Manila Sights

  1. Memorare Manila

    The month-long Battle for Manila between the Japanese and the Americans resulted in the town's destruction, with over 150,000 locals killed. By the end of WWII, the walls of Intramuros were almost all that remained of the once-proud city. The simple but moving open-air Memorare Manila shows before-and-after photos of the battles.

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  2. Metropolitan Museum of Manila

    The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas oversees the country's monetary affairs. It's also home to the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, which showcases a collection of gold ornaments and ancient pottery plus exciting changing exhibits of contemporary Filipino art.

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  3. Metropolitan Theater

    In 1905, Daniel Burnham, the master planner of Chicago, was hired to produce a master plan for Manila. Intramuros and the surrounding districts were busy with business and entertainment and the streets were lined with grand structures, many reflecting the best of Art Deco design.

    WWII changed everything; One of the few survivors of Burnham's plan is the Metropolitan Theater. It's now in a state of disrepair but is still a stunning piece of Art Deco architecture.

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  4. Monument to Boy Scouts

    In the heart of the commercial action in Quezon City, in a traffic circle where Timog Ave and T Morato Ave meet, the Monument to Boy Scouts will not be winning any merit badges for appearance. Many of the life-size statues of scouts could use a few square knots in order to stay in one piece. Numerous nearby sidestreets are named after scouts - a mayor years ago was a big fan.

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  5. Museo Ng Makati

    Down by the river, the Museo Ng Makati is a classic old Manila house from the 1800s (look for the mother-of-pearl windows), with rotating exhibitions relating to local history. It's not open between exhibitions, so check.

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  7. Museo Pambata

    The Museo Pambata explores Manila through the eyes of kids. Efforts are made to bring everything down to size: there's even a pint-sized jeepney.

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  8. National Museum

    The splendid National Museum, also known as the Museum of the Filipino Peoples, has excellent displays on the wreck of the San Diego, a Spanish galleon from 1600, plus lots of artefacts and musical instruments from the pre-Hispanic era.

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  9. National Museum of the Filipino People

    The National Museum of the Filipino People houses a vast collection, including the skullcap of the Philippines' earliest known inhabitant, Tabon Man (said by some to actually be a woman), who lived around 24,000 BC. A large section of the museum is devoted to porcelain plates, coins, jewellery etc recovered from the wreck of the San Diego, a Spanish galleon that sank off the coast of Luzon in 1600. Other treasures include a large collection of pre-Hispanic artefacts and musical instruments.

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  10. Ninoy Aquino Parks & Wildlife Center

    At Ninoy Aquino Parks & Wildlife Center injured wildlife are nursed back to life. A few patients who never checked out are on display, including a Burmese python and various birds, reptiles and monkeys.

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  11. Ninoy Aquino Statue

    There's a famous Ninoy Aquino Statue showing him right before he was shot. It's built on the spot where many pro-democracy rallies took place in the 1980s and 1990s.

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  13. Palacio del Gobernador

    Palacio del Gobernador, on Plaza de Roma, is a modern structure that houses the Intramuros Administration, custodians of the historic site.

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  14. Planetarium

    In the northwest of Rizal Park, the Planetarium stages projections of the stars.

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  15. Plaza de Roma

    The Plaza de Roma was a bloody bullring until it was converted into a plaza. On one side lies the Ayuntamiento, and on the other is the Palacio del Gobernador; the Manila Cathedral fronts the square.

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  16. Plaza Miranda

    In front of the Quiapo Church lies Plaza Miranda, where the common folk came to watch beauty contests, political rallies and various events and festivities, until it was destroyed by a bloody bombing in 1971 that preceded Marcos' imposition of martial law. After many years of neglect, Plaza Miranda has been renovated into a Roman-style square with pillars, arches and decorative urns.

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  17. Quezon City

    Quezon City has almost 500,000 residents and it sprawls over the slightly hilly terrain northeast of the centre. It is known for its vibrant nightlife along T Morato Avenue. Some of the energy comes from the University of the Philippines Manila, which has a vast campus about 1km east of Quezon City.

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  19. Quezon Memorial Circle

    Quezon Memorial Circle is to Quezon City what Rizal Park is to Manila. Particularly on Sundays, people come here to stroll, jog, cycle, fly a kite or practise some ballroom dancing. One can spend the day contentedly reading a book, having a picnic or just relaxing amid the restful greenery. In the centre stands a towering monument honouring Manuel L Quezon, President of the Philippine Commonwealth, who died in exile in the USA during WWII.

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  20. Quiapo Church

    Quiapo Church is a 1933 replacement of an older structure destroyed by fire. Its cream-coloured edifice is designed along baroque lines and the church is one of Manila's best-known landmarks. A Catholic parish since 1586, Quiapo is the home of the Black Nazarene, an image of Christ believed to be miraculous. The life-size statue, carved from ebony, was first brought to Quiapo in 1767. Twice a year the greatly revered image is carried on the shoulders of thousands of frenzied devotees in one of Manila's biggest religious festivals, the Black Nazarene Procession.

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  21. Remedios Circle

    Remedios Circle is the bull's-eye for numerous good restaurants, cafés and bars, although the circle itself is a somewhat barren expanse of patchy grass.

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  22. Rizal Park

    Still widely known as 'Luneta' (its name until it was officially changed in the 1950s), Rizal Park is spread out over some 60 hectares of open lawns, ornamental gardens, paved walks and wooded areas, dotted with monuments to almost every Filipino hero you care to mention. It's a pretty area but also shabby in parts, dangerously so near the closed National Museum on P Burgos St.

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  23. SaGuijo Gallery

    This top music club has a great gallery with works in many different mediums.

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  25. San Agustin Church & Museum

    The San Agustin Church was the only building left intact after the destruction of Intramuros. Built between 1587 and 1606, it is the oldest church in the Philippines. The present structure is actually the third to stand on the site, and has weathered seven major earthquakes, as well as the Battle of Manila. It's an active church and much in demand for weddings and other ceremonies.

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  26. San Nicolas

    West of the old Binondo area are parts of Manila that survived the war intact. Somewhat dodgy in character, the San Nicolas neighbourhood in and around Madrid St and Lavezares St has some run-down but amazing 19th-century wooden houses complete with mother-of-pearl windows, elaborate carving and tiled street signs.

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  27. San Sebastian Church

    At the top of Hidalgo St, your attention will be caught by the soaring spires of San Sebastian Church, a Gothic structure that is actually constructed of prefabricated steel. The jewel-like interior is accentuated with lovely stained-glass windows.

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  28. Santa Cruz Church

    From the southeastern end of Ongpin St, you can see a classic European-style fountain, behind which stands the Santa Cruz Church. A church was first erected here in 1608 to minister to the swelling ranks of Chinese Christian converts, but the present edifice only dates back to 1957, after its predecessor was destroyed in WWII.

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  29. Seng Guan Buddhist Temple

    The Seng Guan Buddhist Temple is the centre for Manila's Buddhist community. It's not pretty but it is big.

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