Makati: A Brief History
The city of Makati, Philippines has become now the hub of all things relating to the country’s commercial and financial industries. Yet although it has only been such since the 1950′s as you look back you will find that this city has an extremely colourful history following the arrival of the Spanish back in the 16th Century.
Prior to the arrival of the Spanish the city made up of swamps and cogon grass was ruled by Lakan Tagkan and Bouan his wife. Where they used the river Pasig and the surrounding land to eke a living. But things then began to change of course with the arrival of Spanish explorers and today you can see many influences in the city’s architect from this time. There are several churches that still stand and which many visitors to this city like to spend time in.
As mentioned already the city had been established well before the arrival of the Spanish and was known to the natives as “Kati”. However, when asked by the country’s First Governor General Don Miguel Lopez de Legaspi who also founded the country’s capital Manila he did not understand what the locals were saying. What he thought was them saying the place was called “Makati” the natives were actually saying “ebbing tide” (Makati na, kumakati na).
Following the arrival of the Spanish the city between 1578 and 1670 became a district (visita) of Santa Ana de Sapa and was then governed by a Franciscan Priest called Pedro de Alfaro. It was at this time that the city became known as San Pedro de Makati as honor to its patron saint. This name remained until 1914 when through an act of legislation the name became just Makati. However, even with this act it name officially still remains as San Pedro de Makati.
For some time the city remained alone but then in 1890 it was decreed that it become a public town of the country’s capital Manila and it remains that way to this day. Then in 1901 it was incorporated in to the Province of Rizal and two years later an administrator was appointed for the town to supervise the community’s affairs. However in 1975 another act was then passed which allowed the city of Makati to separate from Rizal province.
Following this not much really occurred until the city become a focus for the country’s financial and commercial matters in the 1950′s. Originally only a few companies chose to set up offices in this city which is located not far from the country’s capital but since then things have flourished. It is now the hub of the country’s financial industry and is where the Philippine Stock Exchange is located.
Yet it isn’t just the founding of the country’s financial and commercial markets here that have made this city very well known around the world. It was from here that the first uprising began against Spanish colonial rule. Then during the last years of President Marco’s administration it became a very important place to those who were opposed to what he was doing.
During the 1980′s a large number of major protests and marches took place in the city that the various groups opposed to the Marcos regime organised following the assassination of the opposition leader Ninoy Aquino in 1983. The falling Marcos being overthrown the next election to be held in the country saw Aquino’s wife Corey Aquino become the new president of the country.
It was during the time that President Marco was in control of the city that many changes begun to take place in the city. As the price of soil become increasingly higher so of course the building of properties on this land meant they needed to be built upwards rather than outwards. So as a result this is a city where most of the country’s tallest buildings can now be found.
Following the changing of the government in 1986, it would be another 9 years before the city became an independent one. This was achieved with the agreement of the Republic Act 7854 signed by the country’s President at the time Fidel V Ramos on the 2nd January. After its signing a plebiscite was held on the 4th February 1995 and it was this that then allowed the residents of the city to say whether they agreed with this decision or not. In fact there was overwhelming approval to the act.
Then in 1998 saw further changes occur to this city with the decision to divide it into 2 districts and which were governed by two different people. Upon the city being divided into two districts the first district was represented by Lone District Representative Joker Arroyo and the second by Senator Agapito Aquino. At this time also it was when the first female Mayor of the city was elected namely Elenita Binay.
Yet although it seemed that the city’s turbulent past had come to an end in 1998 this was not the case in 2003 saw the Oakwood Mutiny occur. It was staged by Magdalo Soldiers at the Oakwood hotel in Makati who were protesting about the way in which the then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo governed the country. Although this matter was dealt with a further uprising took place in 2007 where a number of prominent officials and Magadalo soldiers took over the Manila Peninsula Hotel. However unlike the previous event this one only lasted a number of hours.
Certainly this is a city that has seen a great many changes over the years since the Spanish first arrived. For this reason alone there are many places that you can visit today within the city including the Alaya Museum where more about its colorful history can be seen. Plus also here is the Bonifacio Fort where one can learn more about not only Makati, Philippines military history but that relating to the rest of the country. It is a place for many Filipinos to visit to remember those that have given up their lives to allow them to live the way they do today.
