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The origin of Metro Manila

The present metropolis began from the pre-Hispanic village called Maynila near the mouth of the Pasig River. In 1571, the Spanish Conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, took possession of the settlement after subduing Rajah Sulayman and his warriors.

The Spaniards built stonewalls around the village, which they later called Intramurals, or the city within the walls. For the next 300 years, the city would influence socio-cultural, religious and economic life of the colony of the Philippines.

As its population grew, the city claimed the suburbs of Binondo, Quiapo, Dulongbayan (Santa Cruz), San Miguel, Singalong, Paco, Malate, San Andres Bukid, the province of Tundo (which some historians claim is older than the city itself), and so on.

The suburbs of Manila extended further during the American regime: south to Pasay, east to San Juan and north to Santa Mesa heights. During this time, and up to the 1930s, most of what is now the National Capital Region were rice lands, cogonal areas or forests.

The population of the city of Manila was only 285,000 in 1918, but it grew at 5.6 percent per year to more than 600,000 in 1939. Today the city, including surrounding suburbs has 16 million inhabitants

The Founding of Quezon City

Quezon City was the brainchild of Commonwealth President Manuel L Luzon, which was designed to become a well planned, model garden city adjacent to Manila.

The government bought in 1936 for this purpose 1,500 hectares of the Dolman Estate and built the first low-cost, mass housing project now called the Kamuning District. Soon Quezon City became the overflow area for Manila.

During the Japanese Occupation, Quezon City, Manila and some towns of Rizal, were merged into "Greater Manila". Manila became the most devastated city during World War II, second only to Warsaw, which the Nazis practically razed to the ground.

By 1960 the population of Manila had grown to 1.1 million, while the combined population of Quezon City, Pasay and Caloocan was 667,000, or more than half that of Manila proper. In 1990 the population of Quezon City was 1.63 million, while Manila's population was "only" 1.5 million. Gradually the word "Greater Manila" or "Metro Manila" became the standard expression for the National Capital Region.

Metropolitan Manila

Metro Manila, or the National Capital Region, as it is presently constituted, was created by presidential decree. The same decree established the Metropolitan Manila Commission (MMC), which was mandated to solve the perennial problems of garbage disposal, flooding and traffic congestion in the region. After the EDSA Revolution, the Commission was changed by an executive order to the Metropolitan Manila Authority (MMA), which is run by a ruling council composed of all mayors of the 13 municipalities and four cities. These mayors elect a chairman from their ranks every six months. The total population of the area covered by the Metropolitan Manila Authority is around 10 million.

Metro Manila today is no longer confined to its designated boundaries. The megalopolis extends as far north as Meycauayan, Bulacan, and as far south as San Pedro and Santa Rosa in Laguna and Bacoor, Imus, Carmona and Kawit in Cavite. Eastwards, its sprawl includes the westerly towns of Rizal such as Angono, Binangonan, Taytay and Antipolo. The suburbs of this megalopolis, on the other hand, extend farther north to include Bocaue and Malolos in Bulacan, south and south-west to Calamba, Los Banos in Laguna, Tagaytay and Naic in Cavite. All in all Metro Manila's total population figure comes to approximately 16 million.

The Cities and Municipalities of Metro Manila

Composition of Metro Manila today:

Cities:

Manila City
Quezon City
Caloocan City
Pasay City
Municipalities
Las Pinas
Makati Malabon
Mandaluyong
Marikina
Muntinlupa
Navotas
Paranaque
Pasig
Pateros
San Juan
Taguig
Valenzuela