Metropolitan Manila (or Metro Manila) is the name used for the greater Manila area. Manila is comprised of 16 cities and 1 municipality that form the National Capital Region (NCR). When referring to Manila it could refer to Manila City (one of the cities of the NCR) or Metro Manila as a whole. Either way, Manila is a huge city.
[Political map of Metro Manila by Philtro.]
Manila City is considered the most densely populated in the world, while Metro Manila has a recorded population density of 21,765 persons per square kilometre. Depending on what statistics you use, it is the 4th or 5th largest urban area in the world (behind Tokyo, Jakarta, New Delhi, and Shanghai). One estimate puts Metro Manila with a population of over 28 million people. Jakarta has the largest urban area population in Southeast Asia (about 30 million people) but it “only” has a density/km2 of 4,898.
This Future Manila page continues the Future Cities series at Future Southeast Asia. Even though the cities of the NCR are considered cities in themselves, this page will put everything on one page. If it gets too unwieldy I will break up the page into its city parts.
This page is an ongoing project, so I have set up the index structure first and I will fill in the other cities over time.I will also do a separate page for the future urban rail transit system and the land reclamation projects of Manila Bay. I will index those pages here once they are published.
Index
Map of Metro Manila
Metro Manila / National Capital Region (NCR)
Caloocan
Las Piñas
Makati
Malabon
Mandaluyong
Manila
Marikina
Muntinlupa
Navotas
Parañaque
Pasay
Pasig
Pateros (municipality)
Quezon City
San Juan
Taguig
Valenzuela
Land Reclamation
Horizon Manila
New Manila Bay City of Pearl
Transport
Airports
Railways
Urban Rail Transit
Manila News
Map of Metro Manila
This map of Metro Manila lists projects that are mentioned in this article. There are not enough layers on Google Maps for every city, so I have placed a star on the city hall of each city to mark a new city list.
[Map of Metro Manila.]
Metro Manila / National Capital Region (NCR)
Makati
Park Central Towers
Location: Paseo de Roxas, 8735 Makati Ave, Makati, Metro Manila.
Developer: Ayala Land Premier.
News: skyscrapercity.com.
Park Central Towers is a high-end residential condominium project in the Makati CBD. The two towers are 69 storeys (248m) in the South Tower and 56 storeys (189m) in the North Tower.
The Estate Makati
Location: Ayala Ave, Makati, Makati, Metro Manila.
Developers: SMDC and Federal Land.
Website: theestatemakati.com.
Architect: Foster + Partners.
News: skyscrapercity.com.
The Estate Makati is a 276.8m/54F luxury apartment tower in Makati.
The Estate Makati news
Foster + Partners gives a modern touch to The Estate Makati – [21/10/19]
“Their first development in the country, a condominium tower, is set to rise along Ayala Avenue and is every bit of modern, matching the pace of the ever-changing city skyline.”
Stratford Residences
Location: PICAR Place, Kalayaan Ave. Brgy. Poblacion, Makati, Metro Manila.
Website: stratford.ph.
Developer: picardevelopment.com.
News: skyscrapercity.com.
Wikipedia: The Stratford Residences.
The Stratford Residences was promoted as the tallest residential building in the Philippines. Initially planned to be 74 storeys and 400 metres in height, the project has since stalled and will be scaled down to 250 metres.
Mandaluyong
Shang One Horizon
Location: 253 Shaw Blvd, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila.
Developer: Shang Properties, Inc.
News: skyscrapercity.com.
Shang One Horizon (also referred to as SPI Tower) 238.42m/60F mixed-use tower.
Manila
Angela Apartments
Location: 2125 M. H. Del Pilar St, Malate, Manila City, Metro Manila.
News: skyscrapercity.com.
Angela Apartments is a 208-metre/61-floor tower by local Philippine developer Metro City and the Fortune 500 Greenland Group.
Angela Apartments news
The sudden demolition of Angela Apartments leaves a lot of unanswered questions – [29/01/19]
“Heritage conservationist Isidra Reyes examines the ways that the 80-year-old building was torn down in what seems like the blink of an eye.”
Asia Plaza
Location: Corner Adriatico St and Salas St, Malate, Manila City, Metro Manila.
Developer: Dkw Asia Realty.
News: skyscrapercity.com.
Aspire Tower
Location: M. H.Del Pilar, Malate, Manila City, Metro Manila.
Developer: P出 Hong Realty Group Corporation.
News: skyscrapercity.com.
48-storey residential building.
Jiangsu Tower
Location: 1332 M. H. Del Pilar St., Malate, Manila City, Metro Manila.
Facebook: @jiangsutower.
News: skyscrapercity.com.
Jiangsu tower is a 58-floor condominium.
Sands Residences
Location: 2018 1000 Roxas Blvd, Malate, Manila City, Metro Manila.
Website: sands-residences.com.
Developer: SM Development Corporation.
News: skyscrapercity.com.
“Sands Residences is an upcoming residential condo in Roxas Boulevard, Manila. It will be SMDC’s first beachfront condo for sale in Manila. A luxurious, 51-floor master-planned community by Manila Bay.”
Pasig
I-Conic Tower
Location: Lot5, BRGY, Ugong, Pasig City, Metro Manila.
Developer: lcsgroup.com.ph
Quezon City
947 Sky Towers
Location: J2RQ+JH9, Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Manila.
Website: ddtskytower.com.ph.
Developer: datalandinc.com.
947 Sky Towers is office building project formerly known as DDT Sky Tower.
947 Sky Towers news
DataLand to launch P11-B project in Q1 2023 – [19/10/22]
“DLI originally launched the project as an office development before the pandemic. The former DDT Sky Towers will be relaunched in March 2023 as a mixed-use development under the name 947 Sky Towers.”
San Juan
Primex Tower
Location: Edsa, corner Connecticut, San Juan, Metro Manila.
Owner: Primex Realty Corporation.
The 50-storey office tower project in Greenhills will be the tallest tower in San Juan. Pullman Manila will occupy the upper 11 floors.
Primex Tower news
Developer set to finish tallest San Juan tower amid pandemic – [12/02/22]
Taguig
BWDC Residential Tower
Location: Forbestown Center, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Metro Manila.
Architect: Foster + Partners.
News: skyscrapercity.com
From Foster + Partners: “The 45-storey tower has 43 whole floor apartments. Each apartment has a wraparound veranda which is protected by large roof overhangs, shielding occupants from the extremes of Manila’s climate. The building is designed to provide residents with spectacular 270-degree views of the Manila Golf & Country Club and Manila Polo Club, a 60-hectare green lung in the centre of the city.”
Land Reclamation
Horizon Manila
Website: horizon-manila.com.
News: skyscrapercity.com.
Horizon Manila: Manileño is a 419-hectare reclamation project located in Manila Bay.
New Manila Bay City of Pearl
Website: cityofpearl.com.ph.
Developer: UAA Kinming Group Development Corporation.
Masterplan: hpahk.com.
News: skyscrapercity.com.
New Manila Bay City of Pearl news
World’s biggest “Smart City” to rise in Manila Bay – [01/02/19]
“The proposed reclamation project has been met with mixed reactions.”
China’s biggest Philippine project will be this massive smart city in Manila Bay – [05/04/17]
Transport
Airports
Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) rehabilitation
Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is the main airport of Manila, and it is famous for its congestion and delays. NAIA is in Parañaque and Pasay City in a built-up area, so expanding the airport would require land appropriation. Congestion is compounded by its cross-runway layout, which is a legacy of when it was USAF base Nichols Field. Most larger airports have a more efficient parallel runway operation.
NAIA news
DOTR to rebid NAIA rehab this year – [15/08/22]
“The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will rebid the rehabilitation of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) within the year.”
BBM urged to resume rehabilitation of NAIA – [01/07/22]
“Infrastructure-oriented think tank Infrawatch PH has called on President Marcos to immediately restart the rehabilitation of the country’s main international gateway, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).”
TIMELINE: The NAIA rehabilitation project – [16/12/20]
“From its humble beginnings as a United States Air Force base, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport eventually evolved into the country’s main international gateway. However, with tens of millions of travelers flying in and out on a yearly basis, congestion had plagued NAIA prior to the coronavirus pandemic as no alternatives were in place to help ease the airport’s air traffic.”
New Manila International Airport
New Manila International Airport is a new airport being built in Bulacan, north of Metro Manila. It’s not technically in Manila, but then Suvarnabhumi is not technically in Bangkok but it is Bangkok’s main airport.
Read more about New Manila International Airport.
Sangley Point International Airport
Sangley Point Airport (or Cavite Airport) is an airport at Sangley Point in Cavite Province, south of Metropolitan Manila. The airport is currently used for domestic flights, and it is planned to be expanded to an international airport to serve Manila.
Read more about Sangley Point International Airport.
Railways
North–South Commuter Railway
Website: nscr.com.ph.
The North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR), also known as the Clark–Calamba Railway, is a 147-km urban rail transit system running from New Clark City in Capas to Calamba, Laguna with 36 stations.
Urban Rail Transit
Unified Grand Central Station
The Unified Grand Central Station (also called North Triangle Common Station) is an under-construction urban rail transit station in Quezon City, Metro Manila. This transport hub will connect LRT Line 1, MRT Line 3, MRT Line 7 (under construction), and the Metro Manila Subway (under construction).
Read more about Unified Grand Central Station.
Makati Intra-city Subway
Manila Urban Rail Transit news
Duterte plans ‘Tokyo-style’ railway for Greater Manila – [07/03/19]
“The centerpiece of the plan is the country’s first subway line, modeled on Tokyo’s complex web of underground services. Along with a commuter rail service project and work to update a problem-stricken existing railway line, the public transit project will cost 1.17 trillion Philippine pesos ($22.4 billion) in total, funded in part by loans from Japan, with many Japanese players taking part in the efforts.”
Manila News
Satellite photos show Metro Manila’s rapid urbanization since 1984 – [26/04/21]
Mega Manila: ‘Golden age’ of infrastructure build-up? – [05/05/19]
“There’s a 9-trillion-peso ($171b) warchest earmarked for mega projects.”
Duterte: Manila will be a ‘dead city’ in 25 years – [07/12/17]
“President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said Manila will be a “dead city in 25 years” as he lamented the worsening traffic situation in the capital and moved for the development of other potential urban hubs outside Metro Manila.”
What is wrong with urban planning in Metro Manila? – [06/02/14]
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