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City of Greater Manila

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the contiguous urbanization surrounding present-day Metro Manila, see Greater Manila Area.

City of Greater Manila
Lungsod ng Kalakhang Maynila (Tagalog)
Ciudad de Gran Manila (Spanish)
大マニラ市 Dai Manira-shi (Japanese)
Chartered city of the Philippines
1942–1945

Map of the historical city of Greater Manila
Government
Mayor 
• December 24, 1941 – January 26, 1942
Jorge B. Vargas
• January 27, 1942 – July 17, 1944
León Guinto
Historical eraWorld War II
• Established
1 January 1942
• Disestablished
1 August 1945
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Manila (city)
Rizal
Manila (city)
Rizal
Today part ofMetro Manila

Greater Manila, officially the City of Greater Manila and sometimes referred to as the Greater Manila Area (GMA),[1] was a chartered city[2] that existed during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in World War II, from 1942 to 1945. Governed by the Commonwealth of the Philippines, it served as a model for the present-day Metro Manila and the administrative functions of the governor of Metro Manila—both established three decades later during the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos. It was a merger of Manila, Quezon City, and the then-Rizal towns of Caloocan, Makati, Mandaluyong, Parañaque, Pasay, and San Juan, all present parts of Metro Manila.

History

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See also: History of Manila § World War II and Japanese occupation

Greater Manila was formed on January 1, 1942, by virtue of Executive Order No. 400 signed by President Manuel L. Quezon as an emergency measure. It was a merger of the cities of Manila and Quezon and the then-Rizal towns of Caloocan, Makati, Mandaluyong, Parañaque, Pasay, and San Juan.[2][3] During that time, Manila served as the capital of the Philippines during the Japanese-sponsored Second Philippine Republic. Japanese forces occupied Manila on January 2, 1942.[4]

On July 26, 1945, President Sergio Osmeña signed Executive Order No. 58, leading to the reduction of territories and the eventual dissolution of Greater Manila effective August 1. The cities and towns that were part of the city then regained their respective pre-war status.[5]

Composition

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Greater Manila was a merger of Manila, Quezon City, and the Rizal municipalities of Caloocan, Makati, Mandaluyong, Parañaque, Pasay, and San Juan, all parts of the present-day Metro Manila.

Manila was divided into four districts: Bagumbuhay, Bagumpanahon, Bagumbayan, and Bagungdiwa. Bagumbuhay encompassed Binondo, San Nicolas, Tondo, and the northern portion of Santa Cruz. Bagumpanahon encompassed of the rest of Santa Cruz, Quiapo, Sampaloc (including the present-day Santa Mesa), and San Miguel. Bagumbayan encompassed of Ermita, Intramuros, Malate, Port Area, and the western portion of Paco. Bagungdiwa encompassed of the eastern portion of Paco, Pandacan, and Santa Ana (including the present-day San Andres).

Quezon City was divided into two districts: Balintawak and Diliman, bisected by the Manila Circumferential Road (now EDSA). Balintawak, located west and south of the road, also included Mandaloya Estate, which encompasses the present-day northeastern part of Mandaluyong (including Wack Wack Golf and Country Club) and the present-day eastern part of San Juan (including Greenhills). The city then excluded its present-day northern portion, which was then part of Caloocan and San Mateo, Rizal.

Regarding the municipalities ceded from Rizal, Caloocan, which was then undivided, included the Cocomo Island, which includes what is now San Rafael Village, Navotas, but excluded the now-reclaimed Dagat-dagatan Lagoon and parts of Libis-Baesa, then under Malabon. Mandaluyong also included what is now the western portion of Pasig, west of the Marikina River. The Sakura Heiyei military reservation, which included the Nichols Field (now part of Pasay), Fort McKinley (now Fort Bonifacio), and the present-day eastern portion of Parañaque, were not part of Greater Manila.[6][7]

Government

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Greater Manila was headed by the mayor of Greater Manila. Jorge B. Vargas assumed the mayoralty post in December 1941, later appointing León Guinto as his successor in January 1942. The mayors of the constituent towns and cities became assistant mayors (equivalent to present-day vice mayors) within the consolidated city, all under the mayor of Greater Manila.[3][7] The city was also represented in the National Assembly of the Japanese-sponsored Second Philippine Republic under the at-large district of Manila.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Chapter I". Quezon City at 75 Resurgent & Resilient. Erehwon Artworld Corporation for the Local Government of Quezon City through the Communications Coordination Center. 2014. p. 69. ISBN 9789719566632.
  2. ^ a b Philippines (1942). "Chartered Cities". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. 1 (4): 200.
  3. ^ a b Executive Order No. 400, s. 1942 (January 1, 1942), Creating the City of Greater Manila, Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines, archived from the original on July 1, 2022, retrieved August 24, 2022
  4. ^ Horner, David (January 15, 2010). World War II: The Pacific. The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-4358-9133-3. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  5. ^ Executive Order No. 58, s. 1945 (July 25, 1945), Reducing the Territory of the City of Greater Manila, Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines, archived from the original on March 8, 2023, retrieved August 24, 2022
  6. ^ Map of the City of Manila (Map). 1:40,000. Division of Drafting and Surveys, Office of the City Engineer and Architect, City of Manila. 1942. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Historical Background". DENR - Environment Management Bureau - National Capital Region. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
Preceded by Capital of the Second Philippine Republic
1942–1944 		Succeeded by

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