Lifestyle
Inside the evolution of the lively megacity.
What Manila Looked Like the Year You Were Born

IMAGE WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Manila has been through a lot, from wars to uprisings, traffic to floods, and everything in between. If you've ever wondered what the megacity looked like the year you were born, here's a look at its early days to now.
1920: A street scene in Plaza Goiti

Photo by WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
1921: An early photo of the Pasig River

Photo by WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
CONTINUE READING BELOW
Recommended Videos
1922: Plaza de Santo Tomas in Intramuros, Manila

Photo by WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
1923: A horse carriage or kalesa in Manila

Photo by WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
1924: A street scene in Rizal Avenue, Manila
1925: A Passover Seder in Manila

Photo by WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
More: Why President Manuel Quezon Sheltered Jewish Refugees in the Philippines
1926: The 1926 Manila Carnival in Plaza Moraga
1927: An ambulance parked at the Philippine General Hospital
1928: An early photo of the Jones Bridge
1929: The newly built Manila Central Post Office

Photo by WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
1930: A busy street in '30s Manila
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
1931: Cars along Escolta Street
1932: People line up for rides at the 1932 Manila Carnival
1933: Japanese businessmen play baseball in pre-war Manila

Photo by WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
1934: Children at the playground at the 1934 Manila Carnival's Agriculture and Forestry Exhibit
1935: Escolta Street
1936: A flooded road during the rainy season
Rainy season Manila, Philippines, 1936 pic.twitter.com/rnAKLcHYJN
— Manuel L. Quezon III (@mlq3) August 3, 2019
1937: People walking along the Jones Bridge
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
1938: An aerial view of pre-war Manila
1939: Manila street scene
1940: People walking along Escolta Street
1941: Outside of the Nippon Bazar
1942: A crowded street during the Japanese Occupation
1943: A Japanese flag hangs outside a building
1944: An American G.I. gathers Mickey Mouse money into a pile
1945: An aerial view after the Battle of Manila

Photo by PXFUEL.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
1946: A busy scene outside the Quiapo Church
1947: Palma Hall at the University of the Philippines Manila
1948: The newly opened Magnolia Rendezvous
1949: Quezon Boulevard in Quiapo, Manila
1950: Jones Bridge during the start of the '50s
1951: Jeepneys line Quiapo in Manila
1952: A street scene in Manila
1953: An aerial view of Manila
1954: Two Filipino women crossing the street
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
1955: Taft Avenue in Manila
1956: A young woman at the Little Quiapo Soda Fountain and Restaurant
1957: A street scene in Manila
1958: Jeepneys parked in front of billboards
1959: Jeepneys zoom past the Manila City Hall
1960: Dewey Boulevard
1961: The Quiapo Church
1962: A traffic enforcer in Azcarraga Street corner Avenida Street
1963: Jeepneys parked outside the University of Santo Tomas
1964: View of Dewey Boulevard
1965: The Rizal Theater designed by National Artist Juan Nakpil
1966: The newly built Cultural Center of the Philippines
1967: The old Magnolia Ice Cream Plant in Echague Street
1968: Horse carriages in P. Blanco Street in Manila
1969: Quinta Market in Echague Street
1970: A busy street scene in Manila
1971: People walk along España Boulevard
1972: A jeepney-filled Rizal Avenue
1973: The Makati Supermart
1974: Traffic along Taft Avenue near the Philippine General Hospital
1975: Rizal Theater
1976: Avenida (now Rizal Avenue)
1977: Plaza Lawton (now Liwasang Bonifacio)
1978: A street scene in Quiapo
1979: One of Quiapo's streets
1980: The Peninsula Manila
1981: The LRT at Avenida
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
1982: T.M. Kalaw in Manila
1983: Buses and jeepneys in Quiapo
1984: View of the LRT construction from the Quezon Bridge
1985: The renovation of Quiapo Church
1986: A traffic jam in Ermita
1987: The New Frontier Theater
1988: People walking the streets of Quiapo
1989: A Jollibee outlet
1990: Boni Avenue-EDSA
1991: Vehicles stopped in front of a stoplight
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
1992: The Bellevue Theater
1993: EDSA in the '90s
1994: A flooded street
1995: An aerial view of a busy street
1996: A typical Manila street scene
1997: Set of movie posters on the street
1998: A traffic jam in Manila
1999: A busy open-air market
2000: The Manila Cathedral
2001: View of Makati from Makati Shangri-La
2002: The Manila City Hall from Intramuros
2003: Manila's harbor along Roxas Boulevard
2004: A view of Glorietta and Landmark from the New World Hotel
2005: The Makati skyline

Photo by WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
2006: The Manila Metropolitan Theater's facade

Photo by WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
2007: A street scene in Manila
2008: The Rizal Monument in Rizal Park
2009: A jai alai building in Manila

Photo by WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
2010: Plaza Miranda in Quiapo, Manila

Photo by WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
2011: The Makati skyline behind the Manila Golf and Country Club

Photo by WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
2012: The Manila Hotel

Photo by WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
2013: An aerial view of the Pasig River
2014: The LRT approaching EDSA Station

Photo by WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
2015: A sea of people at the Quirino Grandstand
2016: Quezon Boulevard in Quiapo, Manila

Photo by WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
2017: A view of Manila from Intramuros

Photo by WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
2018: The Makati skyline from San Andres, Manila

Photo by WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
2019: The city lights of Metro Manila
2020: Roxas Boulevard's skyline

Photo by WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
More Videos You Can Watch
Latest Feed
Load More Articles