Around the World in 106 Days
with
Ray & Claire!!
Part 19 – Manila
Today, the population of the urban area of
Manila is around 16.3 million and the
population of the whole country is at
about 94 million, making the Philippines
the world’s 12th most populous country.
The name Philippines comes from
King Philip 2nd of Spain who was
married to Queen Mary 1st of
England
The island has a lot of American history from 1898 onwards, when USA “bought” the
country for 20million US$ from Spain, ending their 400year old colony
Hours after the Pearl Harbour bombings in 1941, the Japanese invaded the Philippines and
controlled the islands (all 7,500 of them) until the end of the War
The Rizal monument is dedicated to Jose Rizal, a doctor and a pacifist whose execution by
the Spanish colonists on December 30th, 1896 sparked the Philippine revolution.
This is also the location where the declaration of Philippine Independence from American
rule was held on July 4th, 1946.
The Allied troops defeated the Japanese in
1945, but by the end of the war it is estimated
over a million Filipinos had died
On July 4, 1946, the Philippines attained its
independence and work started on rebuilding
the country after the ravages of war
Ferdinand Marcos was the 10th President of
the Philippines but his wife (Imelda Marcos) is
probably more famous as a shoe shopper with
over 3000 pairs of shoes in her wardrobe
The economy
improved during
the
administration of
Fidel V. Ramos,
who was elected
president in 1992,
but even today
there is a distinct
divide between
the 60% of people
living below the
poverty line and
the top 5% of
millionaires
Olive-Strewe people searching through rubbish in Manilas' s
Smokey Mountain
The Black Watch arrives in Manila
...and is greeted by dancers and a band and (you
guessed it, stallholders selling J..U..N..K)
Some minor
repairs to the
dockyard
During the night
we found that a
Preying Mantis
had hitched a
ride
Our first stop was at the Manila
Hotel which was the
Headquarters of
General McCarthy after the War
Nice pool but ...no thank you,
its raining and I don't want to
get my costume wet
...and as if to prove a point!!
The Rizal Monument and Park
The Intramuros area contains the walled city made by the Spanish in the 16th century
What is
left of the
US Forces
Sgts Mess
The Gates of Fort Santiago
Its nice an cosy under
here Ray – care to
join us?
No thanks – its n ice
and dry in here!
Dr Jose Rizal and his long walk to martyrdom
Dr Jose Rizal was a well known speaker and activists for the rights of people and his eventual
execution by the Spanish Colonists in 1896 sparked the Philippine revolution
Above left is a statue of the Dr in his cell and the footsteps marked his route to his place of
execution
A local family say
“Hello and welcome
to Manila”
Shopping is a popular pastime in the
Philippines (which probably accounts for
Imelda Marcos’s love for shoes!) and The
Mall of Asia is probably the biggest in the
Philippines
Fortunately our
Couch Tour did not
allow us to go
inside the place!!
utside the Mall, is a huge Globe which, at sunset, presents a fantastic photographical
opportunity
Manila skyline
The Philippine Stock
Exchange with the statue of
Benigno Aquino Jr
(Marcos‘s chief rival
Opposition Leader in the
1980’s)
John Pennock Street
during a quiet period!
Notice the Jeepneys
which serve the city
as taxis
Jeepney’s
These taxis (i.e.
modified US Army
Jeeps) can carry 15
passengers each side!
It was still raining - but we didn't let that stop our
visit to the wonderful San Augustin Church and
Monastery and the equally wonderful replica of a
typical Spanish/Filipino house designed to
withstand earthquakes being stone at the bottom
and wood at the top.............
....called
Casa Manila
Intramaros
The inside the
house the
rooms and their
contents are
exact replicas of
the original that
is still standing
in Manila’s
Chinatown
Roxas Boulevard looking North (our Ship was anchored at the northern edge of this picture)
But all too soon.......
...it is time for
us to leave
Manila
..and so it was back to the Black Watch for a
Smart Casual Tropical Night
South
Seas here
we
come!!
Keith and Claire
Reg and Jean
The Black Watch Show
Company entertain
...and the Team
Lucy
.....and then it was time to
“Buckle up and enjoy the next part of the ride” !!