Manila

Of the 91 charitable institutions in the Philippines in 1918, 31 were in Manila. In 1923 there were 81 newspapers and other serial publications in Manila, of which 24 were in two or more languages, 23 in English, 16 in Spanish, 10 in Tagalog, 4 in Chinese, 2 in Ilocano, and r each in Bikol and Bisayan. The Tiro al Blanco or Gun Club, mainly composed of the wealthy mestizo class, is a notable organization. The Club Nacionalista, an organization of the Nacionalista Party, is the headquarters of the "Tammany" of the Philippines. The nationals of several foreign countries have organizations, the English club having a fine building of its own. There are monuments to Ferdinand Magellan, to Elcano, who brought the "Victoria" safely back to Spain in 1522, in the marble hall of the Ayuntamiento; to Arch bishop Benavides, the first archbishop of the Philippines, near the Dominican convent; to Legazpi and Urdaneta, who brought the first successful colony to the archipelago ; to Simon de Anda y Salazar, who successfully opposed the British in 1762-64; to Carlos IV. in Plaza McKinley, to Isabel II. in Malate and to the Filipino patriot and martyr, Jose Rizal y Mercado.

Trade and Industry.

Manila is the principal trade centre of the Philippines. Chambers of commerce include The Alliance Francaise, the American Chamber of Commerce, Camara de Comercio Espanol, Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands, Chambre de Commerce Francaise and Chinese Chamber of Commerce. In 1926, 109 foreign vessels engaged in the coast wise trade entered Manila and 257 cleared. In 1926, 818 vessels in foreign trade entered and 661 cleared. The coastwise move ment of staple products through Manila in 1926 was approxi mately as follows: Outgoing—rice, 120,300,00o kilos; sugar, 4,700,00o kilos; tobacco leaf, 1,900,00o kilos; lumber, 2,800,000 bd.ft., coconut oil, 102,900 kilos. Incoming—abaci, 92,300,000 kilos; copra, 87,000,000 kilos; rice, 742,000 kilos; tobacco leaf, 22,600,000 kilos; sugar, 27,700,000 kilos; and lumber, 68,800,000 bd. feet. Imports into Manila grew in value from approximately 85,600,00o pesos in 1914 to 206,700,00o pesos in 1926; and ex ports from 68,200,000 pesos in 1914 to isi,ioo,000 pesos in 1926. Those engaged in agricultural pursuits numbered 1,371 in 1918, in commerce and transportation, 45,052, and in manufacturing and mechanical pursuits, 39,716. In 1918 there were 1,586 fac tories, and 529 household industrial establishments, with outputs valued at 147,565,000 pesos and 308,60o pesos respectively. Among manufactures are tobacco products, distilled liquors, cot ton fabrics and clothing, embroidery, ice, lumber products, foundry and machine shop products, carriages, wagons, furniture, coal gas, boots and shoes, manila rope and ship-building.

Administration.

On Aug. 13, 1898, Manila was surrendered to the United States, and a military government established. In 1901, civil government was established, the old province of Manila was abolished, and some of its municipalities were assigned to the newly created province of Rizal. On July 31, 1901, an incorporat ing act was enacted, and the city since that time has been an autonomous municipality. By the administrative code of 1917, which replaced the charter of 1901, the government was vested in a mayor, appointed by the governor general, with the advice of the Philippine Senate, and a board of ten members elected at large from the entire city and serving a three-year term. The Government is divided into six departments : engineering and public work, police, law, fire, finance and assessment (the last two being created in 1921 by an amendment to the charter). The

Insular Bureau of Education has charge of the schools through the city superintendent of schools, and the Philippine Health Service has general control of health and sanitary conditions. The city is divided into 14 districts. The administration of justice is vested in a fiscal and seven assistants, and there is a municipal court with three judges. Real estate taxes in Manila amounted to approxi mately 3,700,00o pesos in 1926. Property exempt from taxation was valued (1925) at approximately 119,600,000 pesos.

History.

Manila, which had long been a native settlement at the time of the permanent occupation of the Philippines by the Spaniards under the leadership of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, in 1565, was probably so called from the Tagalog word "Manilad" (place where there are many nilads—a flowering shrub with white blossoms, Ixora Manila). After the death of Lopez de Legazpi, on Aug. 20, 1572, Guido de Lavezares, the treasurer of the expedi tion, served as governor ad interim until the arrival of the second regularly appointed governor in 1575. A lucrative trade began with the Chinese, which became the greatest economic force in Spanish Manila for a great part of its history. Manila became the trade centre of the Orient and an extensive trade was carried on between that city and Mexico.

Augustinian friars had accompanied the expedition of Lopez de Legazpi, and they were followed in 1577 by the Franciscans, and later by the Dominicans, Jesuits and Augustinian Recollects, and Manila—the Intramuros of to-day—soon became the site of numerous churches and convents. In 158o the first and only bishop of Manila, the Dominican, Domingo de Salazar, came to Manila, but in 1595 the city was made a metropolitan see and the Franciscan, Ignacio Santibafiez, became the first archbishop of the Philippines. An Audiencia or Supreme Court was established in 1583; it was abolished, but re-established in 1598. During the 17th century the Dutch threatened Manila more than once and fear of the Moros was present for many years. In 1762 the British forces under Gen. Draper and Admiral Cornish attacked and captured the city, giving it over to a looting of 4o hours, and held it until 1764, it being returned to Spain by the treaty of 1763. There were destructive earthquakes in 1645, 1863, and 189o. In 1837 Manila was thrown open to foreign trade and there was a slow but steady increase in prosperity until about 189o. The more liberal viewpoints of some of the Spanish army officers sent to the Philippines in the latter half of the 19th cen tury, the creation of Masonic lodges, and the increasing travel of young Filipinos to Spain and other parts of Europe (made easier by the opening of the Suez canal in 1869) resulted in the move ment against the friars who opposed any change that would lessen their authority. The arrest and exile of Dr. Jose Rizal y Mercado for alleged plotting against the Spanish Government and the arrest and deportation of many others incensed the Filipinos and Manila became a hot-bed of revolt. The Katipunan Society was formed among the radical elements (although Rizal refused to sanction it), and upon the execution of Rizal on Dec. 30, 1896, open revolt broke out in Manila and other places. Although the revolt was subdued, it broke out again upon the bombardment of the Spanish fleet and the city by Commodore George Dewey on May 1, 1898. On Aug. 13, 1898, the city was surrendered to the United States. The period under the United States was one of modernization and beautification. Manila has become one of the most healthful of cities. (J. A. R.)