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efore the Spanish conquistadores came, a thriving community flourished on the banks of the Pasig River. It was called "Maynilad", after the nilad plant whose star-shaped flowers clustered in abundance along the low-lying river banks.

The lord of the riverside kingdom was Raha Sulayman who held court on the south side of the river while his uncle, Lakandula, ruled on the north side. The Spaniards were set on conquering this community. After the savage Battle of Bangkusay, where they overtook the natives with their awesome firepower, the Spaniards conquered Manila. In this Battle, Sulayman was killed.

Realizing its strategic position as a trading center and military outpost, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, head of the Spanish expedition, promptly declared Manila the capital of the new colonies won by Spain. On June 24, 1571, Manila was declared the capital of the entire achipelago. Delighted by this conquest, the King of Spain awarded the city a coat of arms and the grandiose title: "The Noble and Ever Loyal City". Soon, Manila became a replica of a European medieval city. There were churches, palaces and city halls built in the Spanish baroque style. Work began on building a wall around the city to keep the pirates and Moros at bay. It took 150 years to finish this wall. The end result was an astounding eight foot-thick, three mile-long wall, with two forts and a bastion, 370 guns in place, manned by a force of 5,000 men and 10,000 reserves. This walled city became known as Intramuros.

Beautiful as it was, Intramuros stood as a perfect illustration of the discrimination at that time against the natives called Indios. Although it was built by Indio workers and Chinese artisans, Intramuros was meant only for the clergy and the Spanish nobility. The natives could not enter except to work as servants. Outside the walls, in the arabales or suburbs, lived the Jndios, the Chinese and other foreigners. The diversity of trade and culture in the suburbs made it alive and interesting. Tondo, Binondo, Sta. Cruz and Quiapo bustled with commerce. These places were home to the merchants, carpenters, blacksmiths, carriage makers, masons and other artisans.

Over the centuries, the Spanish rule was occasionally threatened by attacks from the sea and by internal uprisings. The Chinese, Dutch, and British all tried to lay siege on Manila but were unsuccessful. But the 1880's saw the birth of a reform movement led by Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Lopez Jaena and Jose Rizal (the national hero). This reform movement ultimately led to a revolution and by 1898, the days of the Castilian rule were numbered. The most lasting legacy of the Spanish rule was the Catholic religion which makes the Philippines the only Christian nation in Asia.

But as soon as the Spaniards left, the Americans took over. 1902 was the beginning of the American era, a period characterized by the expansion of public education, advances in health care and the introduction of democratic government. The outbreak of war in the Pacific in 1941 disrupted American rule. Manila was declared an open city and the Americans withdrew their defenses. For three years, Manila was occupied by the Japanese imperial forces. Life at that time was made difficult by strict Japanese military rule. When the American troops entered Manila to liberate it, they had to bomb the city to dislodge the tenacious Japanese. Manila was devastated.

On July 4, 1946, a year after the end of the war, the Philippine flag was hoisted signalling the recognition of Philippine independence.

PEOPLE/POPULATION

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ilipinos are of Indo-Malay, Chinese and Spanish ancestry. As of 1998, the population of the Philippines stands at 70 million; that of Metro Manila is 10 million.

CLIMATE

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he Philippines has a tropical climate with relatively abundant rainfall and gentle winds. There are three pronounced seasons: the wet or rainy season from June to October, the cool, dry season from November to February, and the hot, dry season from March to May.

Temperature in Manila ranges from 21⁰C to 32⁰C with a 27⁰C average. The coolest month is January and the warmest is May. Both temperature and humidity levels reach the maximum in April and May, but these are generally good months for aquasports and mountain trekking. Some of the most colorful festivals are held during these months.

LANGUAGE

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ost Filipinos speak Filipino, the national language; and English, the language for commercial and legal transactions. The Philippines is the world's third largest English-speaking country, after the United States and the United Kingdom. Literacy rate is a high 96%.

Approximately 111 languages and dialects are spoken in the country and most Manileños speak at least one other dialect besides Filipino.

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he Philippines is predominantly Roman Catholic. Other faiths practiced in the country are Islam and Protestantism.

Historically, the Filipinos have embraced two of the great religions of the world - Islam and Christianity. Islam was introduced during the 14th century shortly after the expansion of Arab commercial ventures in Southeast Asia. Today, it is limited to the southern region of the country.

Christianity was introduced as early as the 16th century with the coming of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521.

Protestantism was introduced by the first Presbyterian and Methodist missionaries who arrived with the American soldiers in 1899.

Two Filipino independent churches were organized at the turn of the century and are prominent today. These are the Aglipay (Philippine Independent Church) and the Iglesia Ni Kristo (Church of Christ) founded in 1902 and 1914, respectively. Recently the Aglipay signed a covenant with the Anglican Church. The Iglesia ni Kristo has expanded its membership considerably. Its churches, with their unique towering architecture are landmarks in almost all important towns, provincial capitals and major cities.

GOVERNMENT

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he new Philippine Constitution was ratified in early 1987, signalling the country's return to democracy.

The country is a member of the United Nations and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

ECONOMY

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he economy is basically light industry and agriculture, the chief products being rice, corn, coconut, pineapple and sugar. The country is rich in copper, cobalt, nickel, silver, iron, and gold. It has well-developed industries in food processing, textiles, clothing, wood, forest products and home appliances, with fast-growing aquaculture, microcircuit, garments and furniture sectors.

THE MEDIA

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here are 24 morning dailies in Metro Manila, most of which are published in English. Some of the leading papers are Manila Bulletin, Manila Standard, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, Manila Chronicle, The Daily Globe and The Manila Times. These are sold at newsstands, sidewalks, or at traffic light intersections by newsboys. Foreign magazines, mostly American, are available at bookstores, hotels, supermarkets and some newsstands. International dailies available in Manila are the International Herald Tribune, U.S.A. Today and Asian Wall Street Journal, all sold in the late afternoon of the day of publication at major hotels and bookstores. Publications catering to resident foreigners and visitors include Expat, What's On in Manila, Stars and Stripes, among others.

Five television stations, Channels 2, 4, 7, 9 and 13, broadcast canned U.S. shows, local variety shows, talk shows, newscasts and live coverages of special events. Channel 17 or Far Eastern Network (FEN) is a US military network telecast from Clark Air Base in Pampanga province: Reception is possible in Metro Manila and Central Luzon by means of a special antenna. These stations are available in Manila's hotels. Some hotels have CNN, NEC, NHK, ABC and CBS via satellite.

Radio stations in Metro Manila and the rest of the Philippines are operated by commercial, political and civic organizations. AM stations broadcast mainly in Filipino; FM stations are usually in English. News updates are broadcasted every hour.

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hilippine education is patterned after the American system, with English as the medium of instruction. Schools are classified into public (government) or private (non-government).

The general pattern of formal education follows four stages: Pre-primary level (nursery and kindergarten) offered in most private schools; six years of primary education, followed by four years of secondary education. College education usually takes four, sometimes five and in some cases as in medical and law schools, as long as eight years. Graduate schooling is an additional two or more years.

There are 162 private and public colleges and universities, such as the University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University. The Asian Institute of Management, a graduate school of business, offers high-quality manage ment education specifically designed to meet Asian needs.

Metro Manila has a high literacy rate of 96 percent with student population of 2,351,944.

Classes in Philippine schools start in June and end in March. Colleges and universities follow the semestral calendar from June-October and November-March. There are a number of foreign schools with study programs similar to those of the mother country.