Kamusta!
I am laying over in Manila for next 18 hours to see its famous parks
many of its speculator cathedrals
its historical district
the defence fortress
and the world oldest Chinatown
Not to mention, sampling all the inexpensive and tasty food
and getting around on a budget
All done under $40
Anything I can do, you can do!
Founded in 1571
Manila is one of the oldest cities in the Philippines and was the seat of power for most of the country's colonial rulers
Today, tourism is a vital industry in Manila
and it welcomes approximately over a million tourists each year
Manila is notorious for traffic jams and long taxi lines…
this is not a joke!!!
Well, Ladies and Gentlemen
Welcome to Manila International Airport
As you can see we are not waiting for a concert or rockstar to show up
we are waiting of metered taxi and they are yellow coloured
I have a feeling this wait will turn into 3 hour
and another one hour to get there
so, I don't think I am able to cover any night scenery tonight
but fingers cross!
Therefore, I recommend only do a layover if you have at least 14 hours between flights
The least expensive option for getting from airport to the city is using combination of Public Bus and Jeepney outside the sidewalk for approximately $0.60
But I don’t recommend given time is valuable for layover
but the link below for those of you who are adventurist enough to try it out!
We’ll began our journey from Makati
one of the sixteen cities that make up Metro Manila and financial center of the Philippines
It’s also surrounded budget hostels and this is where I’ll be resting for the night
Let’s start our morning with some breakfast
I recommend you try out some freshly pre-cut fruits
But if that’s not enough
considering trying out the fresh juices, various dumpling and sausages
they all cost under $0.50
Given the traffic situation
I recommend you use MRT metro whenever possible
its fare is based on distance between $0.30 to $0.75
However, you can use the Jeepney to reach most stations
the fare ranges from 8 to 12 Filipino Pesos
All of the attractions we’ll visit today will be walking distance from United Nations metro station and this is where we’ll get off
Our first attraction is only ten minutes walk from the Station and its one of the largest urban parks in Asia
The Rizal Park named after the national hero José Rizal
who is executed on the site during 1896 Philippine Revolution against the Spain
It is also the site for Declaration of Philippine Independence from the United States held on July 4, 1946
The 31-meter Philippine flagpole is called kilometre zero
because it is where the distance of the country's towns and cities is measured from
So, this is the Rizal Park
it's a large park with other different small gardens
such as the Japanese Garden on that side
the artist garden on this side
and there different other attractions here
so given the limited amount of time we have
we'll continue on to the next place
As you get closer to the Intramuros, you’ll see more gardens
But given our limited time, we’ll continue on to its main gate
Taken from the Spanish, intra & muros, literally "within the walls"
this is the History Town of the Philippines
and considered as Old Manila itself during Spanish times
The construction of the defensive walls was started by Spanish colonial government in the late 16th century to protect the city from foreign invasions
It was heavily damaged during the battle to recapture the city from the Japanese Imperial Army during the World War II
Reconstruction of the walls was started in 1951
Located within, the holy San Agustín Church where you can confess your sins
This is the only building in the Intramuros that survived the Battle of Manila at the end of the World War II
This is the St. Agustin Church, it is the oldest church in the Philippines
the construction actually started 1587
so it had a really long, rich history throughout the eras
Its a Roman Catholic church under the auspices of The Order of St. Augustine
and one of four Philippine churches constructed during the Spanish colonial period to be designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO
Made of bamboo and nipa
it was completed in 1571
but destroyed by fire during the attempted invasion of Manila
A second wooden structure built on the same site was destroyed in February of 1583 by a candle during funeral possession for the Spanish governor
If you got more sins to confess
don’t worry…
Just three minutes walk is another important Roman Catholic site
The Manila Cathedral
The cathedral was originally a parish church owned and governed by the Archdiocese of Mexico in 1571
until it became a separate diocese on February of 1579
The cathedral was destroyed seven times
and most recently in 1880 by a earthquake which toppled its bell tower
rendering the cathedral towerless until 1958
Just few meters away is Fort Santiago
a citadel first built by Spanish for the new established city of Manila
The defence fortress is part of the structures of the walled city referred to as the Intramuros
this fort is actually constructed in 1571
over the hundreds of years, it went through earthquakes, invasions, and wars
got destroyed quite a number of times
every time it was rebuild and renovated
Today, its fort, its bastions, and the prison dungeons for criminals used by the Spanish officials is now part of a historical park and along with several ruins
The park houses well-preserved legacies from the Spanish Colonial Period
including memorabilia of José Rizal at the Rizal Shrine, a replica of his ancestral house
including in the admission for the Fort Santiago is the access to a shrine
for a museum dedicated to Rizal
he is actually a very prominent figure
that was executed back in the 1800s by the Spanish for his anti-colonial stands
Our next attractions are located right across the river…
but I am not going anywhere until I fuel up with some inexpensive street food
For less than $0.50 you can try skewered BBQ pork on a stick
as well as isaw made from chicken intestines and atay made from chicken liver
There is also freshly cooked fish balls
After snacking, its time take a Jeepney right across the Pasig River to Binondo
a district in Manila and home to the world’s oldest Chinatown
what I am on is something called a Jeepney
its basically a jeep with a seat on the back and covered
Founded in 1594
the area has already being a hub of Chinese commerce even before the Spanish colonial period
The Binondo was created by Spanish Governor as a permanent settlement for Chinese immigrants who converted to Catholicism
Before World War II
Binondo was the centre of a banking and financial community which included insurance companies,
commercial banks and other financial institutions from Britain and the United States
and was nicknamed "Wall Street of the Philippines"
one thing that is surprising is you can basically get everything found in mainland China
including accessories, jewelries and most importantly food
Today, it is home to many of Buddhist Temples
the annual Chinese lunar new year celebration
and newcomers or ‘Sangleys’
people with pure Chinese ancestry settling in this area
As my layover comes to end
my solution for hungry stomach comes in form of quick bite at the local fast food joint
The Filipinos loves anything that is deep fried
so I chosen to try their fried chicken with rice, soup and drink
I also got tried out the marinated fried fish with rice and salads
both combos cost approximately $2.00
what a deal!
But for those of you who wants something more Western…
there is Wendy’s
so what I ordered is...
macaroni side salads
and also chicken
I return to the airport the same way by taxi
make sure to only use meter or else you’ll be overcharged
The ride shouldn’t cost more than $4.50 USD or 225 Filipino Pesos
Once again, if you are dare, Jeepney and Public bus are available for $0.60 combined
With that being done, I hope you enjoy your time in Manila
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Have pleasant flight and thanks for watching!