”The Walled City”
Intramuros
or the walled city of Manila, is located on the southern
side of the Pasig River close to the rivers entrance into
Manila Bay.The
construction of Intramuros started in 1571 by Miguel Lopez
de Legaspi, a Spaniard. The walled city covers an area of
about 160 acres. Intramuros was a fortress city with walls
6 metres high and a commanding 3 kilometres in length, it
is no wonder it was impenetrable.
Only
the Spanish elite and Mestizos (mixed race) were permitted
to live inside Intramuros, where at night the city gates
were locked down. The natives and Chinese were not permitted
to live inside the walled fortress and were resigned to
live outside the great walls of Intramuros. Intramuros
was designed with 51 blocks within the vast walls, the only
access in or out of Intramuros was via seven fortified gates.
A moat
around the walled city was added in 1603. Spread throughout
the 51 blocks of the city were 12 churches, hospitals, domestic
accommodation, military barracks, Governors Palace and schools.
Repelling
Attack
Intramuros
came under attack on many occasion. The Chinese, Dutch,
Portuguese and the Sulu pirates all had a go and trying
to take Intramuros by force, however they were never successful.Intramuros
served as the center of political, military and religious
power of the Spaniards during the time that the Philippines
were a colony of Spain.
World
War II
During
World War II, Intramuros was used by the Japanese as their
garrison and prison. It was severely damaged, along with
most parts of Manila, during the Allied bombings to liberate
the city from Japanese occupation. The US Administration
filled the moat in to prevent the onset of disease. Today
a golf course takes the place of where the most once stood.
Present
Day
At
present, Intramuros is the only district of Manila where
old Spanish-era influences were retained. Much of the development
of present-day Manila occurred outside the gates of Intramuros,
leaving the old walls, streets and churches of Intramuros
minimally touched by modernization, although a Starbucks
and a McDonald's now sit alongside distinguished educational
institutions within its walls.
The old moats that surrounded Intramuros
have been transformed into a golf course where locals and
foreign nationals play the sport. The garrison that was
Fort Santiago is now a tourist spot where visitors can see
how Manila was like during the Spanish Era. The old cobblestone
streets of Intramuros are now sites for cafes that cater
to a variety of clientele and cultural presentations that
feature native Filipino heritage.
Through
the WOW Philippines campaign, of then Tourism Secretary
Richard Gordon, Intramuros had been spruced up, making it
one of the most-visited tourist attractions in Metro Manila.
New attractions have been opened, the Clamshell 1 and 2
was built to host numerous trade fairs that showcase indigenous
products from the different provinces of the country.
The
Light and Sound Museum depicts the colonial rule of the
Spaniards in the Philippines and the Filipino struggle to
gain independence from the foreign invaders. An added feature
in Intramuros, is the installment of lamp posts which seem
to date back in the late 1800's. For added security, security
guards dressed as a guardia civil had been scattered around
the area.
