Manila June 14-15, 2016

Manila: Tuesday 14 June

After flying from Sydney, we spent the next two days in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. Manila is a large city with a number of districts. Mostly the more desirable districts have walled compounds containing housing complexes (with high security entrances).

Our hotel was in a central area called Makati; the financial and business district with large shopping malls and office blocks (with security at the entrances). Not a great attraction but has very good, well-appointed leading hotels.

We walked a couple of blocks and found a park called Greenbelt. It is not very large and has many expensive shops and eating places throughout. Located in the centre of the park there is a small Catholic Church with a high dome-shaped roof. The main entrance to the church is a bridge above a pond that contains many beautiful fish.

There were interesting sculptures & gardens

 

Manila: Wednesday 15 June

Initially a satellite state of Brunei from 1485 -1521, Manila was a colonial part of Spain then under Mexican rules for the next three hundred years (from 1565 – 1898) until America won the Spanish American War at the Battle of Manila City in 1898. The US gave the Philippines its independence on July 4, 1946.

Manila American Cemetery and Memorial

The time we spent at each stop on our city tour was curtailed by the traffic and time taken to travel to the tour attractions; our first stop was at the American Cemetery and War memorial at Fort Bonifacio.

The remains of 17,296 servicemen & women who gave their lives in World War II are interned at this cemetery. In addition 36,297 missing from the war whose remains were not recovered or identified, or were lost or buried at sea are commemorated by having their names on the wall of the memorial.

 

 It was a most moving experience to see so many gave the ultimate sacrifice defending the freedom of Pacific countries.

 

Intramuros: the Walled City.

 

Intramuros means “within the walls” in Latin, and is the oldest district and historic core of Manila. This fortified area was the seat of government during the Spanish Colonial Period.

It was built as a seafront defence line in 1662, and rebuilt on a number of occasions after earthquakes and damage from the war. 

 

The internal fort, Fort Santiago is one of the oldest fortifications in Manila and has a history of being rebuilt many times. Built in 1571 on the site of the native settlement of Raja Soliman, the first structure was made of logs and earth and destroyed by a Limahong attack in 1574. A stone fort was built between 1589 and 1592 but destroyed by an earthquake in 1645. Subsequently repaired and strengthened from 1658 to 1663, it became the headquarters of the British occupation army from 1762 to 1764 then repaired and renovated in 1778.

The Philippine Division of the US Army had it headquarters at the Fort, which was then occupied by the Japanese military in 1942 where hundreds of civilians and guerrillas where imprisoned, tortured and executed.

After almost total destruction in the Battle of Manila in 1945, restoration of the fort began in earnest in 1951 and a separate administration took over in 1992.

San Agustin Church & Convent

 

Located within the walled city is the oldest church in Manila and dates back to 1606 It is remarkably well preserved and survived unscathed during the Japanese occupation of Manila. The museum adjacent houses impressive collection of colonial religious art.

Later that day we went on board and prior to departure we were given a wonderful Bon Voyage by local Marching Bands