Araw ng Maynila

Photo c/o expatch.org

Today is the 446th anniversary of Manila.  It was the Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi who is acknowledged as the founding father of the city which eventually became the seat of the Spanish colonial government.  But prior to his arrival, the place was already a thriving trading place on the shores of the Pasig River.  There was constant interaction between the local inhabitants and traders from the Middle East, Southeast Asia and China.  Perhaps this was what attracted the Spanish colonizers to come and settle in the area; not only was it the seat of government, it was also the seat of the Catholic clergy who came with the conquerors.  It is now a highly urbanized city with nearly 2-million people.