Manila isn’t what it looks like—it’s a city built on ghosts and dreams. From the spotless streets of BGC to the chaos of Makati and the memory-soaked walls of Intramuros, this is Manila stripped bare: the Philippines’ past, present, and future colliding in one place.
Manila isn’t one city—it’s many lives stacked on top of each other, and tthis journey dives into the city’s soul. Once a U.S. military base called Fort McKinley, Bonifacio Global City became the Philippines’ bold declaration of modernity—a vision of order, ambition, and global identity. But cross the invisible borders into Makati,—a city of commerce and contradictions, where traffic and nostalgia blend under the shade of old trees. Then, wander into Poblacion, where Manila refuses to hide. Here, rich and poor, past and present, collide in plain sight. And beyond, in Intramuros and Binondo, the ghosts of empire and trade still whisper through the cobblestones and market alleys.
This is not a “top 10” list—it’s an exploration of what Manila really is: a living, breathing collision of history, ambition, and survival. Because Manila isn’t a destination—it’s an education.
00:00 BGC Bonifacio Global City
03:08 Manila American Cemetery
03:37 McKinley Hill, Venice Grand Canal Mall
04:16 Uptown BGC
05:39 Makati
08:47 Poblacion
11:11 Intramuros
12:36 Binondo Chinatown
13:25 Pasig River Promenade Market
14:52 Bringing it Together
