Manila trip report - 2022 edition

Beginning the mammoth task of reporting on transport and urban development in the megacity of Metro Manila.

This was my first time back in Manila since starting Future Southeast Asia. Not having a Future Manila page on this site was a glaring omission for a site about urban development in Southeast Asia.

Manila is one of the biggest cities in the world. It’s a city made up of multiple cities, so picking where to start was an overwhelming choice.

This trip became easier when I resigned myself to the fact that I will not be able to cover everything on one trip. Instead of covering the 16 cities and 1 municipality that comprise Metro Manila, I limited myself to covering the two areas I was staying in (Manila and Makati). I also rode every metro rail line and visited what will be the central railway station.

To get a better understanding of the city, I made a plan to ride every metro line and try every interchange. If you are new to Future Southeast Asia, I have been writing about the shoddy metro interchanges in Bangkok. Well, the metro interchanges in Manila make Bangkok look organised. I also saw some of the most modern streetscapes in Southeast Asia. It’s a gigantic, messy, complicated city, and I already can’t wait to go back.

I’ve now started a Future Manila page, which covers major transport and urban development projects in Metro Manila. I will keep adding to this over time and make updated notes in the weekly newsletter.

The next section is my trip report for Manila, covering transport and urban development issues. This is for paid subscribers, who fund these future city guides.