Mostly now settled in to my new home in Manila it’s time to explore.
Manila Cathedral, is located in Intramuros (literally “within the walls”), of the old city of Manila. First constructed in 1581. The Cathedral has undergone many rebuilds due to damage by various natural and man made disasters since then, most recently following the Second World War, when Intramuros was the site of the last stand of Japanese forces.
During the Battle of Manila, February to March 1945, it is estimated that 100,000 people lost their lives. The Japanese forces were entrenched in the city and were routed by American and Philippine forces under the command of General Douglas McArthur.
During the course of the month long battle the Japanese torched the city while the Americans bombed it, giving Manila, previously known as “the Pearl of the Orient” the unenviable distinction of being the third most devastated capital city of the Second World War after only Berlin and Warsaw.
