It is a pity that Manila is usually disparaged, as there’s much here to love. For one, all of the adjectives regularly used to explain the Philippines – jovial, chilled out, casual, corrupt, shambolic, earnest and more are on show here more than any place else in the country. It is a really plentiful metropolis that gets larger everyday both in population, with folks pouring in from the hinterlands, and size, as new developments in all directions swallow up hamlets and rice fields.
Manila could be an awfully discombobulated place, for it is actually simply a collection of cities with no definable centre. The walled Intramuros area was the conventional centre of Manila, but was mostly wiped out in WWII and hasn’t recovered. Binondo, Quiapo, Ermita and Malate haven’t ever been more than a supporting cast for a star that does not exist. Still, you may very well find a lot of fun in Ermita and Malate, while Binondo and Quiapo have a certain raw power and unique markets.And Intramuros is a handy place to explore, solely to find the bones of its past.
Other bits of city are far more animated. At the center of modern Manila is Makati, the commercial centre for the country. Here, in just about orderly environment, you can shop, drink and eat to your heart’s content. It goes beyond the generic-mall syndrome by having its own unique vibe that comes from the mobs of neighbors who come here to work, relax and play. As many will tell you, ‘this is the Manila we wish we had ‘.
Instead of seeing Manila as an amorphous mass, concentrate instead on enjoying its individual areas and you will begin to get an understanding of the bigger Manila, which truly is a sum of its parts.