| Metro Manila | |||||
| Official Name: | National Capital Region | ||||
| Native Name Lang: | fil | ||||
| Settlement Type: | Metropolitan area and region | ||||
| Subdivision Type: | Country | ||||
| Subdivision Type1: | Island | ||||
| Subdivision Name1: | Luzon | ||||
| Subdivision Type2: | Managing entity | ||||
| Subdivision Name2: | Metropolitan Manila Development Authority | ||||
| Established Title: | Established | ||||
| Established Date: | November 7, 1975 January 23, 1976 [1] June 2, 1978 | ||||
| Motto: | Dangal nitong Bayan! | ||||
| Parts Type: | Composed of | ||||
| Parts Style: | para | ||||
| Government Type: | Metropolitan government under a decentralized framework[2] | ||||
| Governing Body: | Metropolitan Manila Development Authority | ||||
| Leader Title: | MMDA Chairman | ||||
| Leader Name: | Romando Artes | ||||
| Leader Title1: | Metro Manila Council President | ||||
| Leader Name1: | Francis Zamora | ||||
| Unit Pref: | Metric | ||||
| Total Type: | Region | ||||
| Area Total Km2: | 636.00 | ||||
| Population Total: | 13484462 | ||||
| Population Metro: | 26700000 | ||||
| Population Metro Footnotes: | [3] | ||||
| Population Demonym: | English: Manilan, Manileño; Spanish: manilense, manileño(-a) Filipino: Manileño(-a), Manilenyo(-a), taga-Maynila | ||||
| Demographics Type1: | GDP (nominal) | ||||
| Demographics1 Title1: | Region | ||||
| Demographics1 Info1: | $136.12 billion (2023)[4] | ||||
| Demographics1 Title2: | Per capita | ||||
| Demographics1 Info2: | $9,544 (2023) | ||||
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code | ||||
| Blank Name Sec1: | Languages | ||||
| Blank2 Name Sec2: | HDI | ||||
| Blank2 Info Sec2: | 0.85 [5] | ||||
| Blank3 Name Sec2: | HDI rank | ||||
| Blank3 Info Sec2: | 2nd (2019) | ||||
| Timezone: | PST | ||||
| Utc Offset: | +8 | ||||
| Image Map1: |
| ||||
Metropolitan Manila[6] (Filipino; Pilipino: Kalakhang Maynila), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; Filipino; Pilipino: link=no|Pambansang Punong Rehiyon),[7] is the capital region and largest metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay, the region lies between the Central Luzon and Calabarzon regions. Encompassing an area of and with a population of as of 2020, it is composed of sixteen highly urbanized cities: the capital city, Manila, Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon City, San Juan, Taguig, and Valenzuela, along with one independent municipality, Pateros. As the second most populous and the most densely populated region in the Philippines, it ranks as the 9th most populous metropolitan area in Asia and the 6th most populous urban area in the world.
The region is the center of culture (including arts and entertainment), economy, education and government of the Philippines. Designated as a global power city, the region exerts a significant impact on commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment, both locally and internationally. It is the home to all embassies in the Philippines, thereby making it an important center for international diplomacy in the country. Its economic power makes the region the country's premier center for finance and commerce. The region accounts for 36% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Philippines. Greater Manila is the fourth largest ASEAN country subdivision by GDP after Singapore, Jakarta and Bangkok.
In 1975, in response to the need to sustain and provide integrated services to the growing population, the built-up area centered on Manila was formally recognized as a metropolitan area through Presidential Decree No. 824. A year later, Presidential Decree No. 879 established Metro Manila as an administrative region, retaining its earlier status as a metropolis, and was designated as Region IV, with the remainder of the Southern Tagalog region being designated as Region IV-A. Finally, in 1978, Metro Manila became the National Capital Region (NCR) of the Philippines, discontinuing its numerical designation and reverting it to Southern Tagalog.
See also: History of Manila.
Manila, to the extent that it has this placename, was likely founded in the Middle Ages, or between 400 and 1500s, due to the Sanskrit origin of the component "nila" in its name which refers to "indigo", and the prevalence of the placename during the rule of Raja Matanda, the old King of Luzon, who was born in the early 1500s. The earliest evidence of Hinduism and Sanskrit influence in maritime Southeast Asia is in Sanskrit inscriptions from the late 300s in eastern Kalimantan (or Borneo). This analysis of the placename is supported by many other nearby placenames in the Tagalog region with the prefix "may-". As for Luzon, what is now considered Luzon island, or at least its southern portion, was called "Luzon the greater", while what is now considered Mindoro island was called "Luzon the lesser".
Manila has historically been a global city due to its role for international trade. By the 15th and 16th centuries, Manila was a walled and fortified city and was the capital of the Kingdom of Luzon. Its institution, government, and economy were associated with the Tagalogs and the Kapampangans, and the Malay language was extensively used for foreign affairs as customary in much of Southeast Asia at the time. It was also well known by other Southeast Asian kingdoms such as Cebu, Brunei, Melaka, other Malay kingdoms, and Ternate, and may be known in East Asia as far as China and Japan.
In the current territory of Metropolitan Manila, there were several lordships that were either sovereign or tributary such as Tondo (Tundók), Malate (Maalát), Navotas (Nabútas), Tambobong (Tambúbong), Taguig (Tagiig), Parañaque (Palanyág), Cainta (Kay Intâ), and Pateros.
Shortly after Raja Matanda's birth, sometime around the early 1500s while he was raja muda or heir apparent, his father, the King of Luzon, died, leaving his mother as Queen Regent of Luzon. By 1511, Luzonians had been carrying out large-scale trade at least within maritime Southeast Asia with some Luzonians being hired as officials in Melaka and some Luzonian merchants gaining royal favors in Brunei. It was in Melaka that Luzonians met the Portuguese before the Portuguese conquest of Melaka in 1511. In 1521, Raja Matanda, then still a young man, was known in maritime Southeast Asia as the son of the King of Luzon. He married a princess of Brunei and served as an admiral for his grandfather, the Sultan of Brunei, in an attack near Java in exchange for soldiers and a fleet of ships. On the way home, he met and had an encounter with a Castilian fleet.
Some Luzonians in the 1500s had also been taking part in mercenary work in other kingdoms. The Luzonians' commercial influence also reached as far as Butuan. By the 1570s, the ruling class of Manila together with the international Luzonian merchants were Muslim and Islam was spreading through the freemen and the slaves.
On May 24, 1570, the battle of Manila was fought between the Kingdom of Luzon, under the command of the heir apparent Prince Sulayman, and the Kingdom of the Spains and the Indies, under the command of field marshal Martin de Goiti who was aided by some foreign forces. This resulted in the arson and destruction of Manila.
See main article: Manila (province).
After destroying Manila, the Spanish set up a settlement to secure territory on the same site on the Luzon island for the Spanish ruler. Initially enclosed in wood, much later in stone, a new walled city of Manila became the capital of the Spanish East Indies. After setting up a settlement and consolidating some territorial holdings outwards, the Spanish instituted a province known as Manila.
Later on, the Manila galleon continually sailed the Pacific from end-to-end, bringing to Mexico Asian merchandise and cultural exchange.
In the First Philippine Republic, the province included the walled city of Manila and 23 other municipalities. Mariquina also served as the provincial capital from 1898 to 1899. However, despite almost the entirety of the territory being occupied by Philippine forces, the walled city of Manila was occupied by Spanish forces.
During American rule, the province was dissolved and most of it was incorporated into the newly created province of Rizal on June 11, 1901, by Act No. 137.[8]
Manila in 1901 was composed of Binondo, Ermita, Intramuros, Malate, Manila, Pandacan, Quiapo, Sampaloc, San Andrés Bukid, San Fernando de Dilao, San Miguel, San Nicolas, Santa Ana de Sapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Mesa, and Tondo.[9]
In the Philippine Commonwealth, the American architect Daniel Burnham was commissioned to propose a Plan of Manila for the Philippine government.
In the current territory of Metropolitan Manila, the towns of Caloocan, Las Piñas, Mariquina, Pasig, Parañaque, Malabon, Navotas, San Juan del Monte, San Pedro de Macati, San Felipe Neri, Muntinlupa and the Taguig-Pateros area were designated to the province of Rizal, with Pasig being the provincial capital.
In 1939, President Quezon established Quezon City with the objective of replacing Manila as the capital city of the Philippines. A design for Quezon City was completed. The establishment of Quezon City meant the abandonment of Burnham's design for Manila, with funds being diverted for the establishment of the new capital.
After World War II, in 1945, President Sergio Osmeña signed Executive Order No. 58, which dissolved the city of Greater Manila instituted by former President Quezon.[10]
See main article: City of Greater Manila. In 1942, during the World War II, President Manuel L. Quezon created the City of Greater Manila as an emergency measure, merging the cities of Manila and Quezon City, along with the municipalities of Caloocan, Makati, Mandaluyong, Parañaque, Pasay, and San Juan.[11] Jorge Vargas was appointed as its first mayor. Mayors in the cities and municipalities included in the City of Greater Manila served as assistant mayors in their town. This was to ensure that Vargas, who was Quezon's principal lieutenant for administrative matters, would have a position of authority recognized under international military law. The City of Greater Manila served as a model for the present-day Metro Manila and the administrative functions of the Governor of Metro Manila that was established during the Marcos administration.
The City of Greater Manila was dissolved in 1945, when President Sergio Osmeña signed Executive Order No. 58.[10]
World War II resulted in the loss of more than 100,000 lives in the battle of Manila in 1945. Most of the developments in Burnham's design were also destroyed. Later on, Quezon City was eventually declared as the national capital in 1948.
On November 7, 1975, Metro Manila was formally established through Presidential Decree No. 824. The Metropolitan Manila Commission was also created to manage the region. On June 2, 1978, through Presidential Decree No. 1396, the metropolitan area was declared the National Capital Region of the Philippines.[12] When Metro Manila was established, there were four cities, Manila, Quezon City, Caloocan, Pasay and the thirteen municipalities of Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasig, Pateros, San Juan, Taguig, and Valenzuela. At present, all but one of these municipalities have become independent chartered cities; only Pateros still remains as a municipality.
President Ferdinand Marcos appointed his wife, First Lady Imelda Marcos, as the first governor of Metro Manila. She launched the City of Man campaign. The Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex, Metropolitan Folk Arts Theater, Philippine International Convention Center, Coconut Palace and healthcare facilities such as the Lung Center of the Philippines, Philippine Heart Center, and the Kidney Center of the Philippines are all constructed precisely for this purpose.
The capital of the Philippines was re-designated to Manila in 1976 through Presidential Decree No. 940. The decree states that Manila has always been, to the Filipino people and in the eyes of the world, the premier city of the Philippines, being the center of trade, commerce, education, and culture. While the then-newly formed region was designated as the seat of government.[13]
President Marcos was overthrown in a non-violent revolution along EDSA, which lasted four days in late February 1986. The popular uprising, now known as the People Power Revolution, made international headlines as "the revolution that surprised the world".[14]
In 1986, President Corazon Aquino laid down the Executive Order No. 392, reorganizing and changing the structure of the Metropolitan Manila Commission and renamed it to the Metropolitan Manila Authority. Mayors in the metropolis chose from among themselves the chair of the agency. Later on, it was again reorganized in 1995 through Republic Act No. 7924, creating the present-day Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. The chairperson of the agency would be appointed by the President and should not have a concurrent elected position such as mayor. Elfren Cruz was the last to serve as the Officer-In-Charge governor of Metro Manila.[15]
Throughout 1988, unemployment among the country's regions was highest in Metro Manila, with 20.1% of the region's workforce being jobless according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the National Statistics Office.[16] [17]
In 2014, then-MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino proposed that San Pedro, Laguna be included in Metro Manila as its 18th member city. Tolentino said that in the first meeting of the MMDA Council of mayors in January 2015, he would push for the inclusion of the city to the MMDA.[18] Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III filed Senate Bill No. 3029, which seeks to create San Pedro as a separate legislative district to commence in the next national and local elections if the bill was passed into law.[19] [20]
In April 2022, Makati lost the territorial dispute with Taguig, which was ruled with finality a year later in April 2023. Ten barangays, including the Embo barangays, were thus transferred to Taguig.[21] [22] [23]
See also: Geography of Manila and Land reclamation in Metro Manila.
Metro Manila is located in the southwestern portion of Luzon. The region lies along the flat alluvial lands extending from the mouth of the Pasig River in the west to the higher rugged lands of Marikina Valley in the east. The region is geographically divided into 4 zones: the Coastal Margin, Guadalupe Plateau, Marikina Valley, and the Laguna Lowlands.
The Coastal Margin or Lowland is a flat and low plain that faces Manila Bay. Located here is Manila, Navotas, parts of Malabon, and the western part and reclaimed areas of Pasay and Parañaque, where the ground elevation ranges from zero meters on Manila Bay to 5m (16feet) at the west side of the cities of Mandaluyong and Makati. The Coastal Lowland possesses resources for offshore fisheries and fishpond development, and various reclamation projects in the area are meant for mixed-use urban development.
The Central or Guadalupe Plateau is the most adaptable to urban development activities not only because of its solid geographical foundations but also because of its existing infrastructure links with the rest of Luzon. It is mainly residential and includes the densely populated areas of Metro Manila such San Juan, Makati and Quezon City, as well as most parts of Caloocan and Mandaluyong. The ground elevation ranges from 20mto40mm (70feetto130feetm) and gradually becomes lower towards its western side, while ground elevation ranges from 70mto100mm (230feetto300feetm) towards the northwestern side of the plateau. The area becomes narrower along the Pasig River.
The Marikina Valley is a floodplain along the Marikina River and a delta along Laguna de Bay. Its elevation ranges from 2m (07feet) on the Laguna de Bay side to 30m (100feet) on its north side towards Montalban. It is surrounded by the Central Plateau and mountains of Rizal. It has fertile land suitable for crop cultivation while the Marikina River provides water for industrial uses and discharge.
The Laguna Lowlands is not only suitable for agriculture and aquaculture but also for industrial activity.[24]
Metro Manila is exposed to multiple natural hazards such as earthquakes, floods, and typhoons. It is surrounded by active faults including the Marikina Valley Fault System. Other distant faults such as the Philippine Faults, Lubang Faults, Manila Trench and Casiguran Faults, are a threat as well.[25] Flooding is recurrent every year especially in low-lying areas of Valenzuela, Malabon, Caloocan, Navotas, Manila, Pasay, Parañaque, and Las Piñas, where flood are generally linked with the tidal movements in Manila Bay. Meanwhile, Marikina, Pasig, Taguig, and Pateros are areas inland that are also prone to flooding. These areas are located along the Marikina Valley where there is poor soil drainage and a shallow water table due to being in proximity to Laguna Bay's shores. Flood risks are generally lower in cities along the Guadalupe Plateau, including Quezon City, San Juan, Makati, Mandaluyong and Muntinlupa, where volcanic rocks rise up to 40mto70mm (130feetto230feetm) above sea level.[26] Around five to seven typhoons hit Manila yearly. Manila was ranked as the second riskiest capital city after Tokyo to live in according to Swiss Re.[27]
According to the Köppen climate classification, there are two climates in Metro Manila. Most of the region has a tropical wet and dry climate (Köppen climate classification Aw) while the northeastern part of the region that lies on the foothills of Sierra Madre has a tropical monsoon climate. Together with the rest of the Philippines, Manila lies entirely within the tropics. Its proximity to the equator means that temperatures are hot year-round, rarely going below 15 °C or above 39 °C. Temperature extremes have ranged from 14.4 °C on January 11, 1914,[28] to 38.8 °C on April 27, 2024.[29]
Humidity levels are usually very high all year round. Manila has a distinct dry season from December through April, and a relatively lengthy wet season that covers the remaining period with slightly cooler temperatures. In the wet season, it rarely rains all day, but rainfall is very heavy during short periods. Typhoons usually occur from June to September.[30]
See also: List of parks in Metro Manila.
There are four national parks in Metro Manila. These are the Rizal Park, Paco Park, and Fort Santiago in the City of Manila and Quezon Memorial National Park in Quezon City. Rizal Park and Paco Park are managed by the National Parks and Development Committee (NPDC), while Fort Santiago is managed by the Intramuros Administration. A tripartite agreement between the Quezon City Government, the National Historical Institute and the NPDC transferred the management of Quezon Memorial National Park to the Quezon City Government.[31] The region also has three protected areas, namely the Rizal Park, Ninoy Aquino Parks & Wildlife Center and the Manila Bay Beach Resort.[32]
Rizal Park, also known as Luneta Park, is considered the largest urban park in Asia with an area of .[33] The park along with the historic walled area of Intramuros are designated as flagship destination to become a tourism enterprise zone according to the Tourism Act of 2009.[34] Paco Park is a recreational garden which was once the city's municipal cemetery built by the Dominicans during the Spanish colonial period.[35] Filipino Landscape architect IP Santos, the "Father of Philippine Landscape Architecture", was commissioned to do the design of converting the former cemetery into a park.
Manila Zoo is the oldest zoo in Asia, which was founded in 1959. It is the home to more than a thousand animals from 90 different species including the 40-year-old elephant, Mali. The zoo has an average of 4,000 visitors weekly. An estimated 40,000 tourists visit the zoo each month.[36]
La Mesa Ecopark is a 33-hectare well-developed sanctuary around the La Mesa Watershed. It was established through a joint partnership between the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, ABS-CBN, and the Quezon City Government. La Mesa Ecopark, along with the Ninoy Aquino Parks & Wildlife Center, are important nature reserves in the Philippines.
The Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA) was declared as a critical habitat by the Government of the Philippines in 2007[37] and was listed by the Ramsar Convention as a Wetland of International Importance in 2013.[38] LPPCHEA is composed of the Freedom Island in Parañaque and the Long Island in Las Piñas that covers 175 hectares and features a mangrove forest of eight species, tidal mudflats, secluded ponds with fringing salt-tolerant vegetation, a coastal lagoon, and a beach.[39]
See also: Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Mayors of Metro Manila and List of city and municipal halls in Metro Manila.
The framework of government and governance in Metro Manila is based on Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the "Local Government Code of 1991". This law outlines the powers and responsibilities of all local government units (LGUS) in the Philippines and thus forms the basis of inter-local governmental relations among the area's constituent local governments. The local government code grants these units significant political and administrative autonomy in accordance with the principles of decentralization and devolution of power. This situation presents a challenge to the coordination of policy and service delivery across the multiple autonomous local government units and is thus the underlying dilemma of metropolitan governance in Metro Manila.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is the agency responsible for the delivery of public services in Metro Manila. Its services are limited to traffic management and garbage collection. Previously Metro Manila was governed by a regional government authority, the Metro Manila Commission and was led by a governor.
A bill was introduced in 2014 proposing the creation of a new governing body in Metro Manila to be known as the Metropolitan Manila Regional Administration (MMRA). Unlike the MMDA which is limited to being an administrative coordinating body, the proposed MMRA will have police and other typical municipal powers and is more akin to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.[40] [41]
Metro Manila, the National Capital Region, is the seat of the national government. All the main offices of the executive departments of the country are in Metro Manila. The Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, National Housing Authority and Philippine Coconut Authority has their main offices based around Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City.
Manila, the capital city of the country, is the home to Malacañan Palace, the official residence and office of the President of the Philippines. The city is also the home to the Supreme Court of the Philippines. Other key national institutions based in Manila are the Court of Appeals, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and the Departments of Budget and Management, Finance, Health, Justice, Labor and Employment and Public Works and Highways. Meanwhile, the Department of Science and Technology is based in Taguig while the Department of Tourism has its headquarters in Makati. Important economic and financial institutions headquartered in the region are the Asian Development Bank, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Development Bank of the Philippines, Land Bank of the Philippines and the National Economic and Development Authority.
The main office of the Government Service Insurance System in Pasay serves as home to the Senate of the Philippines. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives of the Philippines is based in the Batasang Pambansa Complex, Quezon City along with the Sandiganbayan. The Coconut Palace once served as the official office and residence of the Vice President of the Philippines in 2010–2016 and then the Quezon City Reception House for 2016-2022.
The political and administrative boundaries of the National Capital Region has not changed since its formation in 1975 as a public corporation under Presidential Decree No. 824. They are composed of sixteen independent cities, classified as highly urbanized cities, and one independent municipality: Pateros.
| City municipality | Population | Area | Density | Incorporated (city) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km2 | sq mi | /km2 | /sq mi | |||
| Caloocan | 55.8km2 | NaN1,661,584/55.80 | 1962 | |||
| Las Piñas | 32.69km2 | NaN606,293/32.69 | 1997 | |||
| Makati | 21.57km2 | NaN292,743/21.57 | 1995 | |||
| Malabon | 15.71km2 | NaN380,522/15.71 | 2001 | |||
| Mandaluyong | 9.29km2 | NaN425,758/9.29 | 1994 | |||
| 42.34km2 | NaN1,846,513/42.34 | 1571 | ||||
| Marikina | 21.52km2 | NaN456,059/21.52 | 1996 | |||
| Muntinlupa | 39.75km2 | NaN543,445/39.75 | 1995 | |||
| Navotas | 8.94km2 | NaN247,543/8.94 | 2007 | |||
| Parañaque | 46.57km2 | NaN689,992/46.57 | 1998 | |||
| Pasay | 13.97km2 | NaN440,656/13.97 | 1947 | |||
| Pasig | 48.46km2 | NaN803,159/48.46 | 1995 | |||
| Pateros | 1.66km2 | NaN65,227/1.66 | 1909 (Not a city) | |||
| Quezon City | 171.71km2 | NaN2,960,048/171.71 | 1939 | |||
| San Juan | 5.95km2 | NaN126,347/5.95 | 2007 | |||
| Taguig | 47.28km2 | NaN1,223,595/47.28 | 2004 | |||
| Valenzuela | 47.02km2 | NaN714,978/47.02 | 1998 | |||
| Total | 13,484,462 | 636.00 | 636km2 | NaNPD/km2NaNPD/km2 | ||
Unlike other administrative regions in the Philippines, Metro Manila is not composed of provinces. Instead, the region is divided into four geographic areas called "districts."[42] The districts have their district centers at the four original cities in the region: the city-district of Manila (Capital District), Quezon City (Eastern Manila), Caloocan (Northern Manila, also informally known as Camanava), and Pasay (Southern Manila).[43] The districts serve mainly to organize the region's local government units for fiscal and statistical purposes.
There is a high demand for the inclusion of San Pedro, Laguna in Metro Manila. Support groups from the local government and non-government organizations are striving to incorporate San Pedro into Metro Manila.[44] [45]
San Pedro is being looked at as the 18th member of Metro Manila. Former Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino is pushing for the inclusion of San Pedro in the National Capital Region, to eventually become its 18th member city. Tolentino said that in the first meeting of the MMDA Council of mayors in January 2015, he will push for the inclusion of the city to the MMDA.[46]
Metro Manila has a population of according to the 2020 national census. Its total urban area, composed of the urban agglomeration which refers to the continuous urban expansion of Metro Manila into the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Batangas has an estimated population of as of 2015. It is the second most populous (after Calabarzon) and most densely populated region in the Philippines, the 7th most populous metropolitan area in Asia, and the 4th most populous urban area in the world.
The most populous cities in Metro Manila are Quezon City (2,960,048), Manila (1,846,513), Caloocan (1,661,584), Taguig (886,722), Pasig (803,159), Valenzuela (714,978), Parañaque (689,992), Las Piñas (606,293), Makati (629,616), and Muntinlupa (543,445).
See also: Slums in Manila.
From the 1980s up to the present, informal settlers have accounted for roughly one-third of the Metro Manila population.[47] [48] A majority of informal settlers belong to the middle-class.[49] In 2014, there are an estimated four million slum dwellers living in Metro Manila. Homelessness is also a major problem in Metro Manila.[50] However, these are being addressed by creating in-city relocation housing, and by relocating informal settler families in low-density housing built in the nearby provinces of Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal.[51]
During the American occupation, housing policies in Manila dealt the problem of sanitation and concentration of settlers around business areas. Among those implemented were business codes and sanitation laws in slum areas in the 1930s. During this period and until the 1950s, new communities were opened for relocation. Among these were Projects 1–8 in Quezon City and the Vitas tenement houses in Tondo. The government implemented the Public Housing Policy in 1947 that established the People's Homesite and Housing Corporation (PHHC). A few years later, it put up the Slum Clearance Committee which, with the help of the PHHC, relocated thousands of families from Tondo and Quezon City to Sapang Palay in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan in the 1960s.[52]
During the time of President Ferdinand Marcos, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank supported the programs for the "development of relocation" and "on-site development." Carmona and Dasmariñas in Cavite and San Pedro in Laguna opened as relocation sites. Along with the establishment of the National Housing Authority (Philippines), Presidential Decree 772 made squatting a crime, making the Philippines one of only two countries (the other is South Africa) where squatting is a crime. The government formulated the National Shelter Program which became the over-all framework for dealing with housing needs of all income classes.
Imelda Marcos held both the position as Governor of Metro Manila and as Minister of Human Settlements and Ecology (MHSE) until the downfall of the dictatorship in 1986. The MHSE, through loans from the World Bank, initiated the Bagong Lipunan Improvement of Sites and Services (BLISS) housing projects not only in Metro Manila but also in other provinces.[53] [54]
From 1960 to 1992, the government transferred some 328,000 families to resettlement sites 25kmto40kmkm (16milesto30mileskm) from Metro Manila. According to the Asian Coalition on Housing Rights, during President Corazon C. Aquino's time, the government would bring some 100,000 persons to relocation sites yearly. During the said period, Sapang Palay and Carmona had a 60% abandonment rate. Congress enacted Republic Act No. 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act (UDHA) in 1992. The law gave a new name for the squatters: informal settlers.[55] Essentially, UDHA gives protection for big private ownership of land in the urban areas, ensuring that these are protected from illegal occupants. The law also widened the scope of private sector participation in the National Shelter Program (NSP).
In the middle of the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, infrastructure projects of the government led to the demolition of hundreds of thousands of families (from along railways, C-4 Road, C-5 Road, and from Fort Bonifacio). During the same period, new relocation sites in Bulacan, Valenzuela and Caloocan opened.
The primary mainstream spoken casual vernacular language is Tagalog (Filipino), which is taught in all schools across Metro Manila under Filipino class. The main formal medium of instruction used in schools and the main language (at least primarily in most written contexts) for commerce, industry, and government is English, ever since the American colonial era. Meanwhile formerly, Spanish used to be the formal lingua franca since the Spanish colonial era till the 20th century and is now mostly moribund across Metro Manila, besides the rare few families who may privately use it and the Spanish taught in a few schools and universities as a foreign language elective. Among Chinese Filipinos, Philippine Hokkien may also occasionally be heard spoken amongst fellow speakers especially within households, schools, churches, temples, businesses who privately use it, while Mandarin (Standard Chinese) is taught in Chinese class in Chinese Filipino schools and as a foreign language elective in a few schools and universities. There are also the occasional speaker of other Philippine languages coming from the provinces working, studying, or living in Metro Manila, such as speakers of Cebuano Bisaya, Ilocano, Hiligaynon (Ilonggo), Central Bikolano, Chavacano, Kapampangan, Pangasinense, Waray, etc. There are also the rare Japanese Filipino that speaks Japanese, Korean Filipino that speaks Korean, Iranian Filipino that speaks Farsi (Persian), Indian Filipino that speaks Punjabi or etc. There are also a few Japanese schools teaching Japanese in Japanese class in Metro Manila, such as the Manila Japanese School and of course, a few schools and universities teaching it as a foreign language elective. Other languages also taught as foreign language electives in some universities and schools in Metro Manila besides those aforementioned are those such as, French, Korean, German, Italian, Thai, Bahasa Indonesia, Portuguese, Russian, etc. Besides English and Filipino, there are also other newspapers distributed across Metro Manila in languages such as Mandarin (i.e. United Daily News, World News, Chinese Commercial News, etc.), Japanese (i.e. Manila Shimbun), Korean (i.e. Manila Seoul, Weekly Manila, Ilyo Shinmun,[56] etc.) to cater to the aforementioned readers.
The National Capital Region accounts for 31.1% of the gross domestic product of the Philippines in 2023.[57] Furthermore, it has the highest per capita GDP of the country at ₱530,945.[58] The employment rate in the region is at 91.3% . According to the Brookings Institution, the 2014 share of output by industry in Metro Manila is as follows: trade and tourism: 31.4%, business/finance: 28.6%, local/non-market: 15.6%, manufacturing: 12.5%, transportation: 4.9%, construction: 4%, utilities: 2.8%, and commodities: 0.3%.[59]
Metro Manila would add 1.85e6sqm of office spaces between 2015 and 2017 in the central business districts in Makati, Taguig, and Quezon City as more global firms such as Google and HSBC seek to outsource business processes in the Philippines.[60] The vacancy rate for office spaces remains low, at less 3% in the year-end of 2014.[61] Manila remains as the least expensive capital city in the Asia-Pacific to occupy prime office space at an average rent of $22 per square meter per month.[62]
Metro Manila makes it to the "Global Top 30" cities according to property consultancy firm Jones Lang LaSalle, citing its economic scale, vast population, large gross domestic product and BPO specialization as its competitive edge.[63] Furthermore, the region ranks 3rd for the top business process outsourcing global destinations, next to Bangalore and Mumbai.[64] The region's retail sector remains strong, bolstered by remittances abroad, BPOs, and its tourism sector.[65]
Historically, the main business district of the metropolis was Binondo, where commercial trading flourished since the 15th century. By the 1960s, economic activities shifted from Binondo to Makati. It transformed Makati into one of the leading financial centers in Asia. Still, Binondo remained as a cultural and financial center because of the vast Chinese population residing and doing business in the area.
The minimum wage of Metro Manila is at