Manila, Philippines

Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is the nation's hub for political, economic, and cultural activity. Manila is located on the island of Luzon at the mouth of the Pasig River in Manila Bay. The name Manila is derived from the nilad plant, a shrub that grows in marshlands.

Manila was originally a walled Muslim settlement in the early 16th century. This settlement was taken over by Spanish conquistadors, led by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, in 1571. Not long after, Spanish colonial rule was established. Churches were built, and as the Spanish took control, the city of Manila expanded in all directions past the settlement. Although Spain had control of Manila, there were threats from the Chinese, Dutch, and British to all take over the territory; however, the Treaty of Paris in 1763 rebuttaled any ideas and gave control back to the Spanish. Today, the original settlement is a walled city district known as Intramuros in downtown Manila.

In 1832, the Manila area was opened to trade and economic activity. This was not without controversy between the Spanish, Americans, and Filipinos, though. In the 1890s, execution of Filipino patriot Jose Rizal led to the Spanish-American War. The American side prevailed at Manila Bay in 1898. After more war, including World War II, Manila became the capital of the independent Philippines in 1946. Two common languages are Filipino and English, and currency used is the Philippine Peso (PHP); 1 PHP equals $0.02 USD.

Location

Job Opportunities

Manila is a major business and information technology center around the Philippines. Common job openings include web development, business analytics, digital marketing, telecommunications, and software development. The retail industry is booming in Manila, with more start-up companies entering the market. Construction is also abundant in Manila; these opportunities consist of both commercial building and residential home improvement jobs. Manufacturing has slowly migrated from China over to the Philippines, and Manila has transformed some local brands into global products. One other sector is Manila's tourism, ranging from public service as a transport driver or receptionist to working any other business, technical, or retail profession within this industry. From information technology to construction to tourism, Manila employment opportunities are on the rise.

Cost of Living

Living in the heart of Manila is far more expensive than living in the suburbs. One-bedroom apartments in downtown cost around 34,300 PHP ($680 USD), and 3-bedroom units may cost near 108,000 PHP ($2,150 USD). By contrast, living in the suburbs can range from 16,000 PHP ($315 USD) for a one-bedroom unit to 46,500 PHP ($920 USD) for a three- or four-bedroom unit.

Basic utilities, including electric, heating, cooling, and other utility expenses, will average around 6,000 PHP ($120 USD). For internet and data usage, costs fluctuate around 2,500 PHP ($50 USD) depending on plans used. Cars are also an option to own; however, traffic is very congested in Manila. If planning on purchasing a vehicle, the lower-end prices of brand-new vehicles are around 1,100,000 PHP ($21,700 USD). Gas prices per gallon average 200 PHP ($3.97 USD). Public transportation is more encouraged in Manila than owning a vehicle.

Transportation

Buses are most commonly used in Manila, with the convenience of getting to and from work. The bus network mostly covers the downtown core, but it also travels to the close suburbs. A fun bus in Manila is called a Jeepney, which is painted on the exterior and costs 7.55 PHP ($0.15 USD) extra over riding a traditional bus. Another bus in Manila is the Point-to-Point, or P2P. Fares are more expensive because of the longer routes between mainstream businesses, and these buses encounter the most cumbersome traffic in Manila.

Manila also offers the blue and yellow line trains, which travel between various business districts and the airport. Both the blue and yellow lines are split into lines 1 and 2, as there are four distinct train lines in different parts of Manila. For example, the Pasay Interchange, accessed via a short bus ride from the Manila airport, is where the MRT (blue line) and LRT-1 (yellow line) both make stops. With Manila's public transit, getting between malls, businesses, and airports is more convenient than owning a vehicle.

Recreation

Manila is full of sports and recreation opportunities, from boxing to bowling. Boxing is so popular because Manny Pacquiao, a world-famous boxer, is from the Philippines. Paeng Nepomuceno, a six-time world bowling champion, is also from the Philippines. Bowling alleys are scattered throughout Manila, and offer leagues for both recreational and competitive tournaments; leisurely bowling is also quite popular.

As for arts and crafts, the Cubao Expo is a mix of creative and performing arts. There are many art shops, music stores, and this is a great opportunity to be immersed in the Filipino art scene. There may also be karaoke at these events. The Philippine Cultural Center is renowned for its performances. Being the most-popular performing arts center in the country, there are performances from rock concerts to classical masterpieces to theater productions.

For history enthusiasts, the National Museum in Intramuros provides Filipino history. Ranging from artwork to national history, there are many historical artifacts, in addition to a planetarium and other science, technology, and art exhibits.

Climate

Manila's climate consists of warmer weather year-round, with the hottest temperatures between March and June. The highs in Manila are in the upper 80s to mid 90s (30 to 35 degrees Celsius) these months, and lows range from 75 to 80 degrees (24 to 26 degrees Celsius). Manila has more defined wet and dry seasons, with the wetter season occurring between June and September; precipitation in these months ranges from 12 to 18 inches per month. By contrast, December through April are particularly dry months, with maybe one to two inches of monthly precipitation.