30 Photos of Makati During Its Early Days

The city of Makati wasn't always the busy central business district it is today. Before the presence of skyscrapers and shopping malls, Makati was merely an empty grassland. Through time, the city has evolved from an airport to a prime real estate spot, as well as the busiest city in the country. See what Makati has looked like through history.

Nielson Airport (now Ayala Triangle) under construction

The Manila International Air Terminal in Makati

The beginnings of the Makati we know now

The iconic façade of Rustan's Department Store

An aerial view of Forbes Park in the '60s

Three men along Ayala Avenue

Makati policemen next to a police wagon

Christmas decorations on Ayala Avenue

The Rizal Theater

Buendia Avenue

An aerial view of Makati in the '60s

Makati Medical Center under construction

Poblacion in the '60s

A street scene along J.P. Rizal

Passengers lining up at the Love Bus terminal

The QUAD in 1977

A lady in front of the Makati Commercial Center

Tesoro's in the '70s

The Insular Life building

A street scene in 1973

An aerial view of Ayala Avenue in the '70s

The eagle statue at EDSA, Guadalupe

SM Makati in the '80s

A crowded Rustan's Department Store

A newly opened Makati Cinema Square

Ayala Avenue in the '80s

Hotel InterContinental Manila

A double-decker bus along Ayala Avenue

The Rustan's parking lot in the early '90s

Ayala Avenue in the '90s