Makati

By 1898, Spain ceded the Philippines and other overseas possessions to the United States after the former's defeat in the Spanish–American War. In 1901, the Americans declared the whole area south of the Pasig River, including the town of San Pedro de Macati, down to Alabang in Muntinlupa, a US military reservation, thus establishing Fort McKinley (now Fort Bonifacio). That same year, the whole town, with a population of 25,000, was incorporated from the Province of Manila to the new province of Rizal, with Marcelino Magsaysay serving as the town president. As the 1910s approached, the Meralco tranvia lines to Fort McKinley and to the western end of the town were built, opening transport lines for its residents and thus brought along potential investors who opened several businesses including the famous Santa Ana Cabaret at the terminus of the streetcar lines.

On February 28, 1914, the Philippine Legislature passed Act 2390, shortening the name, San Pedro de Macati, to simply Makati.

In 1937, the airport Nielsen Field opened in what is now the Ayala Triangle, the control tower of which still exists and is currently a restaurant. The tracks of the now Philippine National Railways reached Makatie early in the decade. During that same period, Santa Ana Park, the nation's second horse racing facility, opened to expectations from horse racing fans.

Ayala Avenue (1982).

After the destruction Second World War had brought upon Manila, and the subsequent closure of Nielson Field, the town grew rapidly, and real estate values boomed. The first of the planned communities (in what are now the barangays Forbes Park, Urdaneta, San Lorenzo and Bel-Air) were established in the 1950s with the efforts of its landowner, Ayala y Compañía. At the same time, Fort McKinley, then renamed Fort Bonifacio, and the then Philippine Army headquarters, became the starting point for the building up of seven more communities by military families who worked in the base area. The first office buildings were built on what is now the Makati Central Business District. Since the late 1960s, Makati has transformed into the financial and commercial capital of the country.[12]

During the terms of town mayors Máximo Estrella, Rafael Bañola, José Luciano, Cézar Alzona and Nemesio Yabut, massive development of the town took place, and foreign and local investors were welcomed to what was tagged as the nation's number one municipality at the time. Makati's central location adjacent to the city of Manila also made it an industrial hub for major national and international corporations. Partly as a result a new town hall just miles from the old one was built in 1962 just along J.P. Rizal Avenue (the old hall was later converted into the city museum). Mayor Bañola's term of office as town executive saw the building up of what is now the Ayala Center with the help of the Ayala firm, which would become the city's central shopping center of today.

In 1975, Makati was separated from Rizal province along with Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Quezon City, Marikina, San Juan, Pasig, Mandaluyong, Pateros, Taguig, Pasay City, Parañaque, Las Piñas, and Muntinlupa, to become part of the National Capital Region as a component municipality.[16]

Makati was the setting of what is believed to be the single biggest case of involuntary disappearance during martial law[17][18][19] – the case of the "Southern Tagalog 10" – ten activists from the nearby Southern Tagalog region, mostly in their twenties,[20] who were abducted in late July 1977 at the Makati Medical Center.[21]

Following the assassination of opposition senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. on 21 August 1983, Makati became a nexus for protests against the dictatorship of President Ferdinand E. Marcos. Known as the Confetti Revolution, the demonstrations held in the central business district were led partly by employees of major corporations based in the area, culminating in the 1986 People Power Revolution that toppled Marcos’ 20-year authoritarian regime. His political rival and successor, Corazon C. Aquino–the wife of the deceased senator Aquino–became the eleventh and first female president of the Philippines. After the death of Mayor Yabut during the Revolution, Aquino appointed Jejomar Binay as acting mayor of the town of Makati; he was subsequently elected as mayor in 1988. in the early 1990s, the first skyscrapers were built during his term as Mayor.

On January 2, 1995 (one day after new year), Former President Fidel V. Ramos signed Republic Act 7854 "An Act Converting the Municipality of Makati into a Highly-Urbanized City to be known as the City of Makati", making Makati as the seventh city in Metro Manila. The law approved by a plebiscite one month later, on February 2, 1995, by majority of voters.

Maps of Makati and Taguig with disputed land

On May 17, 2000 at 5:02 p.m., the Glorietta Mall located inside the Ayala Center was bombed, injuring 13 persons. According to local authorities, the homemade bomb originated from a restroom of a restaurant a video arcade. The bombing was said to be the precursor of the May 21, 2000 SM Megamall bombing and the Rizal Day bombings.[22] On October 19, 2007, an explosion in Glorietta 2 left eleven people dead and injured more than a hundred. Initially, authorities said that it was caused by a liquefied petroleum gas explosion at a restaurant, but later began investigating the possibility that the explosion may have been a C-4 bomb.[23][24]

In 2020, Makati and the entire metropolitan Manila was placed under community quarantine for two months starting March 15 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the Köppen climate classification system, the city features a tropical monsoon climate. Together with the rest of the Philippines, Makati lies entirely within the tropics. Its proximity to the equator means that the temperature range is very small, rarely going lower than 20 °C (68 °F) or going higher than 38 °C (100 °F). However, humidity levels are usually very high which makes it feel much warmer. It has a distinct, albeit relatively short dry season from January through May, and a relatively lengthy wet season from June through December.

Makati is one of the most well-known shopping hubs of Metro Manila. Various shopping centers, offering both international and local retail shops, high-end boutiques, dining outlets and entertainment facilities can be found around the city.[35]

The Ayala Center is a major commercial development operated by Ayala Land located in the Makati CBD. The center is known for its wide array of shopping, entertainment and cultural offerings, making it a premier shopping and cultural district in the metropolis.[36] It is a vast walkable complex with high-end malls that houses cinemas, local and international shops, homegrown restaurants and international food chains. The shopping malls that are located at the Ayala Center include Greenbelt, Glorietta, Park Square, and The Link. The Ayala Center is also home to 3 department stores namely, SM Makati, Rustan's, and The Landmark.

Aside from the Ayala Center, the Rockwell Center is also a popular shopping district in Makati. It is home to the Power Plant Mall. The Salcedo Saturday Market and Legazpi Sunday Market are popular open-air community markets. These markets offers organic products, specialty foods, fruits, vegetables, fish, gourmet items and antiques. There is also the Century City Mall, located within Century City, located near Rockwell Center, and behind the Makati Central Business District, it is a Modern, High End Mall, and also dubbed "The Mall of Modern Makati".

The newest mall that can be found in Makati is Circuit Makati, it is located at the former Sta Ana Racetrack.

Formerly known as Tejeron and constituting part of the Santa Ana-Población road, it is the first Makati road which appears on Spanish-colonial-era maps.

This Japanese neighborhood can be found along the stretch of Chino Roces Avenue and neighboring streets in the area approximately between Rufino Street and Arnaiz Avenue.

The Magallanes Interchange, which was conceived in 1969 and opened in 1975, was one of the first structures of its kind in the country.

Museo ng Makati

Located along J.P. Rizal St., the Museo ng Makati is housed in an old building, which was built in 1918 and has been used as Makati's town hall from 1918 to 1961. The museum keeps the records of Makati's history through a collection of rare photographs, murals, and dioramas. It also contains artifacts, such as the fossils of pre-historic animals and earthenware.[37]

The museum's architecture is a classic "Bahay na Bato", made of masonry at the ground floor and wood at the upper level. In 1934, during the reign of Mayor Nicanor Garcia, the structure was rebuilt using concrete materials. In 1958, while it was still used as a town hall, then Mayor Maximo Estrella had it renovated. In 1961, when the offices of the local government of Makati moved its office a few miles from this building, the old town hall was used as the Municipal Library.

When the library was transferred to the new city hall compound, the old town hall was used as the Philippine Eye and Ear Infirmary. During the term of Mayor Jejomar Binay, the structure was converted into a museum through City Ordinance No. 186, enacted in March 1990.[38]

The Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church.

The Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church is a baroque Roman Catholic church which was established in 1601 by Augustinian fathers.[39] Its original architecture is a blend of the late Spanish Renaissance and early Baroque design. The touch of the Renaissance period is found in the main entrance with rose window and simple Doric columns. The interiors and the window details, meanwhile, have influences of Baroque architecture. The floor plan, on the other hand, is Romanesque.[39] During the Seven Years' War, this church was raided by the British, an event which marks the first time that Makati was affected by a global conflict. The church was damaged due to an earthquake in 1880 and in 1898 during the early skirmishes between American and Filipino troops.[40]

The Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church is one of the most popular wedding venues in Metro Manila.[41][42]

Tucked in D.M. Rivera St. and surrounded by skyscrapers and residential areas, Sts. Peter and Paul Church is the oldest church in Makati, which was opened to the faithful in 1620.[43] It was built by Jesuit priest Rev. Pedro de los Montes at a site named Buenavista through the generous donation of Capt. Pedro de Britto in 1607.[44]

The church's architectural design is a rectangular nave with apse and sacristy, which is a usual design for colonial mission churches.[45] The façade is composed of three-tiered papal and keys, symbols of the Papacy, which was first occupied by St. Peter, one of the patron saints of the parish.[46]

This monument is dedicated to the Ilocano revolutionary Gabriela Silang. It is located at the corner of the Ayala and Makati avenues.

Circuit Makati is a riverfront project by Ayala Landon the site of the former Santa Ana Race Track in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines. The 21-hectare (52-acre) site located in the northwest portion of Makati, on the south bank of the Pasig River, is planned to contain a mixed-use entertainment complex which would include an indoor theater, a shopping mall, hotels and residential and office skyscrapers. It would also contain a football turf, skate park and an outdoor entertainment area

Opened in 1969 and located along Ayala Avenue at the eastern quadrant of the Makati Commercial Center (now Ayala Center), the Hotel Inter-Continental Manila was the first luxury hotel in Makati. During its early years, it was among the top three hotels in the country – along with the Manila Hilton in Ermita and the Savoy Hotel (later becoming the Hyatt Regency) in Pasay City. It closed in 2015 and the building was demolished shortly thereafter to give way to a new development to be named One Ayala.

This part of Namayan was sacred to early Tagalogs. Hagdang bató (see photo) is mentioned in chapter sixty-one of José Rizal's first novel, Noli Me Tángere, and chapter three of his second novel, El Filibusterismo. During the Revolution on 10 June 1897, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and about five hundred soldiers crossed the Pasig River at Hagdang bató during the march to Biac-na-bató in Bulacán.

This was the first luxury movie theater and performance venue in Makati and was located south of the Makati and Ayala avenues intersection. It opened in 1960 and was demolished in 1989 to give way to the construction of the Makati Shangri-la hotel (opened in 1993) which presently stands on the site.

It shared the same name as the Cinematografo Rizal located in Manila, which was the first cinema not owned by foreigners. This establishment, owned by José Jiménez, opened as a movie house in 1903 and five years later its address was recorded as 155 Calle Azcárraga in Tondo, Manila. About a decade later its address was Calle Ilaya (now Ilaya Street) and Calle Azcárraga in Tondo.

This twentieth-century nightclub (photos), owned by an American named John Canson, was once advertised as being the largest cabaret in the world. It opened in Tejeros in 1921 and was in business until 1970, when a typhoon destroyed it. Famous patrons included President Manuel Quezon, Governor-General Francis Harrison, and General Douglas MacArthur. It is also said that Edward, Prince of Wales once visited it. During World War II it was converted into a garment factory, producing shirts and military uniforms for the Japanese. After the Americans returned to Makati in February 1945, they converted their famous dance hall into a temporary medical facility. It was the forerunner of fashionable discos of the eighties and nineties, such as Manila's classy Stargazer, as well as Makati's Euphoria, Faces, and Mars. Its modern counterpart is the Valkyrie Nightclub in Taguig.

Opened in 1937 by the Philippine Racing Club, it was the first notable sport venue of Makati, and was the forerunner of other famous Makati sport venues where international competitions were held such as the Manila Golf Club, which located in Makati in 1948, the Manila Polo Club, which relocated to Makati in 1950, and the defunct Astrobowl Magallanes. It was larger than the San Lazaro Racetrack in Santa Cruz, Manila.

During World War II it became a military storage area, and as a consequence was targeted by aerial bombardment toward the end of the war. On 9 February 1945, it was at the Philippine Racing Club grounds that the Americans, advancing from Wack Wack golf club and crossing the Pasig River using amtracs, returned to Makati. Afterward, they built a pontoon bridge (photo) which was one of two such temporary bridges they had to build after the last remaining bridges spanning the Pasig River—Banzai (Jones) and Santa Cruz (MacArthur)—were blown on 5 February. This pontoon bridge was damaged and knocked out by artillery fire on 10 and 11 February and was reported as having been repaired (photo). The Art-deco buildings of the racetrack were later used as a headquarters by US General MacArthur and also by Allied translators and interpreters.

Horse racing resumed during the postcolonial period. Toward the end of the twentieth century, an increase in the taxation of winnings combined with a rise in the ownership of TV sets led to a decline in attendance, which resulted in the closure of the racetrack in December 2008 and its demolition in 2013.

The Santiago Hospital was a twentieth-century medical facility in Población. Originally named Hospital Español de Santiago, it was founded in 1902 in Manila by the Spanish community as an infectious hospital for the hospitalization of Spaniards who, having to comply with sanitary regulations concerning compulsory hospitalization, preferred the services of this hospital rather than those of the public San Lazaro Hospital. Its earliest known address was 1819 Calle Azcárraga, Quiapo. In 1929, the hospital moved into its own building, an Art-deco structure in Makati, and at the beginning of the thirties was one of two hospitals in Rizal Province. By 1935, this medical facility, which had thirty-four beds, was classified as a general hospital which treated all sorts of diseases except those requiring compulsory segregation in government institutions, and by that time was admitting patients of nationalities other than Spanish.

During World War II, Santiago Hospital was administered by the Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres, and in February 1945 it had the distinction of being the only hospital in Greater Manila which remained open throughout the Battle of Manila. Santiago Hospital, which was once considered to be one of the best hospitals in the Philippines, closed in the 1960s as a result of the increasing urbanization of Makati.

Although generally believed to be Makati's first hospital, it was preceded by a hospital in Guadalupe which existed during the First Republic. Also over a decade earlier in 1884, the Spanish briefly operated in Guadalupe an orphanage, a type of institution which in their point of view was a medical facility. In 1917, the Americans also opened an orphanage in Makati, at Casa Quinta.

Makati is home to a number of fine art museums, colonial-era churches and recreation areas. Along the south-eastern border of Makati beyond Forbes Park are the Manila Golf Club and the Manila Polo Club.[47] The Manila Golf Club features an 18-hole golf course. The Manila Polo Club counts among its polo enthusiasts some of the country's wealthiest people. The Makati Sports Club in Salcedo Village is another popular place for sports. The Makati Coliseum is another famous sports landmark in the city, where some of the biggest sports gatherings are held.

The University of Makati Stadium in Makati is currently home to Kaya F.C.-Makati, who currently play in the Philippines Football League, the national football league of the Philippines. In the northwest, Circuit Makati's Gatorade-Chelsea Blue Pitch is a multi-use stadium, used not just for football games but since 2017 serves as the primary hub of the Philippine-American Football League.

The Ayala Museum is a private fine arts and history museum housing various exhibitions such as the "Gold of Ancestors," an exhibition of more than one thousand golden pre-Hispanic artifacts.[48] Other popular museums also in Makati also include the Yuchengco Museum and the Museo ng Makati.

Makati has several Spanish-era churches, such as the Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church (Our Lady of Grace) in the old town. At the Greenbelt Park stands the modern domed chapel of the Santo Niño de la Paz. Between Forbes Park and Dasmariñas Village is the Santuario de San Antonio, a popular church for weddings in the Makati area. The National Shrine of the Sacred Heart is located in San Antonio Village. Makati also houses the country's only Jewish synagogue, Beth Yaacov.[49]

According to Time.com, Makati is not only the financial center of the Philippines, but also the selfie capital of the world.[50]

There is a red-light district around Padre Burgos Street.[51]

Two of Metro Manila's main arteries pass through Makati. The Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) pass along the city's southeast part and connects it with the cities of Mandaluyong and Pasay. The South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) runs through the city's western part and connects it with the city of Manila to the north and with southern Metro Manila. The Skyway is an elevated expressway connects with NLEX and SLEX, provides residents coming from Northern Luzon, Northern Metro Manila, Southern Luzon and other cities of Southern Metro Manila a fast way to reach Makati. SLEX and EDSA intersect at the Magallanes Interchange, which is the most complex system of elevated roadways in Metro Manila.

Buses plying the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA/C-4) route from Baclaran in Parañaque to Quezon City and Caloocan pass through the central business/financial district daily. Jeepneys ply Makati's inner roads and connect the city to its surrounding towns and cities.

The country's first-ever e-jeepney and hybrid bus services were piloted in Makati. The buses are parallel electric hybrids, powered by an electric motor and a Euro 3 diesel motor. The hybrid buses ply the route from Gil Puyat Avenue (Tramo/LRT-1 Taft) to Kalayaan Avenue (C-5), which are considered among the busiest in the city's central business district, cutting through other major roads like South Superhighway; Chino Roces, Ayala and Makati Avenues; Paseo de Roxas and EDSA.[54]

Other major roads in the city include Gil Puyat Avenue, which connects EDSA and SLEX in the north; Ayala Avenue, an important street that runs through the Makati CBD; and Makati Avenue, which connects Ayala Avenue with Gil Puyat Avenue, also extending north to cross the Pasig River to Mandaluyong. At the center of Makati is the Ayala Triangle, a park built on the former Nielsen Air Base.

Line 3 on EDSA has four stations located in Makati: Guadalupe, Buendia, Ayala and Magallanes.

The Philippine National Railways has three stations: Dela Rosa, Pasay Road and EDSA.

In 2013, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) worked on a feasibility study for a $1.75 billion monorail project. The proposed 12.56-kilometer elevated monorail is envisioned to connect Makati, Bonifacio Global City and Pasay through the Line 3 as well as the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The present alignment being considered starts from the Line 3 Guadalupe Station, enters Bonifacio Global City through the north gate and ends at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. If approved, the monorail project can be completed by 2016.[55]

In 2015, the NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) approved the Public-Private Partnership project for the Makati-Pasay-Taguig Mass Transit System Loop which will have stations at key points in Makati namely Line 3 Buendia, Ayala-EDSA, Ayala Triangle, Makati Post Office and PNR-Buendia which was later shelved and partially revived in 2018 as the Makati Intra-City Subway which inherits most of the stations in Makati and its designation as Line 5.[56]

The city is 20 minutes away from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The Pasig River is located north of Makati. The Pasig River Ferry Service has two stations: Guadalupe and Valenzuela.

Map of Makati; note that Makati controls strips of land of Barangay Post Proper Northside and Post Proper Southside, Makati.

Makati is divided into 33 barangays (the smallest local government units) which handles governance in a much smaller area. These barangays are grouped into two congressional districts where each district is represented by a congressman in the country's House of Representatives. Congressional District I is composed of the barangays straddling EDSA, the barangays to the north and west of them, while excluding Guadalupe Viejo and Pinagkaisahan, while District II are to the south and east of District I, including the two aforementioned baragays. The districts used to elect the members of the city council are coextensive with the congressional districts.

The Seal of Makati composes of the outline map of Makati containing 33 rays, green buildings, and a church.

The map of Makati is in golden yellow color which represents wealth and prosperity. The rays represent the 33 barangays of Makati which are described to be "surging forward to a brighter future". The color of the buildings symbolizes life which is described to reflect a "new progressive" Makati. The church represents the oldest church of Makati, the Nuestra Señora de Gracia, which was used by Filipino revolutionaries against the Spaniards in 1896 and the Americans in 1898. The waves represent the tide which came from the phrase "Makati na, Kumakati na" which means ebbing tide.[59]

Most of the diplomatic missions resident in the Philippines are located in Makati: