The ''City of Man'' was a re-branding campaign aimed to improve the image of

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...

, the capital of the Philippines. The name was in reference to a shortened version of the name of Manila, and the campaign was launched by the Governor of

Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...

and then first lady of the Philippines

Imelda Marcos Imelda Romualdez Marcos (; born Imelda Remedios Visitacion Trinidad Romualdez; July 2, 1929) is a Filipino politician who served as the First Lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, wielding significant political power during the dictator ...

to reshape the city with an eye to world tourism, commerce and economic power and development. Under her campaign, several urban projects were undertaken to make Manila the world's center of

international tourism International tourism is tourism that crosses national borders. Globalisation has made tourism a popular global leisure activity. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual e ...

and finance. Elements of "City of Man" under Imelda's Imeldific vision included the

Cultural Center of the Philippines The Cultural Center of the Philippines ( fil, Sentrong Pangkultura ng Pilipinas, or CCP) is a government-owned and controlled corporation established to preserve, develop and promote arts and culture in the Philippines.Presidential Decree No. ...

Complex,

Folk Arts Theater The Tanghalang Francisco Balagtas ( en, Francisco Balagtas Theater), formerly known as the Folk Arts Theater, was a theater located in the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex in Manila, Philippines. It is a covered proscenium amphitheate ...

, the

Philippine International Convention Center The Philippine International Convention Center ( fil, Sentrong Pangkumbensyong Pandaigdig ng Pilipinas, or PICC) is a convention center located in the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines. The facility ha ...

, the

Lung Center of the Philippines The Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP) ( fil, Ospital ng Pilipinas sa may sakit sa Baga) is a government tertiary hospital specializing in the cure and prevention of lung and other chest diseases, located on Central, Quezon City, Philippine ...

Philippine Heart Center The Philippine Heart Center is a hospital in Central, Quezon City, Philippines, specializing in the treatment of heart ailments. It was established in 1975. Background The Philippine Heart Center is a hospital specializing in the treatment of ...

, the Kidney Center of the Philippines and the Coconut Palace, all constructed precisely for this purpose.Lico, Gerard. Edifice Complex: Power, Myth, and Marcos State Architecture. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2003. Nevertheless, due to the onset of the

People Power Revolution The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...

which toppled her husband, the former dictator president

Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...

,. the campaign was put on hold as the Philippines attempts to recover from the damages of Marcos’ regime.

References

Tourism in Manila History of Metro Manila Presidency of Ferdinand Marcos {{Philippines-stub

See also

References