I often get asked interesting questions about The Philippines ‘ capital city of Manila. The National Capital Region (NCR) is the economic hub of The Philippines and the world’s most densely populated region with nearly 43,000 people per square kilometer. Just to put that into perspective the second-most densely populated city of Mumbai India only has 23,000 people per square kilometer (source).
What’s the Difference Between Manila and Maynila?
Maynila is the Filipino pronunciation of Manila. It’s like Spain vs España. The origin of the city name is Maynilad which is derived from “May” = There is/are and “Nilad” = which is a plant that can be found anywhere in the city, Eventually as the Philippines changed hands from the natives to the Spanish, to the Americans the name changed to its present form Manila. Both are correct and can still be used it’s just the old and the new form.
What’s the Difference Between Manila and Metro Manila?
Manila is the city proper while metro manila is the city as well as its surrounding cities and suburbs. It is officially known as the National Capital Region (NCR) or Metro Manila. It is made up of the City of Manila, Makati, Quezon City, Parañaque, Pasay, and Taguig, to name a few.
The city of Manila itself only has 1,780,148 people while metro manila as a whole has 12,877,253 people residing within its borders. The most populous cities in Metro Manila are:
- Quezon City (2,936,116),
- Manila (1,780,148),
- Caloocan (1,583,978)
- Taguig (804,915),
- Pasig (755,300),
- Parañaque (665,822),
- Valenzuela (620,422),
- Las Piñas (588,89
- Makati (582,602) and
- Muntinlupa (504,509).
What Does Greater Metro Manila Mean?
The phrase ‘Greater Metro Manila’ is used to cover neighboring provinces of Bulacan to the north, Cavite and Laguna to the south, and Rizal to the east. These provinces could be referred to as suburbs since most people living there work in Metro Manila and commute.
Are NCR and Metro Manila the Same?
The phrases National Captial Region and Metro Manila are interchangeable as they both refer to Metro Manila.
Is Cavite Part of Metro Manila?
Cavite not technically part of Metro Manila, it is, however, part of the Greater Metro Manila area. Cavite has an interesting history as it was where many of the elites used to live due to its higher elevation which offered greater protection from typhoons than low-lying Manila.It’s also been the site of many foreign invasions from the Dutch, the British, and the Americans. Cavite was the site of one of the final battles between the Americans and the Spanish in the Philippines during the Spanish-American war.
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