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City of Makati Lungsod ng Makati
—  Highly-urbanized City  —
Skyline of Makati
Official seal of City of Makati Seal
Nickname(s): The Financial Capital of the Philippines, the Wall Street of the Phils.
Motto: Makati, Mahalin Natin, Atin Ito
Map of Metro Manila showing the location of Makati City
City of Makati Map of the Philippines showing the location of Makati City
Coordinates: 14°33′N 121°2′E / 14.55°N 121.033°E / 14.55; 121.033Coordinates: 14°33′N 121°2′E / 14.55°N 121.033°E / 14.55; 121.033
Country	Philippines
Region	National Capital Region
Districts	1st and 2nd districts of Makati City
Barangays	33
Settled	1670
Cityhood	January 2, 1995
Government
• Type	Mayor–council government
• Mayor	Jejomar Erwin S. Binay, Jr. (PDP-Laban)
• Vice Mayor	Romulo V. Peña, Jr. (Independent)
• Makati City Council	Councilors 1st District Marie Alethea S. Casal-Uy Manuel Monsour T. del Rosario III Ferdinand T. Eusebio Virgilio V. Hilario, Sr. Arnold C. Magpantay Romeo C. Medina Tosca Camille P. Puno-Ramos Ma. Concepcion M. Yabut 2nd District Ma. Theresa Nilo-De Lara Henry A. Jacome Leonardo M. Magpantay Salvador D. Pangilinan Nelson S. Pasia Vincent T. Sese Mary Ruth C. Tolentino Nemesio S. Yabut, Jr.
Area
• Total	27.36 km2 (10.56 sq mi)
Elevation	15.4 m (50.5 ft)
Population (2007)
• Total	510,383
• Density	18,654/km2 (48,310/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	1200 to 1299
Area code(s)	2
Website	www.makati.gov.ph

The City of Makati (/məˈkɑːtɪ/ mə-KAH-tee; Filipino: Makati), in the Philippines, is one of the 17 cities that make up Metro Manila, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines. As the host of various embassies, it is also an important center for international affairs.

With a population of 510,383, Makati is the 16th largest city in the country and ranked as the 44th most densely populated city in the world with 18,654 inhabitants per km².

Makati was founded by Spaniard Miguel López de Legazpi, who dismissed Makati as a worthless swamp. According to folklore, Legazpi asked for the name of the place but, because of the language barrier, was misinterpreted by the natives. Pointing to the receding tide of Pasig River, the natives answered, “Makati, kumakati na,” literally meaning ebbing tide.

Makati became the financial center of the Philippines during the 1950s. Makati is home of the Philippine Stock Exchange and the Makati Business Club.

Although the city is noted for its cosmopolitan culture, it faces internal tensions owing to the wealth gap between residents, workers in and visitors to the newer part of city in the west, which contains the central business/financial district, and residents of the older part in the east, which is largely poor and where most of the slums are located.

History[link]

Prehistory[link]

The Philippines was inhabited by prehistoric animals from 1.7 million to 500,000 years ago. Fossil remains of stegodonts and rhinoceros were recovered in several places including areas where San Lorenzo Village and Fort Bonifacio are now located.

Early history[link]

Namayan included the present-day parts of the National Capital Region called San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati, Paco, and Pandacan. Namayan was older than both Tondo, which is mentioned in the Laguna Copperplate Inscription, and Maynila. Its last known ruler was Lakan Tagkan.

American occupation[link]

By 1898, Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States after the former's defeat in the Spanish-American War. In 1901, the Americans declared the whole land south of Pasig River, including the town of San Pedro de Macati, down to Alabang a U.S. Military Reservation; thus establishing Fort McKinley which now widely known as the Fort Bonifacio. That same year, the whole town, with a population of 25,000, was incorporated from Manila to the province of Rizal. In February 28, 1914, the The Philippine Legislature passed Act 2390, shortening the name San Pedro de Macati to simply Makati. In 1930s, the first airport in Luzon, Nielsen Field, opened in what is now the Ayala Triangle.

Post-World War II[link]

Urbanization[link]

After the World War II, the town grew rapidly, and the real estate property boomed. The first centrally planned communities were established in the 1950s with the help and support of the Ayala family, and since the 1970s, Makati has been the undisputed financial and commercial capital, the once worthless swampland becoming prime real property. Its role as the nation's financial capital could be traced to these years.

In 1975, Makati was separated from Rizal province along with Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Quezon City, Marikina, San Juan, Pasig, Mandaluyong, Pateros, Taguig, Pasay City, Parañaque, Las Piñas, and Muntinlupa, to become part of the National Capital Region as a component town.

In 1980s, Makati has also figured prominently in the political history of the Filipino. The community was one of the cradles of the revolt against Spanish colonial rule, and following the assassination of Ninoy Aquino in 1983, the epicenter of the protest movement against the dictatorship of President Ferdinand E. Marcos, which known historically as the People Power Revolution. After the revolution and the downfall of the Marcos’ 20-year presidential regime, Corazon C. Aquino, the wife of the deceased senator Aquino, became the new and first female president of the Republic of the Philippines and probably Asia. After the death of Mayor Nemesio Yabut during the People Power Revolution, she appointed Jejomar Binay as the acting mayor of the town of Makati and was elected as mayor in 1987.

Cityhood[link]

By January 2, 1995, Makati became an independent city by virtue of Republic Act 7854 and in the June 30, 1998, The Lone District of Makati City was separated and divided into 2 districts. Lone district Rep. Joker Arroyo became the representative of the first district, while Senator Agapito Aquino was elected representative of second district. Elenita Binay served for only three years (one term) as the first and only female city mayor so far.

By the start of the 21st century, the city was once again highlighted in media due to the political revolt against the government of then-president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. In July 27, 2003, the so-called Oakwood Mutiny was staged at the Oakwood Hotel by the Magdalo soldiers.

An accidental methane gas explosion ripped apart a section of the Glorietta Mall occurred on October 19, 2007 at 1:30 PM, killing 11 people.

In a continuation of events stemming from the Oakwood Mutiny, 25 Magdalo officers led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim overtook the Manila Peninsula Hotel on November 29, 2007 in what has been referred to as the Manila Pen Siege.

Geography and Landmarks[link]

Makati City is located within the circle of 14′40″ °north and 121′3″ °E right at the center of Metro Manila. The city is bounded on the north by the Pasig River, facing Mandaluyong City, on the northeast by Pasig City, on the southeast by the municipality of Pateros and Taguig City, on the northwest by the City of Manila, and on the southwest by Pasay City. Makati has a total land area of 27.36 square kilometers; it constitutes 4.3% of Metro Manila's total land area^{[citation needed]}.

Two of Metro Manila's main arteries pass through Makati. The Epifanio De los Santos Avenue (EDSA) pass along the southeast part of Makati and connects the city with Mandaluyong City and Pasay City. The South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) runs through the western part of Makati and connects the city with Manila to the north and with southern Metro Manila. The Skyway, an elevated highway built on top of SLEX, provides residents coming from southern Metro Manila a fast way to reach Makati. SLEX and EDSA intersect at the Magallanes Interchange.

Other major roads in Makati include Gil Puyat Avenue, also called by its former name Buendia Avenue, which connects EDSA and SLEX in the north; Ayala Avenue, an important street that runs through the central business/financial district; and Makati Avenue, which connects Ayala Avenue with Buendia Avenue, also extending north to cross the Pasig River to Mandaluyong City. At the center of Makati is the Ayala Triangle, a park built on the former Nielsen Air Base. The orientation of the main roads in the center of Makati, clearly not forming a standard grid as in many new cities, makes perfect sense as soon as you understand that Paseo de Roxas was Nielsen Field runway 07/25 and Ayala Avenue was runway 12/30, pretty much the same orientations as the present-day airport's runways, 06/24 and 13/31.

Climate[link]

Under the Köppen climate classification system, the city of Makati features a tropical monsoon climate. Together with the rest of the Philippines, Makati City lies entirely within the tropics. Its proximity to the equator means that the temperature range is very small, rarely going lower than 20 °C (68 °F) and going higher than 38 °C (100 °F). However, humidity levels are usually very high which makes it feel much warmer. It has a distinct, albeit relatively short dry season from January through May, and a relatively lengthy wet season from June through December.

Demographics[link]

Makati City includes a population of 510,383 residents, based on the 2007 Census and 567,349, according to 2010 Census (includes disputed barangays). Makati ranks ninth in population size within Metro Manila municipalities. This figure represents an increase of 95,970 over the 2000 Census figure. Makati is additionally rated as the 42nd most densely populated city in the world, with roughly 7,200 residents per square mile. This includes a grand total of 104,000 households, with an average size of 4.5 people per household. In the last century, Makati has experienced considerable growth. Its population is now over 190 times what it was in the early 1900s, with the 1903 Census estimated the population at only 2,700 residents.

The vernacular language is Filipino, based mostly on the Tagalog of surrounding areas, and this Manila form of speaking Tagalog (greatly mixed with words from other Philippine languages, as well as American English and Spanish) has essentially become the lingua franca of the Philippines, having spread throughout the archipelago through mass media and entertainment. Meanwhile, English is the language most widely used in education and business throughout the Metro Manila region. A number of older residents can still speak basic Spanish, which was a mandatory subject in the curriculum of Philippine universities and colleges, and many children or descendants of Chinese, European (especially Spanish), Middle Eastern, Indian, Latin American, or other migrants or expatriates also speak their parents' languages at home, aside from English and/or Filipino for everyday use.

At present, possibly the most famous among these native-born children of foreign expatriates, at least in the United States, is current National Football League star Tim Tebow, whose parents were American missionaries in the Philippines in the 1980s.

88.9% of Makati City residents identified their religious affiliation as Roman Catholic. Other religions include: Protestant, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism.

Even though Makati City's population is somewhat more than 500,000 during the day the population is believed to be over 1,000,000 because of the numbers of individuals who go to the city to work, play and shop, particularly in the financial district.

Economy and Infrastructure[link]

Skyline of Makati

The G.T. International Tower, the 3rd tallest building in the Philippines.

The financial district of Makati is bounded by EDSA, Gil Puyat Ave., Antonio Arnaiz Avenue/Pasay Road, and Chino Roces Avenue. It mainly encompasses Legazpi Village, Salcedo Village, Ayala Center, and parts of Bel-Air.

The Ayala Triangle is a sub-district of the Makati central business district, comprising the parcel of land between Ayala Avenue, Makati Avenue and Paseo de Roxas, as well as the buildings on those streets. Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas also house the distinction of being the runways of the former Nielson Field, Metro Manila's main airport in the 1930s.

The fifty tallest skyscrapers in the Philippines are located in Makati such as the PBCom Tower and G.T. International Tower. The skyscrapers of Metro Manila are, for the most part, clustered in many locations although three areas are distinct for having the largest clusters in the metropolis. The first and biggest is the Makati Business District, followed by the Ortigas Center Business District in Pasig. The newest to rise is the Bonifacio Global City Business District in Taguig. PBCom Tower along Ayala Avenue is the country's tallest building, reaching up 259 meters. It is the headquarters of the Philippine Bank of Communications, or PBCom. One of the trading floors of the Philippine Stock Exchange is housed in Ayala Tower One and at the old Makati Stock Exchange Building, both also along Ayala Avenue.

The Philippine Bank of Communications Tower, more commonly known as PBCom Tower, is an office skyscraper that currently holds the title, since 2000, of the tallest building in the Philippines. It has a total ground to architectural top height of 259 metres (850 ft), with 52 storeys [8] including an 8-level radio tower.

Shopping centers[link]

Shopping malls such as Glorietta, Greenbelt, Rockwell Center and Power Plant Mall are located in Makati.

Across Makati Avenue from Glorietta is Greenbelt. It is owned by Ayala Malls, a real-estate subsidiary of Ayala Land, which is an affiliate of Ayala Corporation. It opened in the 1980s and it is one of Ayala Corporation's flagship projects. Currently, the mall has five sections, two are indoor buildings and the other two buildings are open-air shopping. The most recent addition, Greenbelt 5, opened in 2007.

The Rockwell Center, an upscale mixed-use property, hosts the Power Plant Mall, the Asian Eye Institute, and the Ateneo de Manila Professional Schools main campus, which houses the Ateneo Law School, the Ateneo Graduate School of Business, and the Ateneo School of Government.

Education[link]

Makati City is home to the Asian Institute of Management (AIM). The Ateneo Professional Schools, a unit of the Ateneo de Manila University has facilities in Rockwell Center and Salcedo Village. The Rockwell campus houses the Ateneo Law School, the Ateneo Graduate School of Business, and the Ateneo School of Government. The Salcedo campus houses the Ateneo Information Technology Institute. The Mapua Institute of Technology on Gil Puyat Avenue is an extension of Mapua in Intramuros, Manila. In 2005, The Centro Escolar University opened its Makati campus situated in Gil Puyat Avenue. The university opened another building/unit in Legaspi Village in 2007.

Other notable colleges and Universities in Makati are the Asian Seminary of Christian Ministries (ASCM), Don Bosco Technical Institute, Makati, Assumption College, Colegio San Agustin, Makati Hope Christian School, Saint Paul College of Makati, Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary, Asia Pacific College,International Academy of Management and Economics (I.AME)and the University of Makati. Assumption College, in San Lorenzo Village, is an all-female college. The University of Makati (former name: Pamantasan ng Makati) is a university run by the city government. Also in the city are the Makati Science High School and Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino High School, both city-run high schools. Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Memorial Schools, named after Doña Remedios Romualdez, the mother of the former first-lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos a private nursing school owned by of one of Makati's renowned hospitals, Makati Medical Center.

Housing and residences[link]

The Forbes Park, originally developed in 1948, and Dasmariñas Village, first developed in the 1960s, are notable residences in Makati. A number of gated communities such as the San Lorenzo, Urdaneta, San Antonio, Bel-Air, San Miguel and Magallanes are also located within the city.

Culture[link]

The Ayala Museum

Along the south-eastern border of Makati are the Manila Golf Club and the Manila Polo Club. The Makati Sports Club and Makati Coliseum are also notable sports landmarks.

Ayala Museum is an art and history museum located at the corner of Makati Avenue and De la Rosa Street.

Makati has many Spanish-era churches, such as the Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Nuestra Señora de Gracia (Our Lady of Grace) in the old town. The Santuario de San Antonio is a popular church for weddings. The National Shrine of the Sacred Heart is located in San Antonio Village. Makati also houses the country's only Jewish synagogue, Beth Yaacov.

The Manila South Cemetery is located at the northern part of the city.

Transportation[link]

Land[link]

Ayala Avenue

Two of Metro Manila's main arteries pass through Makati. The Epifanio De los Santos Avenue (EDSA) pass along the southeast part of Makati and connects the city with Mandaluyong City and Pasay City. The South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) runs through the western part of Makati and connects the city with Manila to the north and with southern Metro Manila. The Skyway, an elevated highway built on top of SLEX, provides residents coming from southern Metro Manila a fast way to reach Makati. SLEX and EDSA intersect at the Magallanes Interchange, which is the most complex system of elevated roadways in Metro Manila.

Buses plying the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA/C-4) route from Baclaran in Parañaque to Quezon City and Caloocan City pass through the central business/financial district daily. Jeepneys ply Makati's inner roads and connect the city to its surrounding towns and cities. The Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3) on EDSA has four stations located in Makati: Guadalupe, Buendia, Ayala and Magallanes. The Philippine National Railways meanwhile has three stations: Buendia, Pasay Road and EDSA.

Other major roads in Makati include Buendia Avenue, also called Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, which connects EDSA and SLEX in the north; Ayala Avenue, an important street that runs through the central business/financial district; and Makati Avenue, which connects Ayala Avenue with Buendia Avenue, also extending north to cross the Pasig River to Mandaluyong City. At the center of Makati is the Ayala Triangle, a park built on the former Nielsen Air Base.

Water[link]

The Pasig River is located on the North of Makati. The Pasig River Ferry Service has two stations: Guadalupe and Valenzuela.

Government[link]

Jejomar Binay, current Vice President of the Philippines and former Mayor of Makati from 1986 to 1998 and again from 2001 to 2010

Like other cities in the Philippines, Makati City is governed by a Mayor and Vice Mayor who are elected to three-year terms. The Mayor is the executive head and leads the city's departments in executing the city ordinances and improving public services.The current mayor for the 2010–2013 term is Jejomar Erwin S. Binay, the only son of former Mayor and now Vice President Jejomar Binay. The city mayor is restricted to three consecutive terms, totaling nine years, although a mayor can be elected again after an interruption of one term. Romulo “Kid” Peña is the city's incumbent vice-mayor. The Vice Mayor heads a legislative council consisting of 18 members: 8 Councilors from the First District, 8 Councilors from the Second District, the President of the Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Council) Federation, representing the youth sector, and the President of the Association of Barangay Chairmen (ABC) as barangay sectoral representative. The council is in charge of creating the city's policies in the form of Ordinances and Resolutions. Current district representatives of the city are Monique Yazmin Q. Lagdameo, representing the 1st district and Mar-len Abigail S. Binay, daughter of Jejomar Binay, for the 2nd district.

Makati City, being a part of the Metro Manila region, has its mayor in the Metro Manila Council headed by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA). This council formulates development plans that seeks to solve the problems and improve the conditions in the metropolis.

Makati city is divided into 33 barangays (the smallest local government units) which handles governance in a much smaller area. These barangays are grouped into two congressional districts where each district is represented by a congressman in the country's House of Representatives. Congressional District I occupies the western and modern half of the city, while District II covers the poorer half.

Seal of Makati City[link]

The official seal of Makati City depicts a silhouette of the territory of Makati. At the bottom is the Pasig River, located on the northern border of the city. The Guadalupe Church stands on the river and is the oldest church in Makati; a reference to Spanish influence. Behind the church rises the skyscrapers for which Makati City is well-known. Behind the skyscrapers are 33 rays representing the barangays of Makati. These barangays are grouped into two congressional districts, with each district represented by a congressman in the House of Representatives. Congressional District I occupies the western and modern half of the city, while District II covers the older half.

Boundary Dispute[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Recently, Makati City and Taguig have fought over the jurisdiction of Fort Bonifacio. This Philippine military base, most of which has been converted to a modern commercial and residential development area, lies in an ambiguous area. A portion of the base, including the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Cemetery for the Heroes) and the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial lies within Taguig, while the northern portion where the development center is now located used to be considered part of Makati. A 2003 ruling by a judge in the Pasig Regional Trial Court has upheld the jurisdiction of Taguig over the whole of Fort Bonifacio, including the Fort Bonfacio Global City.

On the ruling of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2008 per Leonardo Quisumbing, dismissed the suit of the Makati City, seeking to nullify Special Patents 3595 and 3596 signed by Fidel Ramos conveying to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority public land in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Diplomatic missions[link]

Countries that have set up permanent missions or offices in the city include:

Sister cities[link]

Makati's sister city is Los Angeles, California. Makati is also twinned with Ramapo, New York and Vladivostok, Russia.^{[citation needed]}

See also[link]

Philippines portal

• List of renamed cities and municipalities in the Philippines

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Makati

• Official website of the City of Makati
• MakatiCity.com
• Makati Rooms Accommodation in Makati, Philippines
• KABEETmaps.com (Interactive Mapping System)
• rentinmakati.com Office Space Rentals in the Philippine Financial District

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