The city of MANILA, known as Maynila for the Filipinos, is the capital city of the Philippines and one of the cities that make up the greater metropolitan area of Metro Manila. Manila is the center of government in the country and one of the central hubs of a thriving metropolitan area home to over 14 million people. It is located on the shores of Manila Bay just west of the geographical center of Metro Manila, also known as the National Capital Region (NCR), which lies on an isthmus between Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay in southern Luzon. The city is one of 17 cities and municipalities which form the metropolitan area.

From shopping malls to high class sea ports, Manila City got it all, and one of the most visited places here is the Rizal Park where our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, was executed and buried. His monument was made there to commemorate his works for his motherland.

Like all cities of the Philippines, Manila is governed by a mayor who heads the executive department of the city. The current mayor for the 2007-2010 term is Alfredo Lim, who is making a comeback to the city hall following a 3-year stint as a Senator. The city mayor is restricted for three consecutive terms (nine years), although he can be elected again after an interruption of one term.

Isko Moreno, the city's incumbent vice-mayor heads the legislative arm which is composed of the elected city councilors, six from each of the city's six congressional districts.

The city is divided into 897 barangays, which are the smallest unit of local government in the Philippines. Each barangay has its own chairperson and councilors. For administrative convenience, all the barangays in Manila are grouped into 100 zones and which are further grouped into 16 administrative districts. These zones and districts have no form of local government.

The city further has six representatives popularly elected to the House of Representatives, the lower legislative branch of the Philippines. Each representative represents one of the six Congressional districts of Manila.

The city serves as host to a number of news and information offices, agencies or services that includes the Office of the Press Secretary and Radio-TV Malacañang or RTVM (the close-in news team of Philippine Presidents) located at the Malacañang Palace grounds.

The National Press Club's building office is located at the foot of the Jones bridge across the Post Office building and it houses the International Press Center or IPC, a government agency tasked to accredit and grant working permits for visiting foreign agencies.

Manila is also home to the prestigious and exclusive organization of journalists called, "Samahang Plaridel," whose members include some of the prominent publishers, editors, reporters of the country.

The Associated Press, Japan's NHK and Fuji TV, and London-based Global Radio News, Ltd. made Manila as its base of newsgathering operations in the Philippines.

AIR

Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA)(Terminals 1, 2 and 3), outside the city proper, serves Manila, the Metro Manila area and the nearby provinces. Over 40 airlines provide daily service to over 26 cities and 19 countries worldwide. Approximately 17 million travellers use NAIA a year, straining what was originally a domestic airport built in the 1930s. A second terminal, Terminal 2 (or the Centennial Terminal) opened in October 1999. The International flag-carrier Philippine Airlines now uses this terminal exclusively for both its domestic and international service while all other international flights use the original NAIA terminal. Air Philippines is in the transition to the newer Terminal 2 alongside PAL. The construction of a third terminal (NAIA Terminal 3) has been completed but has yet to open, pending the outcome of investigations of alleged contract irregularities and the international legal battle between the builders and the Philippine government under the administration of incumbent President Arroyo.

The main carrier serving NAIA is Philippine Airlines, which has the most extensive network in the Philippines. Newly repackaged Cebu Pacific Air, which uses all A320 aircraft and promotes online booking, positions itself as the first true discount airline in the country. Air Philippines, a subsidiary of Philippine Airlines, competes with Cebu Pacific in the budget market and the inter-provinces routes. Asian Spirit and South East Asian Airlines, which use smaller 48-seat planes, are some of the smaller airlines serving the city of Manila.

Another alternative point of embarkation and disembarkation is Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in the Clark Special Economic Zone. As of October 2006, scheduled flights from Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Seoul, Kota Kinabalu, and Kuala Lumpur, and chartered flights from Shanghai and Taipei use this small airport because of its cheaper landing and parking fees. A mediocre shuttle system serves Clark and Manila.

ROADS

The main roads of Metro Manila are organized around a set of radial and circumferential roads that radiate and circle in and around Manila proper. Roxas Boulevard, easily the most well-known of Manila's streets, line the southern shores of Manila with Manila Bay. The boulevard is part of the Radial Road 1 that leads south to the province of Cavite. Another well-known radial road is España Boulevard (part of Radial Road 7) that starts in Quiapo and ends at the Welcome Rotunda along the border with Quezon City. Pres. Sergio Osmeña Sr. Highway, part of the South Luzon Expressway or Radial Road 3 is the most important highway linking Manila with the provinces of southern Luzon.

The most common types of public transportation are buses and the jeepney. Tricycles and Pedicabs are used for short distances. In some areas, especially in Divisoria, two stroke motors are fitted in the pedicabs and are used for goods transport.

BRIDGES

Roxas Bridge (formerly Del Pan Bridge):
There are eight (8) major bridge spans in Manila, more than half of the number of bridges that connects the north and south banks of the Pasig River in Metro Manila. There are two (2) rail bridges that crosses the river, the Light Rail Transit 1 and the Philippine National Railways track. The bridges listed below are in a west to east order, with the first bridge Del Pan, nearest to the mouth of the Pasig River into Manila Bay.

Roxas bridge - formerly called Del Pan (San Nicolas to Port Area)
Jones bridge (Binondo to Ermita)
McArthur bridge (Santa Cruz to Ermita)
LRT 1 (Carriedo station to Central station)
Quezon bridge (Quiapo to Ermita)
Ayala bridge (San Miguel to Ermita)
Mabini bridge - formerly called Nagtahan bridge (Santa Mesa to Pandacan)
Philippine National Railways (Santa Mesa station to Pandacan station)
Padre Zamora bridge (Santa Mesa to Pandacan)
Lambingan bridge (Sta. Ana)

RAIL TRANSIT

Manila Light Rail Transit station:
Manila is the hub of a railway system on Luzon. The main terminal of the Philippine National Railways is in the Tondo district. Railways extend from this terminal north to the city of San Fernando in Pampanga and south to Legazpi City in Albay, though only the southern railway is currently in operation.

Manila is also serviced by the Manila Light Rail Transit System (separate from Manila Metro Rail Transit System), a national priority project designed to address the overwhelming traffic that congests the national capital. Development of the system began with its inception in the 1970s under the Marcos administration, making it the first light rail transport in Southeast Asia. Recently, the system saw a massive multi-billion dollar expansion in correlation with the rising population of the city; its purpose: to create an alternative form of transportation to solve the demand of an increasingly mobile workforce.

After three decades in service, the project has enjoyed an insurmountable success, with favorable opinions from commuters, mainly because of its extremely low fares that is subsidized by the national government. Two lines service the city dwellers and they run along the length of Taft Avenue (R-2) and Rizal Avenue (R-9). A second line runs along Ramon Magsaysay Blvd (R-6) from Santa Cruz, through Quezon City, up to Santolan in Pasig City. These are the major rail systems, with their station within Manila:

LRT 1: R. Papa, J. Abad Santos, Blumentritt, Tayuman, Bambang, D. Jose, Carriedo, Central Station, UN Ave., P. Gil, Quirino Ave, and Vito Cruz
LRT 2: C.M. Recto, Legarda, Pureza, and V. Mapa
PNR: Vito Cruz, Herran, Pandacan, Sta. Mesa, España, Laong Laan, Blumentritt and Tutuban.

The cosmopolitan atmosphere and cultural diversity of Manila is reflected in the number of places of worship scattered around the city. The freedom of worship in the Philippines, which have existed since the creation of the republic, allowed the diverse population to build their sacred sites without the fear of persecution. People of different denominations are represented here with the presence of Christian churches, Buddhist temples, Jewish synagogues, and Islamic mosques.

Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat (Benedictine Chapel inside San Beda College)
Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus
Basilica Minore de San Lorenzo Ruiz (Binondo Church)
Basilica Minore de San Sebastian (San Sebastian Church), the only all-steel church in Gothic style in Asia (Built 1891)
Basilica Minore de la Immaculada Concepcion (Manila Cathedral)
Basilica Minore del Nazareno Negro (Quiapo Church)
Buddhist Temple (Malate, Manila)
Cathedral of the Child Jesus - Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Aglipayan)
Chapel of the Most Blessed Sacrament (De La Salle University-Manila Main Chapel)(Built 1938)
Chinese Temple (Binondo, Manila)
Hindu Temple (Paco, Manila)
Iglesia de la Parroquia de Santo Niño (Pandacan, Manila)
Iglesia de Santa Cruz
Iglesia ni Cristo (Cruzada Street, Quiapo)
Iglesia ni Cristo (Solis, Tondo)
Mosque del Globo de Oro (Quiapo, Manila)
Nuestra Señora de Guia Church (Ermita Church)
National Shrine of St. Michael and the Archangels (San Miguel, Manila)
Nuestra Señora de Remedios Church (Malate Church)
Parroquia de San Fernando de Dilao (Paco, Manila)
San Agustin Church, Intramuros -Oldest Catholic Church in the Philippines (Built in the 15th century)- Only Church in Intramuros that survived the destruction of Intramuris during the February 1945 Liberation of Manila
Sto. Niño de Tondo Church (Tondo, Manila)

The popular districts of Malate and Ermita showcase a wide variety of hotels, restaurants, clubs, bars, cafes, art and antique shops. The nightlife offers everything from cultural shows to discotheques, casinos, entertainment lounges, and fashionable cafes. Right at the heart of the city lies the Intramuros, and it is the site of forts and dungeons, old churches, colonial houses, and horse-drawn carriages. other historical buildings and landmarks, parks and open spaces, museums, shopping centers, and sports facilities can be found all over the city.

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