D14
MANILA
Manila is the main terminal of the Manila Railroad Company, with lines from northern to southern parts of Luzon. Several provincial roads enter the city, thereby making motor vehicle transportation feasible. Electric tramways run in the principal streets of the city and its suburbs.
The population of Manila in 1937 was 399,681. Of this number, 361, 676 were Filipinos, 31,213 Chinese, 1,989 Americans, 1,170 Spaniards, 2,594 Japanese, 264 British, 277 Germans, 67 French, 36 Swiss, and the rest of other nationalities. There were 28,571 people to the square mile. In 1939 Manila's population was 623,362.
The area of the city of Manila is 13.72 square miles. For all administrative and other municipal purposes the city has been divided into the following 15 districts: Tondo, San Nicolas, Binondo, Santa Cruz, Quiapo, San Miguel, Sampaloc San Lazaro, Intramuros (walled City), The Port, Ermita, Malate, Paco, Pandacan, and Santa Ana, Tondo is inhabited by natives of the working class and is the most thoroughly Oriental. San Nicolas, Binondo, and Santa Cruz are the business districts; Intramuros, the extant example of a medieval town; while The Port with its piers, warehouses and other shipping facilities is the commercial Manila of the future. San Miguel, Ermita and Malate are the residential districts.
The total length of the streets and roads in Manila is 545.66 kilometres. Some of these are wide and handsome avenues, of which the Luneta, Taft Avenue, Rizal Avenue, P. Burgos, Azcarraga, Isaac Peral, A. Bonifacio Drive, Katigbac Drive, and the Dewey Boulevard are the most notable. The width of the street varies from 10 to 15 metres, while that of Dewey Boulevard is 75 metres. Cassia, acacia, mabolo and other trees are found along the borders of many of the streets. The pav- ing is mostly macadam with some asphalt, some wooden blocks and some cobbles. The Escolta in Binondo is the main business street, and in it most of the American and European stores and bazaars are found. The Rosario, another broad thoroughfare in Binondo, is occupied chiefly by Chinese shops and is a busy quarter. Rizal Avenue is a growing business centre.
Among the parks, whose total area is 1,451,917.20 square metres, are the famous Luneia, Mehan Gardens, Plaza McKinley, Harrison Park, and Burnham Green. There are monuments to Dr. José Rizal, the foremost Filipino hero and martyr, on the Luneta; to Legaspi and Urdaneta, the soldier and the priest, respectively, who implanted Spanish sovereignty in the Country, facing the north end of the Luneta; to Magallanes (Magellan), the discoverer of the Philippines, in Magallanes Landing; and to Anda at the foot of A. Bonifacio Drive, Charles IV. in Plaza McKinley, Benavides in Plaza Santo Tomas, and Queen Isabela II, in Malate.
Foremost among the hotels is the Manila Hotel. Other hotels of importance are the Luneta Hotel, Bay View Hotel and Great Eastern Hotel. Of the important build- ings, mention may be made of the Ayuntamiento, the Legislative Building, the General Post Office, the Malacañan Palace, the University of the Philippines, University Club, Metropolitan Theatre, the Philippine Normal School, the Philippine School of Arts and Trades, the Bureau of Science, the Philippine General Hospital, the Army and Navy Club, Elks Club, the Y.M.C.A., tlie Masonic Temple, Filipinas Building, and "El Hogar Filipino" Building. The total number of buildings in Manila is in round numbers 10,000.
On account of their architecture and interior decorations, the churches in Manila are among the chief objects of interest. The largest is the Catholic Cathedral in Intramuros. The city has also charitable institutions, prominent among which are the Hospicio de San José, an orphan asylum and home for aged women; the School for the Deaf and Blind; the San Lazaro Hospital for those suffering from contagious diseases; the sanatoria of tlie Anti-Tuberculosis Society known as the Quezon Institute; the Government Orphanage for the care of orphan and destitute children; the Settle- ment House for the temporary shelter of destitute persons; and the American Guardian Association for destitute children of American and Filipino parentage.
Manila is the educational centre of the archipelago. The city has many schools, both public and private, and their number is increasing. Four schools for vocational education are maintained here by the Insular Government. The University of the Philippines-embracing the Colleges of Liberal Arts, Law, Medicine and Surgery, Engineering, Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine, Education, Schools of Forestry Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Fine Arts, a Graduate School of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, and a Conservatoire of Music-is located in Manila. Other high insti-