Intramuros

Intramuros
Nickname:  The Walled City
Country	Philippines
Region	National Capital Region
City	Manila
Congressional districts	Part of the 5th district of Manila
Barangays	5
Area
• Total	0.67 km2 (0.26 sq mi)
Population  (2007)
• Total	5,015
• Density	7,500/km2 (19,000/sq mi)

Intramuros, located along the southern bank of the Pasig River, was built by the Spaniards in the 16th century and is the oldest district of the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Its name, in Spanish, intramuros, literally "within the walls", meaning within the wall enclosure of the city/fortress, also describes its structure as it is surrounded by thick, high walls and moats. During the Spanish colonial period, Intramuros was considered Manila itself.

World War II

At the end of World War II, much of Intramuros was damaged by the returning by joint American and Filipino military forces.

In 1942, when the Japanese forces invaded the Philippines; U.S. forces led by General Douglas McArthur realized that Manila was indefensible so he declared it an Open City. He regrouped the USAFFE forces in the Bataan peninsula, only to be trapped there by the advancing Japanese army.

Upon the return of the combined United States and the Philippine Commonwealth troops in 1945, they bombarded Manila including Intramuros to flush out the remaining Japanese soldiers. Intramuros was in ruins after the war and the only structure that survived was the San Agustin Church; almost no other buildings remained standing. Almost 100,000 people died during the liberation of Manila.

Present day Intramuros

In the 1980s, under the direction of former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos, the Intramuros Administration restored the city and at present the walled city 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 surviving walls, streets and churches of Intramuros minimally touched by modernization, although outlets of Jollibee, McDonald's and Starbucks now sit alongside distinguished educational institutions within its walls. The old moats that surrounded Intramuros have been filled up and 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 enjoy the nostalgic romance of a bygone Spanish legacy within its gardens. In 2003, during Visit Philippines Year, Tourism Secretary Richard J. Gordon cleaned up Intramuros with the help of student and civilian volunteers as well as raised funds to light up the place and build a lights and sound museum.

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.

Intramuros now houses some of the higher education institutions in the Philippines. These are the city-owned Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, the technical school Mapúa Institute of Technology, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Colegio de San Juan de Letran and high schools such as the Manila High School,and Colegio de Santa Rosa.

Following the design of medieval fortifications, along the massive walls of Intramuros are strategically located bulwarks: baluarte, ravelins: ravellin, redoubts: reducto. Entrance to the city are through gates: puerta, most of which have been restored or rebuilt. Most of these features have names such as Baluarte de San Diego, Baluarte de San Francisco de Dilao, Baluarte de San Gabriel, Baluarte de Sta. Barbara, Baluarte de San Andres; Puerta Real, Puerta Isabel II, Puerta del Parian, Puerta Almacenes, Postigo del Palacio, Puerta Sta. Lucia.

Preserving Intramuros' Heritage

In her article "Intramuros, Manila" (Inquirer.net), Rose Beatrix C. Angeles writes about the need to preserve national heritage that is Intramuros

Below is a direct quotation from the author's article:

Square foot for square foot, no other site in the country holds as much national historical interest as Intramuros. Even its very ground is unique as it holds artifacts that recount the ages of trade even prior to Spanish conquest. Every single conqueror of this country flew its flag over the Intramuros, and all – except the Americans – retreated to the safety behind its walls prior to ejection.

The oldest fortified city in the country needs help. It needs increased funding to provide, among others, more restored sites, an appropriate museum for the Intramuros Administration’s collection, removal of informal settlers, further archeological assessment and so on ad nauseam.

The IA has been doing a valiant job despite its myriad internal problems but much of its work had been delayed by lack of funds and political will, just like nearly every other government agency. The last thing it needs is to keep fending off covetous government officials whose minds are far, very far, from heritage''.

Source: Rose Beatrix C. Angeles, "Intramuros, Manila", INQUIRER.net 07/09/2008 Intramuros Manila

Images of Intramuros

• 
  Puerta del Parian
• Puerta Isabela II
  Puerta Isabela II
• Palacio del Gobernador
  Palacio del Gobernador
• 
  Manila Cathedral
• 
  Fort Santiago
• 
  Reducto de San Pedro
• 
  Plaza de la Fuerza
• 
  Casa Manila
• 
  Plaza de Roma, with the statue of King Carlos IV of Spain
• Statue of Philip II of Spain in Intramuros
  Statue of Philip II of Spain in Intramuros
• 
  Intramuros Golf Course
• 
  A typical Calesa in Intramuros

External links

Intramuros: A Glorious Past Within Walls

• Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation Intramuros Map - dead link
• Department of Tourism's WOWPhilippines Intramuros Virtual Map - dead link
• Fort Santiago Panoramic View