Manila

As the nation's capital, Manila is the economic, cultural, educational and industrial center of the Philippines.

Main Attractions
INTRAMUROS
The original Chinese settlement on this site was rebuilt as a fort in 1571 during the Spanish colonial period, replacing the wooden buildings with stone. Gradually the area was expanded until it became a walled city containing 15 churches and six monasteries. Manila’s famous "Walled City" is located in the center of the city and is one of the most popular attractions in the country. 

At the center of Intramuros is the grand Manila Cathedral with its detailed stone carvings, stained glass mosaics and rose windows. As you traverse along  the cobbled steps of Juan Luna Street is Plaza San Luis, made up of five faithfully reconstructed colonial houses - Casa Manila, Casa Urdaneta, Casa Blanca, Los Hidalgos and El Hogar Filipino. Aside from gift and specialty shops, the complex has a museum at Casa Manila, featuring late 19th century and early 20th century furniture found in the home of Filipino illustrado, a typical home of the Filipino elite. Near the old Constabulary barracks stands the Rizal Light & Sound Museum, this gives you a walk through the rich history of the Philippines as depicted during the time of Jose Rizal, the national hero. 

Inside the walls, you can also find government offices such as the Department of Labor and Employment, the National Commission for Culture and Arts, the Commission on Elections, Bureau of Treasury and the Intramuros Administration housed in colonial style buildings. A number of old institutions like Colegio San Juan de Letran, Lyceum of the Philippines, and Mapua Institute of Technology are still around. Just off Intramuros' walls is the world-class Club Intramuros which is the only golf course in the heart of Metro Manila that offers day and night golfing.

FORT SANTIAGO
Fort Santiago is one of the oldest fortifications of Intramuros and can be found at the northwestern tip of the “Walled City.” Construction began in 1571, and took nearly 150 years to complete using Filipino forced labor. The site was previously a settlement of the last Filipino ruler, Rajah Sulayman, before the coming of the Spaniards.  The fortress served as a major defense position for the Spaniards to ward off potential invaders.  Facing the ocean, canons and other forms of artillery were aimed and to ward off pirates and sea invaders. Fort Santiago is also known as the "Shrine of Freedom," in memory of the heroic Filipinos imprisoned and killed here during the Spanish and Japanese occupations. Rebuilt from the ruins of World War II, Fort Santiago is now a park and promenade. 

BAHAY TSINOY
It is a museum showcasing the life of Chinese community in Philippines, some fine artifacts and coins, a gallery of rare prints and photographs, and a collection of porcelain unearthed from all over the Philippines. It also houses precious artifacts brought to the Philippines by the early Chinese settlers. Bahay Tsinoy is on Cabildo St. in Intramuros.

SAN AGUSTIN CHURCH
On UNESCO's World Heritage List as a Baroque Church (one of four in the Philippines)-it is the oldest stone church in Manila City. Construction began in 1586 and was completed in 1606. Visitors are greeted by an intricately carved door at the front entrance. Historical and architectural features of the church include 19th century chandeliers, the pulpit, side chapels, flooring tombstones and an 18th century pipe organ. San Augustin has withstood the ravages of time both by nature and by man-earthquakes, typhoons, Chinese and Dutch attacks, British Occupation Forces, the Philippine-Spanish War, and the Pacific war all have left their mark on the Philippines but the physical and spiritual legacy of San Agustin still remains. It is located just across the street from Casa Manila.

RIZAL PARK
Rizal Park is spread over some 60 hectares (148 acres) of open lawns, ornamental gardens, paved walks and wooded areas that extends from Taft Avenue up to the walls of famous Manila Bay. It was known as the Bagumbayan field during the Spanish era because it served as a Filipino-Muslim refuge after the Spaniards occupied Intramuros in 1571. It was also known as "Luneta," which means “Little Moon.” On a more somber note the Spanish used it as an execution ground for Filipino rebels and mutineers. In 1902, Daniel Burnham, an architect and city planner, chose Bagumbayan as the site of the proposed American government center. He designed a U-shaped series of buildings, but only three were built: the Executive House, the Department of Tourism, and the Department of Finance. The park was named after  Philippine national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, whose mortal remains were interred in the cornerstone of the Rizal Monument in 1912.

Every day hundreds of Filipinos come here to stroll, jog, picnic, sing, play the guitar or just relax away from the swarming traffic. The park also features a Planetarium, an Open-air Auditorium, an Orchidarium, a Chinese and Japanese Garden, fountains, a floral clock, Artist’s Haven, and a children’s playground. You can also find here the famous Quirino Grandstand, where most national events are observed.

NATIONAL MUSEUM
The large and comprehensive National Museum of the Philippines preserves and showcases the cultural, historical and natural heritage of the islands with collections housed in two different buildings (within Rizal Park). Exhibits are categorized in five divisions: art, botany, zoology, geology and anthropology. Among the many archaeological exhibits is the skull of ‘Tabon Man’; the oldest human remains found in the archipelago. The section devoted to the Filipino People includes the preserved remains and treasures of the San Diego Spanish galleon that sank in Philippine waters in 1600.

MALACANANG PALACE
The name of this Palace, now the seat of government and official residence of the Philippines head of state, comes from the vernacular ‘May Lakan Diyan’, which means ‘there lives a noble man’. This gracious villa has been a noble residence on the north bank of the Pasig River since the 18th century, when it was built for a Spanish aristocrat. In 1825 the Spanish Government bought the property as a summer house for the Governor General, but it later became the permanent seat of the head of state. There is now a museum housed in the palace that features mementos from each of the Philippine's presidents.

COCONUT PALACE
One of the best showcase of Filipino architecture and ingenuity. More than 70% of the construction materials were derived from the coconut tree. Constructed in 1981,the grandiose structure, within the Cultural Center complex, faces Manila Bay and was constructed. Each of the seven  palatial suites is named and styled after a different region of the country. The Pangasinan Room, for example, features pina (pineapple fiber) bedcovers and a fabulous mother-of-pearl table set.

AYALA MUSEUM
Envisioned in the 1950s by the late artist, Fernando Zobel de Ayala y Montojo, the Ayala Museum became a reality in 1967 as a project of the Ayala Foundation, Inc. (then known as the Filipinas Foundation, Inc.). Sixty handcrafted dioramas form the core of the museum's historical collections and chronicle the rich tapestry of Philippine history. Enhancing these are scale models of maritime vessels that plied the Philippine shores. The historical collection is complemented by archaeological, ethnographic, and fine arts collections spanning prehistory to the present. The fine arts collection features important works by Juan Luna (1857-1899), Fernando Amorsolo (1882-1972), and Fernando Zobel (1924-1984).

MARIKINA SHOE MUSEUM
Marikina's Shoe Museum, the first and only one in the country and one of the very few in the world. Shoes of celebrities, including a collection belonging to former First Lady Imelda Marcos, shoes of former Presidents of the Philippines and their ladies, and those with historical value and of human interest are on display. One of Marikina's historical landmarks, the Shoe Museum also traces the history of the shoe industry.

AMERICAN CEMETERY AND WAR MEMORIAL
The cemetery is one of the loveliest and most serene spots in the metropolis. Here lie the remains of 17,000 American soldiers who died in the Philippines during World War II. In the circular memorial are mosaics depicting the battles of the Pacific. Military data are stored in the map rooms with 25 intricately designed maps.

MANILA DAY TRIPS
There are some interesting one day excursions from Manila.  The most popular day trips are listed below:

TAGAYTAY
Tagaytay is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the Philippines, famous for its panoramic view of the Taal Volcano. The volcano is unique in that it sits on an island in a lake, and has another lake within its vast crater. The views from the ridge on the access highway to the volcano are legendary and breathtaking. Tagaytay itself provides plenty of leisure opportunities with good hotels and restaurants like Sonya’s Garden, Josephine’s, Gourmet Café, Antonio’s and a lot more. Other sights that can be enjoyed by the family are: Tagaytay Highlands, a world-class golf course with a complete clubhouse and excellent recreational facility; the ‘Palace in the Sky’, an unfinished complex originally meant to be a home for former president Marcos and now used as a viewpoint and park; Picnic Grove, a public park and recreational area.

LAS PINAS BAMBOO ORGAN
Although the village of Las Pinas, 12 miles (20km) from the centre of Manila, has now been swallowed up in the suburban sprawl of the city, it has kept its character and is a favored stop on most tours of Luzon because of its famous bamboo organ. The organ is housed in the San Jose Church, and has a very unique sound that draws international organists here every year in the second week of February for an Organ Festival.

PAGSANJAN FALLS
This tour takes you southward of Manila, through the rice fields and coconut plantations, to the quaint town of Pagsanjan, Laguna. From the riverside resort, the boatman takes you on an exhilarating 2-hr boat ride on the Pagsanjan river to the falls and back. As your boatman rows upstream, the wonders of nature unfold before your eyes as the sight of lush greenery and 400-ft cliffs provide visual treat.

MOUNT PINATUBO
Prior to its eruption in 1991, Mt. Pinatubo stood a majestic 5,400 ft., today it stands at 1,748 ft. with a crater as wide as 2.5 km and the 19th highest crater lake in the world. The trek to the volcano takes some 2hr from the halfway point-which is reached by a 40-min 4x4 ride over the lahar flats of  Crow Valley.

CORREGIDOR
This small island, shaped like a tadpole, has become a memorial and open-air museum commemorating the World War II stand of Filipino and American troops against the Japanese invaders. The island is the largest of several at the entrance to Manila Bay, laying off the tip of the Bataan Peninsula, about 26 miles from the city. Its strategic position made it a prime candidate for the last stand against the Japanese in the Pacific War, and its three and a half square miles (9 sq km) of dry land remains littered with the detritus of battle. Guided tours of the island are available by arrangement with the Corregidor Visitor's Information Centre at the Cultural Center Complex along Roxas Boulevard in Manila.

CLARK
Located in the Central Luzon province of Pampanga, Clark was home to the United States Air Force in Southeast Asia. A 30 minute drive north of Manila, Clark is designated as a special economic zone with leisure and recreation areas including an 18-hole golf course, an aviation school, a deluxe hotel, and duty free shops.

SUBIC
Subic Bay is a unique project on the site of a former United States Naval base. A two-hour drive northwest of Manila, Subic is now an export processing zone with hotels and entertainment complex. Most of the area, which is enclosed by a security fence, is covered in dense forests teeming with flora and fauna, including rare butterflies and bats. There are also lovely unspoiled beaches to enjoy, exceptional scenery, forest trails, watersport activity, coral reefs and shipwrecks to explore, numerous sports facilities and duty-free shopping centers.

You can also immerse yourself in the culture of the Aetas by taking part in an ecology tour and trek inside the lush Subic forests with the help of a native guide. Adventurers may camp in the heart of jungle or simply have a picnic amongst the natural backdrop of the forest and mountain terrains.

ANGONO ARTIST VILLAGE
World-class artist and painters continue to be spawned by Angono and Binangonan, close to the very sites where the petroglyphs were unearthed. However farfetched, it is easy to assume that the predisposition toward visual arts and the indigenous creativity of the people raised within the lakeshore communities, is a priceless inheritance for countless of generations. Some of the art luminaries spawned by the province are Vicente Manansala, Carlos "Botong" Francisco, Nemiranda, and the Jose Blanco family of painters. Not to be missed in the Angono,Rizal tourist itinerary are the Blanco, Nemiranda and other private artists' galleries. Local cuisine at Balaw-balaw Restaurant/Gallery, owned by artist Vocalan, is highly recommended.

TAAL HERITAGE VILLAGE
The Taal Heritage Village rivals Vigan for the best-preserved relics of the Spanish colonial era. Attractions in the village include Leon Apacible Historical Landmark, Marcela Marino Agoncillo Museum and Monument, the Basilica of San Martin de Tours and the Church of Our Lady of Caysasay, which houses priceless relics of the colonial period.

TAAL LAKE
The tour will take you the smallest volcano in the world which is surrounded by a lake. It is accessible by boat from at least seven towns of Batangas. Tour agencies, well as some Tagaytay resorts offer tour packages to the lake. Recommended for hikers and trekking enthusiasts.

VILLA ESCUDERO
The picturesque and historic Villa Escudero is set amidst a pastoral grove of coconut palms, verdant fields and mountains. Take a tour of the museum that houses historic and religious artifacts, including the 2 longest one-piece marble tables that were transported during the galleon trade. Carabao-drawn carts transport picknickers to a man-made waterfall where lunch is served on tables set over a flowing stream.