Manila

Manila: A Short History

Manila is the Philippines' capital city since the start of the country's written history, the Spanish Colonial times. Like the country itself, the city was enhanced by the different groups that set foot on the city, giving it a multicultural flavor. Manila is originally the Asian Bastion of Catholicism, where all Catholic Missions to the Asian Mainland originate but the intermigration of different cultures and beliefs abolished Catholic monopoly in the city. Manila started as a Malay Kingdom called "Maynilad" last ruled by Rajah Sulayman until Miguel Lopez de Legazpi invaded Maynilad and Established the "Ever Loyal and Distinguished City of Manila" and he himself as the "Adelantado de Manila".

( - 1571) The Kingdom of Maynilad


The Kingdom of Maynilad is then the most revered empire in the whole of Luzon that time. Even Rajahs and Datus in the nearby Islands paid tribute to it. The kingdom was a thriving trade center of that time. The word 'maynilad' in old Tagalog literally means "There is a nilad there." the nilad is a flowery plant that reputedly grows in the Pasig River. Adjacent to the Kingdom is another Kingdom, the Kingdom of Tondo, which is the Kapampangan kingdom north of Pasig ruled lastly by Lakandula.
As the expedition of Legazpi invaded the Visayan Islands, they heard information of a place of wealth in the north (pertaining to Luzon) called Maynilad and Tondo so he sent his aide Martin de Goiti to the northern island where he met unwelcome greeting from the Kingdom. Upon returning to the Panay Island, Legazpi personally commanded the invasion of Maynilad along with some Visayan Natives.
Legazpi fought the resistance force of Lakandula and Rajah Sulayman. The Kings were defeated and were asked to accept the sovereignty of the Spanish Crown in exchange for some conditions. Legazpi then founded the City and restored the freedom of the two kings until he died. He founded the city on June 24, 1571 with the name "Distugished and Ever Loyal City of Manila."





(1571 - 1898) The Imperial City of Manila



Manila was built in the ruins of the Kingdom of Maynilad. Only Spanish along with the servants are allowed in the city premises and the gates are closed at sunset. Inside the walls is the University of Santo Tomas, the Ayuntamiento, the Palacio del Gobernador, the Manila Cathedral and so others.
The city was administered from Mexico and it run the Manila Galleon Trade from the 16th century to the 19th century. The Manila Galleon trade was a trading exchange between Asia, the Americas and Europe. The galleon runs from Acapulco in Mexico to Manila in Filipinas. The galleon goes from Acapulco bringing it American and European products to Manila where the Chinese Junks go and exchange their products with the Western ones in exchange for gold or silver. During this time, Maize or corn was first introduced to China by Manila, thereby augmenting the food supply to the mushrooming Chinese Population. At 1815, at the near collapse of the Spanish Economy, the Manila Galleon was abolished.
When South America got its independence from the Spanish, Spain eventually directly ruled the Archipelago. They opened the ports of the colony to international trade in 1834 where the economy grew rapidly, heralding the rise of the middle class who would go on to peacefully press equality with the Spanish, because of the increase in economic activity, Manila's urban area increased beyond the walls, now including Santa Cruz, Ermita, Paco, Binondo, Pandacan and Malate (Sampaloc and Tondo was separate provinces then.). Together they constitute the arrabales (or suburbs).
The First Nationalist revolution didn't start from here. The First Philippine Republic by Emilio Aguinaldo temporarily ended Manila's status as the Capital City, where they declared the Town of Malolos in Bulacan the Capital of the Country.







(1898 - 1946) The City of Manila

The Spanish - American War was ignited by the sinking of USS Maine in the Havana Coast in 1898. The Americans attacked Spanish Territories, including the Philippines. In a tale of being a double agent, the Americans offered Emilio Aguinaldo help in totally repulsing the Spanish in Manila and also offered Spanish a graceful exit from the colony in exchange for the territories. On May 1, 1898, the Americans attacked the now obsolete Spanish Armada in Manila Bay, marking the defeat of the Spanish, after the battle was ended, the Americans didn't allow Filipinos to the city.

On December 10, 1898, the now depleted power Spain ceded its remaining territories to the Americans in exchange for $10million. The Americans now from allies to conquerors invaded the country. Now, the Americans reconfigured the whole country for their administration. Now, they made the City of Manila from the old Imperial City which was called Intramuros, the Arrabales, Tondo and Sampaloc.

For the development of the city, they commisioned Architect Daniel Burnham to plan the city of Manila (and similarly the Baguio City). The plan was made, but the second world war destroyed the Burnham Plan, only the Manila City Hall and Dewey Boulevard (now Roxas Boulevard) were some of the remnants of the Burnham Plan. This would leave the post-war plan to the Filipinos themselves.

The pre-War Manila was largely a beautiful city they say. The city was developed along American Model, and has the first train line, first airlines, first telephone lines, cleanest city and the second main city in Asia after Tokyo in Japan. There was no Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Singapore that time, Manila was the envy of Southeast Asia that time. Even Tokyo itself marveled at Manila and in one of Zaide's books the citizens even hired Japanese that time as servants.

The World War II definitely destroyed Manila, despite being an Open City after the Pearl Harbor Bombing, the Japanese still bombed the city, but the leaders Quezon and Osmeña retreated to Corregidor. The Battle of Manila in 1945 wholly destroyed the old charm of the city, in this battle, the Japanese slaughtered at least 100,000 helpless Manileños.



(1946 - 1975) After 300 years in Catholic Convent and 50 Years in Hollywood, Manila is still the City of Manila

The Philippines finally got its independence on July 4, 1946 with Manuel Roxas and Elpidio Quirino as the President and Vice President respectively in Luneta. Manila is not the Capital City anymore but is Quezon City, a capital city planned by Quezon to be like the Washington, D.C., but Manila Serves still as the Cultural Center for the Country. After the pains of post-war rehabilitation, Manila reclaimed its throne as the best cities in Asia and even the world thanks to the clean and colorful 10 year administration of Mayor Arsenio H. Lacson who along with successor Antonio Villegas, built a city university, zoological park, city hospital and an underpass in busy Quiapo, which was a first in the country for that time. Until the formation of the bigger Metro Manila, the City remained the center of business for the country, while Quezon City is the center of Government. The city, like the country itself experienced a relatively healthy growth upon peaceful transistions of leadership until President Marcos declared Martial Law in 1972.
President Marcos amalgated the city of Manila, along with the municipalities of Makati, Mandaluyong, Marikina, San Juan Del Monte, Navotas, Taguig, Paranaque, Multinlupa, Quezon City, Pateros, Kalookan, Pasay, Pasig, Las Piñas, Malabon and Valenzuela to be the components of Metropolitan Manila or Metro Manila and Function as the capital of the country. He also appointed Imelda Marcos as the governor.


(1975 - present) Metropolitan Manila

Marcos foresaw the overpopulation of Manila so he expanded it to become Metro Manila. He and his planners planned the Metropolitan city, distributed government offices to different municipalities and planned for the Metropolitan Manila Railway System to ease traffic, road networks of Metropolis.
Even after the fall of Marcos, Metro Manila still is the capital of the country but now, the business districts now are distbuted from each component. the current population was ten million double the population limit when Marcos planned the Metropolis.
As of this writing, only Pateros remained at Municipal level though landlocked by bigger urban jungles, Makati and Taguig. Its economy still mainly agricultural with eggs (balut) as its main produce. The area controls more than 40 per cent of the Philippine Economy and still houses the headquarters of many transnational companies operating in the country. The old Metropolis faces intense competition from the other fast rising cities of the south, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao.

Manila's Gift to the World

Since the time of Maynilad, the area is a meeting place of different cultures: Chinese, Indian, Arabic and other SE Asian Kingdoms. Magellan did not set foot in Luzon, so it was Legazpi who first made contact with the natives of Maynilad. Since then, European enhanced the melting pot quality of Manila, creating Manila what is known today.
Manila Bay is the link of the Old World and New World to the Celestial Empire (China), bringing western culture to the Orient and Oriental Culture to the West. Manila is the crossroads of the world. As I said earlier, Manila Galleon introduced corn to China, which was an Aztec staple food.
Manila is the model of many South East Asian Cities in the past, including Singapore. But as they learned from Manila, they soon imbibed their own national flavor, and therefore soon rose ahead of Manila.
At the moment, Metro Manila is still one of Asia's largest Urban Agglomeration.

Appendixes
Image 1. The walled city of Manila, Intramuros
Image 2. Plan of Manila by Daniel Burnham
Image 3. Map of Manila CBD (Ermita)
Image 4. Metropolitan Manila
____________________________________________________________________
Niki Jon Y. Tolentino
November 27, 2008
bokologs_nickytolentino@yahoo.com.ph

Arsenio H. Lacson

(1911 December 26 , Talisay Negros Occidental – 1962 April 14, City of Manila)

Life and Political Career

Arsenio Hilario Lacson was born 1912 in Talisay, Negros Occidental and is the grandson of Aniceto Lacson, the President of the Republic of Negros. He graduated Bachelor of Arts in Ateneo de Manila and Bachelor of Laws in the University of Santo Tomas. He passed the Bar in 1937.

He became a member of the Free Philippines Movement in the outbreak of World War II. He was in the Battle of Manila (1945) and fought in the Liberation of Baguio.

Lacson was a journalist in radio and print, an athlete, a lawyer, professor and his most celebrated achievement: A colorful political figure of the City of Manila.

Lacson was a radio commentator of a radio program titled “In this corner” in which political and social commentaries are being made. The radio program made started the man’s colorful career, for it was popular among Manileños. The radio program continued still when the latter is still mayor. Then President Manuel Roxas suspended him from the airwaves for calling him “Manny the Weep”. Then, he paired with Pedro Padilla to write in Daily Star Express to write a newpaper column of the same title.

Lacson was back in the airwaves after the death of Roxas and the assumption of Quirino to the Presidency, which they proclaim as “His Accidency”. Lacson became the most fervent and the devil’s advocate of Elpidio Quirino after the ambush of former first lady Aurora Quezon and her family, allegedly by Hukbalahap in 1949. Pres. Quirino beforehand announced that the whole archipelago is in state of peace and order and the rebellion was quelled. The Quezon incident proved Quirino wrong.

Lacson entered politics at the 1949 General Elections under the Nacionalista Party. He successfully ran for the Representative of the Second District of Manila against the Vicente Fugoso of Quirino’s Liberal Party. He was named as one of the “Ten Most Useful Congressman” by the media group assigned in the Congress.

Before 1951, the position of Manila Mayor was an appointive position: the National Government Picks the Mayor for the Capital City. On 1951, changes are introduced so that Manileños can now elect the candidate they like for the position.

Running against palace stalwart and incumbent Mayor Manuel De la Fuente, Arsenio Lacson became the first elected mayor of the Capital City, and was re-elected for three times until his death.

Ridding the city of graft and corruption, he fired 600 incompetent or corrupt city employees and policemen. He inherited from his predecessors a 23.4 million pesos (that time it was very large considering that two pesos is a dollar) debt and by the end of 1959 the city had a 4 million pesos surplus.

He personally administered Manila’s peace and order situation having been along the police at raids, and patrols. He would patrol in Manila at nights and from time to time he would stop at Bay View and Filipinas Hotels to hear complaints from residents themselves.

Being a politician, he was an ardent critic of the Quirino administration and supported the Magsaysay Campaign in 1953. When President Magsaysay’s untimely death happened in 1957 and Carlos Garcia became the President, he had turned away from the latter because he claimed that he was offered by Pres. Magsaysay to be the Nacionalista Nominee for 1957 which he refused, saying that “the time has not yet come”. He was a critic of the Garcia administration in his full term as president. In 1961, he turned against re-electionist Garcia to support fellow Thomasian and Liberal Candidate Diosdado Macapagal because of principle. By this time, people knew he will run for president by 1965 as he returned to Nacionalista Party saying “I agree to make Macapagal President, but not to agree with him forever.”

The Mayor said himself “I will become a president of the Philippines or become a victim of an assassin.”That assassin would be the fatal disease called stroke which killed him in his hotel suite in April 14, 1962. That stopped him from becoming the President of the Philippines. By 1965, the Nacionalistas nominated Ferdinand Marcos for the Presidency.

He was buried in the Manila North Cemetery.

The Lacson Attitude

His fashion outfit was always in dark polos and pants and never forgetting that shades, which was never missing in his public appearances. His friend Pedro Padilla in his tribute book Arsenic and I reasoned that the shades are used to hide his black eyes he got from the night brawls in bars in Manila.

He maintained a brawny and compared by Americans to NY mayor Fiorello LaGuardia. He is the man who challenged then Representative Ferndinand Marcos into a fistfight. He is a good man with a bad mouth. He has a good time mocking Manuel Roxas into Manny the Weep and Elpidio Quirino as Elpito Quirino. He subjected then Manila Councilor Ernesto Maceda into eternal damnation when the ribald mayor branded him so young yet so corrupt. When in a State Visit to the Philippines, Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi asked him if he had learned any Japanese During the war and he answered “I was too busy shooting the Japanese to learn any.”His satire stings well during those days. His show has to be pre-recorded before broadcasting to delete of the expletives he said.

A factor which hastened the mayor’s end is his vice of drinking. He drinks, anytime of the day whether his stomach is empty or not.

The Lacson Legacy

By his second term as Manila Mayor, a group of American City Mayors said that Manila was one of the 10 best administered cities in the world, the only Asian City at that time to be given that recognition. The Manila of the Lacson Era was the envy city of the South East Asia, with almost all of its neighbours were just gaining independence from colonialism.

He was he brainchild of the Quiapo Underpass (now the Lacson Underpass), Manila Zoo, Ospital ng Maynila, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. Almost all of the Post-war Manila was of Lacson’s Plans.

He is now celebrated not only by Manila as the City’s Greatest Mayor but also as the greatest Philippine President Filipinos never had. He is the Standard for all mayors all over the country like Cesar Climaco, had had the title Arsenio Lacson of Zambo.

His successors have honoured him of the greatest mayor the city ever had, the underpass in Quiapo was renamed by his immediate successor Antonio Villegas to his name. Plaza Goiti in Sta. Cruz (between Escolta, McArthur Brigde and LRT Carriedo) was renamed Plaza Lacson and an imposing sculpture was erected in it. Lacson, if still alive till today maybe ordering to remove his handsome statue in the ground with his vocabulary of the finest swear words, more to oust Gov. Forbes in place of him in the Streets.

References.

Padilla, Pedro. Arsenic and I, Book one. Manila: 1962 (Available in the UP Main Library: Filipiniana Section)

“Arsenio Lacson”. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

__________________________________________________________________________

About the blogger:

Niki Jon Y. Tolentino is a student of Civil Engineering in UP Diliman in Quezon City. He was born and grew up in Sampaloc, Manila. He reads Philippine History Books and plots US invasion by the Philippines if at his free times. He currently resides in Quezon City but he still comes back to Manila, as there were more adventures in Manila.

Violent Reactions? Email bokologs_nickytolentino@yahoo.com.ph or leave comments here.