.:Manila:.

Long before the arrival of the Spaniards headed by Adelantado Governor Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in Manila in 1571, a town called "Maynilad" flourished. This was later shortened to Manila, as the city is now known.

Pre-Spanish Maynilad was originally a Moslem settlement ruled by the Moslem sultan, Rajah Sulayman a member of the Borneo nobility. It was a small but a prosperous trading port lying between two great bodies of water, the Pasig river and Manila Bay.

When the Spaniards heard of this Muslim settlement on the shore of a great bay in Luzon, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi (who at that time was in Panay Island) sent forth his men headed by marshal Martin de Goiti and Captain Juan de Salcedo on the first expedition to Maynilad on May 8, 1570.

Upon arrival, the Spanish fleet was welcomed and feted by the friendly Filipino-Muslim natives. However, the morning of May 24, 1570 proved to be a red day for the two nationalities as a fierce battle ensued. The Spaniards defeated the natives and conquered Maynilad under the name of the King of Spain.

The courageous and high-spirited Filipino-Muslims who fled to nearby Bagumbayan and Tondo didn't lose hope and fought back. Martin de Goiti did not stay long in Maynilad and the following year, in 1571, Governor General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi brought his entire force to Maynilad and for the second time conquered Maynilad on June 24, 1571 - proclaiming it as the country's capital and permanent seat of the Spanish government in the East.

As a result of these successive conquests; Adelantado Governor Miguel Lopez de Legazpi ordered the creation of a municipal government of "Cabildo", set of Spanish style houses, monasteries, nunneries, churches and schools - thus gave birth to "Intramuros" - the "Ever Loyal and Distinguished City of Spain in the Orient."

Under Spain, Manila became the centre-point of the Far East. The Manila Acapulco Galleon Trade between Philippines and Mexico flourished from the years 1571-1815. So from the 16th to the 19th centuries, Manila was Intramuros.

 

Manila has led a far from placid existence. After Legazpi's conquests, it was assaulted by a succession of Chinese warlords, Dutch and Portuguese fleets from Indonesia, and a British occupation force. It then underwent a facelift when in 1898, American signs were standing aside if not totally replacing the Spanish for the next 50 years. A four year occupation by the Japanese Imperial Forces followed in the forties declaring Manila an "Open City".

Its mad culmination was the destruction of the city and its people by bombings and killings at the close of World War II, making Manila one of the most heavily destroyed capitals in the world. The birth of Philippine Independence in 1946 gave Manila the title the "Premiere City of the Philippines."

Manila was restored as the capital in 1976 but in 1968, it was shaken by a severe earthquake, which killed hundreds of people and caused extensive property damage. In 1972 the city was again damaged by a natural disaster, this time floodwaters resulting from more than three weeks of torrential rains. Somehow the city always survives and since Manila's most winning characteristic is its "unflappability" - the history of Manila is the history of the Philippines and it is here that the true Filipino experience can be discovered first hand, therefore despite various upheavals, it continues to fascinate all who visit.

.:Makati:.

Makati City is one of the most important cities in the Philippines in terms of finance and commerce. A suburb of the capital, Manila, Makati is one of the cities and municipalities that comprise Metro Manila—the National Capital Region. Makati is often referred to as the Business Capital of the Philippines since many companies have their offices and headquarters in the city. Makati is also home to the influential Makati Business Club and the Philippine Stock Exchange. Ayala Avenue, running through the heart of the central Business District is often called the Wall Street of the Philippines.

Makati is noted for its highly cosmopolitan culture. Many expatriates live and work in the city. Makati is also home to many first-class shopping malls such as Ayala Center and Rockwell Center. The city also has many of the country's five-star hotels like The Peninsula Manila, the Mandarin Oriental, and the Shangri-la Makati Hotel.

Makati came from the Tagalog word kati, which means tide. This primarily refers to the rise and ebb of the tide of the Pasig River on the city's northern border. The river drains into Manila Bay to the east.

Today the city is one of the most modern cities in the country. However, it faces challenges due to the disparate gap between the new city in the west, which contains the Central Business District, and the old city in the east, which is largely poor and where most of the city's slums are located.