Intramuros
”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.
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