Historical, so-called old towns serve many purposes in the modern city. Most importantly, in many cases, they are the major tourist attraction of a city. Think of any big city with a past; most are defined by their old towns. Moreover, they serve a cultural function. They make citizens feel connected with their city or country’s history, and make them aware of the bigger story in which they are a part of. Old towns in developing and former colonial countries often have interesting relationships with their modern counterparts. Do you inherit the culture of colonization into the modern city, or keep a distance from it? In this article I intend to show the way this is dealt with in the Walled City in Manila, the Philippines.
An overview of the Walled City
The old town of Manila, called Intramuros or the Walled City, was founded in 1571 by Spanish colonizers on the former site of the polity of Maynila, inhabited since prehistoric times. The site is strategic due to it being in a river delta, connecting it to both the inland and to countries like China. By the 20th century, Intramuros was but a small (0,67 square kilometers) reminder of the Spanish era in the (by then) American colony. Earthquakes were a frequent cause of destruction. Moreover, parts of the town were demolished by the Americans to build new projects. But the regression of Intramuros didn't stop there: in 1945, the entire Walled City was destroyed in the Battle of Manila. After the war and subsequent independence of the Philippines, a federal agency by the name of the Intramuros Administration was created to regulate, rebuild and preserve the site. The IA enforces the Spanish colonial style for the entire site. This makes it seem like a typical historical town, when in reality most of the buildings now standing were built from 1979 onwards. This makes for an interesting present situation, where tourists visit an open air museum under the guise of a historical town, mostly inhabited by squatters and closed off from the rest of Manila in many ways.
Fig. 1: A map of Intramuros from 1734. The moat surrounding the city was turned into a golf course during the American colonial era. From Velarde, P.M., de la Cruz Bagay, N. and Suarez, F. (26 September 1734). Walled City of Manila, detail from Carta Hydrographica y Chorographica de las Yslas Filipinas (1734). Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75614218
Comparisons with other old towns
Comparing Intramuros to other old towns in South East Asia can help us understand how and why it is the way it is and how preservation efforts could be improved. For the sake of this article, I will illustrate similarities and differences between Intramuros and Old Town Central in Hong Kong and District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City, respectively.
There is a significant policy difference between Old Town Central and Intramuros: the former focuses more on integrating the old town into the city, while the latter prioritizes preserving the past as much as possible. OTC is a mixture of historical and modern buildings and is subject to gentrification, whether that be positive or negative. Historical buildings are repurposed into cafés, restaurants or art galleries. Moreover, murals are found all around the neighborhood. Meanwhile, Intramuros is not nearly as attractive for gentrification, not just due to the difference in wealth between Hong Kong and Manila, but also due to the comparably grim aesthetics throughout the town.
Fig. 2: View of the San Agustin Church, the only surviving structure from the Battle of Manila. Own photograph.
District 1 is an old town that, budget-wise, is more similar to Intramuros. Regarding the site, both towns are similar as well; both are located near a river delta and their respective areas have been inhabited since prehistoric times. On top of that, both towns follow a European grid-like urban plan and feature European colonial architectural styles. Despite their similarities, District 1 and Intramuros have developed in very different ways. The former has remained an important hub for the city, growing alongside it throughout the times. Just like OTC, it is much more eclectic architecturally speaking. Unfortunately, this also means that a number of colonial buildings have dilapidated or even been demolished to make way for modern building projects. However, what can be said about District 1 is that it enables history to be integrated into the city, which differs from the Walled City.
Insights
How could Intramuros become more integral to Manila? Ellen Hsieh argues that there are clear advantages of having old towns be more interactive with their modern cities. It would increase the felt connection of citizens with their pasts and make it feel more real. A proper clean up of the town would also bring a boost to tourism in the area. Squatters, susceptibility to natural factors and mismanagement of land are all detrimental to the importance that Intramuros could have. According to Hsieh, an integral approach to conservation regarding urban development and community involvement would be beneficial. That is to say that the closed-offedness of the town to the rest of Manila should be decreased and that there should be more collaboration and surveying with regards to stakeholders. Efficient bureaucracy and community involvement are where the Intramuros Administration has been lacking, says Hsieh, causing properties to decay and squatters to spoil the historical look.
Fig. 3: Aerial image showing the disconnect between Intramuros and the rest of Manila. (2025). Google Earth.
However, this is a way of looking at the Walled City in the way that the IA intends: that of a conserved 19th-century colonial town. It could be argued that the squatters and their food stands actually give a certain charm to the place. It brings the hustle and bustle of the metropolitan region to the town, where the streets are too small for most cars to drive through. A modernization of Intramuros would take away from the romantic feel that the streets radiate despite all aforementioned troubles. The site has been considered historical since the age of American colonization. Could such a radical change in policy still be possible?
To conclude, the preservation of historical sites in vulnerable areas is an interesting and complicated topic. In western Europe, historical old towns were able to flourish due to national pride, whereas former colonies rightfully continue to grapple with their cultural heritage. The way in which the Philippines handle it is insightful and can teach us how to handle such projects in similar contexts.
Literature
Hsieh, E. (2014). Rethinking Intramuros: Threats, Values, and Possibilities in Modern Philippines. Academia.edu.
Marcelo, J., Parco, E. G., Coniendo, C. K. S., Gomez, M. L., & Amutan, S. Y. (2021). Effects of the visual pollution in Intramuros: Basis for heritage preservation. International Journal Of Research Studies in Management, 9.
About The IA. (z.d.). intramuros.gov.ph.
Quezon III, Manuel L. (February 7, 2007). "The Warsaw of Asia: How Manila was Flattened in WWII". Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Arab News Online (archive.arabnews.com). Opinion. Archived from the original on March 30, 2012.
Cover image by patrickroque01 - Taken using camera, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=92523932
