline to building basements, canteens, or carinderias (road side stalls) during lunchbreak almost everywhere in the city and even in high class Makati area. The men usually wear short sleeved Barong Tagalog and the ladies, like bank teller attires. These are not lowly workers but they pay lunch as cheap as US$1.00 complete with a clear broth, a dish, and a cup of rice enough to energize the office worker for the rest of the day. University canteens open to the public offer student meals and have resident nutritionists too. Along Recto and Nicanor Reyes Sts., the epicenter of downtown university belt cosmos, there are dime a dozen shops that offer complete and filling budget meals as low as ₱35.
This oxymoron sums up what is all about eating in this genre of dining - eating high-end type seafood fares (prawns, tuna, abalone, and lobsters) most Filipinos can't afford, inside a humble shack. Dampa is a Tagalog term for a hovel on a roadside by the sea. That's where it all started. They may be there since time immemorial, mostly proliferating along the southern part of Metro Manila from the reclaimed area along Roxas Boulevard to Cavite - the next-door province south of Metro Manila, where the catch from the sea and Manila Bay was easily downloaded and freshly grilled for fish-loving Manilans, or may have been copied from dining experiences in trendsetting Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Bangkok, or Singapore. It has been transformed into more decent Singapore-style wet and fancy-free hawker center and to even air-conditioned "pearl-jade-dragon" style Chinese restaurant and now are scattered in every entertainment-dining district in the metropolis. But the billboard sign stays - Dampa-Style Dining.
The concept is simple: catch (or pick) it and throw in the fire in real time - no time lapse in between, right before your eyes, so to speak. So one can savor it as fresh as it gets. Simply as it is, a spin off of turo-turo style (point and take) where arrays of dishes are arranged on a counter and the customer checks and chooses by pointing his forefinger, this time the ingredient is still alive, some in aquarium boxes. Then, the next thing to do is instruct the attendant what style it should be cooked and what other spice and vegetable ingredients to be added.
This type of dining has also took-off from seafood to other ingredients like beef, pork, and chicken, etc.. And some variations, it may still be that lowly dampa-looking structure in the middle of a fish pen raising milk-fish or tilapia along Laguna de Bay or a rice paddy.
Gaining steady popularity, it's less ubiquitous than in other East Asian cities and Asian dominated enclaves in the United States especially in the Korean and Chinese sections, may be due to the fact that Manilans (or Filipinos) are expertly witty in outsmarting these restaurants in overstretching the definition of buffet, giving a slim profit to the coffers and headache to its managers. But its one or two presence in every mall is an indication.
Some of the food offered by these parlors may be also be on restaurant menus (since these are categorically dessert items), those that specialize in local cuisine. But these parlors are also a separate category of their own. [wiki=9a273d291a4b089a5b8d12613b0e9b94]Goldilocks[/wiki] and [wiki=33259c90434198f484a4520973db831a]Red Ribbon[/wiki], super hygienic Americanized establishments stand out from the rest usually found in malls, and from the humble food stalls in the public markets where they originated. These two are basically bakeshops but they function as native ice cream parlors, serving more or less the following which are authentically or adaptively Filipino:
*Ice Cream- mostly serving never heard flavors at least in the western world such as purple yam, avocado, carabao cheese, coconut, or pandan.
*Sago Parfait - tapioca balls parfait.
*Creamed Coconut and Pandan flavored Jellies
*Almond Jellies Lychees - also with shaved ice.
*Sweetened Sport Coconut Flesh - also with shaved ice.
*Frozen Fruit Salad
*Halo-Halo - the queen of Philippine Snacks/Desserts, a Japanese invention of a salad of sweet beans and peas, jellies, and fruits and shaved ice found everywhere in the Far East. The Philippine version always has these ingredients - young sweetened coconut shreddings called Macapuno, nipa palm nut flesh or Kaong, Pinipig or toasted sweet rice, Ube or purple yam paste, Leche Flan or egg custard, and ice cream.
*Guinomis - Pinipig or toasted sweet rice and sago in coconut syrup and shaved ice.
*Mango Jam
*Mais Con Yelo (Hielo) - iced sweet corn porridge in syrup.
*Saba Con Yelo (Hielo) - iced stewed plantain in syrup.
*Langka Con Yelo (Hielo)- fresh jackfruit in syrup.
*Mangga at Sumang Malagkit - Philippine version of the Thai mango and glutinous sweet rice. In this case the rice is steamed while wrapped in banana or palm leaf.
*Banana and Young Coconut Pies
*Leche Flan or Custard
*Mango Pudding
*Crema de Fruta - layered fruit cocktail cake.
*Cashew Tart
*Egg Bonbon
*Silvana
Filipinos are great lovers of McDonalds and Pizza Hut, their dining style and menus. Hotdogs on sticks, hotdogs on buns, hamburgers or cheeseburgers, pizzas, and spaghettis are all popular. Their pictures proliferate everywhere, be it as street food or sit-in meal. Manilans also love donuts, particularly from Mister Donut whose products are not as sweet as its American counterparts. As a side note, Philippine style spaghettis are also done sweeter than elsewhere in the world. Fettucini and lasagna have already gained a foothold, and lately carbonara is fast becoming a favorite.
Manila has most of the usual American fast food chains such as McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Pizza Hut, Subway, Dairy Queen, Shakey's Pizza, Taco Bell, Dunkin Donuts, TGIF, Italianni's, Outback, and KFC. Jollibee, the Filipino counterpart of McDonald's is eclipsing its American-based competitor, who has long held a dominant position in the city. It started out as a spoof spin-off of McDonald's, copying its menu and business model, but substituting it with local ingredients (ex. mango pie for apple pie) and taking into consideration the local palate. It has now has become a billion peso franchise business empire. Another spin-off of this business is Chow King, which has the same business model and packaging (styrofoams, plastics, and cardboards) but with Chinese influenced menus and has become as ubiquitous as Jollibee and McDonalds. Similarly, Mang Inasal follows the same pattern, but this time the theme is country or provincial style menu with banana leaf packaging, cane/bamboo baskets as plates, and claypots as serving plates catering to native food lovers.
Coffee shops such as Starbucks and Seattle's Best have also recently become quite common in malls and commercial centers. Meals could be as low as US$2-3 in most fast food joints. A typical burger meal with fries and a drink would fall under this range.
The Philippines has its own version of the Spanish Tapas but little is known about it outside the country even if Filipinos have invaded almost all corners of the globe, employed and even permanently residing in their host countries. Anyway, it's more or less the same kind of presentation - as a finger, toothpick, or fork food, and relevance - to accompany any alcoholic drink, mostly beer, on a social gathering between neighbors, relatives, work colleagues, peers, and clients and mostly fall under male-bonding or camaraderie social dining. It comes from the root word "PULUT" meaning "to pick up".
It is always served in a communal plate or bowl with plenty of forks (if it needs to pick up the food, otherwise finger is OK) arrayed on a plate like oars on a boat. If there's a need for a dipping sauce, then a bowl is also served with it to be used communally.
*Boiled
**Mani - (peanuts) are often sold boiled in the shell, salted. (Note that peanut is also called Mani in Latin America.)
**Balut - duck embryo.
*Fried & Boiled
**Tokwa't Baboy - tofu fried with boiled pork the particular part of the pig is the face and ears or mask as they call it, all diced and mixed together then dipped in a garlic-flavored soy sauce or vinegar dip.
*Deep Fried
**Chicharón - (also spelled chicharon or tsitsaron), pork rinds that have been salted, dried, then fried.
**Chicharong Bituka - pig intestines that have been deep fried to a crisp.
**Chicharong Bulaklak - similar to chicharong bituka it is made from mesenteries of pig intestines and has a bulaklak or flower appearance.
**Chicharong Manok - chicken skin that has been deep fried until crisp.
**Mani - (peanuts) deep fried in garlic, and may be spiced.
**Pea - all varieties from chick peas to edamame (not fried), same as peanuts.
**Kropeck - fish and shrimp crackers.
*Grilled
**Pusit - Squid.
**Octopus -
**Hipon - Shrimp
**Isda - skewered fish, all sorts.
**Pork
**Barbekyung Isaw - chicken or pig intestines marinated and skewered.
**Barbekyung Tenga - pig ears that have been marinated and skewered.
**Barbekyung Baboy or Pork Barbecue - skewered pork marinated in a usually sweet blend.
**Lechong Manok - skewered piece or rotisseried whole chicken marinated in a usually sweet blend.
**Betamax - salted solidified pork or chicken blood which is skewered.
**Adidas - which is grilled or sautéed chicken feet.
**Sisig- made from the pig's cheek skin, ears, liver, and even brains that are initially boiled, then grilled over charcoal and afterwards minced and cooked with chopped onions, chillies, and spices.
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