Port History
The 16th Century Port of Manila was first a Muslim settlement at the mouth of the Pasig River on Manila Bay. In 1570, a Spanish force quickly defeated and made peace with the ruling Muslims. They built a walled city on the Pasig River to protect Spanish colonists. It was proclaimed the capital of the Philippines in 1595.
U.S. troops invaded the Port of Manila in 1898 during the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars. After they defeated Spain, they took control of the city and islands. The 1898 Treaty of Paris gave the islands to the U.S. for $20 million, ending Spain's 333 years of rule.
On January 2, 1942, Japanese marched into the Port of Manila, ending American rule for a time. In October 1944, General MacArthur kept his promise to return to the islands, and the battle that devastated the Port of Manila also liberated it. The Manila Massacre, where 100,000 civilians were killed by angry Japanese troops, took place before Filipino and American troops could reach the city.
The Port of Manila is one of the finest natural harbors in the world, and it was an important trade center as early as the 9th Century when its trading partners included China, Japan, and India. With Muslim occupation, trade with Arabian countries was established, and the Spanish Period brought trade with European and Latin American countries.
Port Commerce
The Philippine Ports Authority is a government corporation specially charged with financing, managing, and operating public ports throughout the archipelago. The Port of Manila International Container Terminal has an annual capacity of 1.5 million tons, and its container-handling services are world-class. Container throughput is more than 72 thousand tons, and it handles over half of all international containers in the Port of Manila.
Cruising and Travel
The Port of Manila's old town, Intramuros, retains the old character of the islands. It's located in the central city and a favorite spot for tourists. Home of the Manila Cathedral, Intramuros also holds the 16th Century San Augustin Church built of stone and mortar. Called the 揚ermanent Miracle in Stone?because it's survived so many disasters, the church is the burial place of Spanish conquistadors.
