The foundation of the University is ascribed to the Most Reverend Miguel de Benavides, O.P., the third Archbishop of Manila. He came to the Philippines with the first Dominican mission in 1587. He went on to become bishop of Nueva Segovia, and was promoted archbishop of Manila in 1601. Upon Benavides’ death in July 1605, he bequeathed his library and personal property worth 1,500 pesos to be used as the seed fund for the establishment of an institution of higher learning. Fr. Bernardo de Santa Catalina carried out Benavides’ wishes and was able to secure a building near the Dominican church and convent in Intramuros for the College.
In 1609, permission to open the College was requested from King Philip III of Spain, which only reached Manila in 1611. On April 28, 1611, notary Juan Illian witnessed the signing of the act of foundation by Frs. Baltazar Fort, OP, Bernardo Navarro, OP, and Francisco Minayo, OP. Fr. Fort, appointed that year to the post of Father Provincial, was its first Rector.
When the United States took over the Philippine Islands from the Spanish in 1898 after the Spanish-American War, President William McKinley began Americanizing the former Spanish colony. In 1900 he appointed Judge William Howard Taft to head the Philippine Commission to evaluate the needs of the new territory. Taft, who later became the Philippines' first civilian Governor-General, decided that Manila, the capital, should be a planned town. He hired as his architect and city planner Daniel Hudson Burnham, who had built Union Station and the post office in Washington. In Manila, Mr. Burnham had in mind a long wide, tree-lined boulevard along the bay, beginning at a park area dominated by a magnificent hotel. To design the hotel Taft hired William E. Parsons, a New York architect, who envisioned an impressive, but comfortable hotel, along the lines of a California mission, but grander. The original design was an H-shaped plan that focused on well-ventilated rooms on two wings, providing grand vistas of the harbor, the Luneta, and Intramuros. The top floor was, in fact, a large viewing deck that was used for various functions, including watching the American navy steam into the harbor.
Architectural
The main lobby was designed for sitting as well as for making grand entrances. Measuring 125 feet (38 m) long by 25 feet (7.6 m) wide, the lobby is lined with white Doric columns. The floor is Philippine marble, the chandeliers are made of brass, crystal and seashells, the furniture is carved out of Philippine mahogany which is used throughout the hotel.
The rooms provide exceptional views of the city, especially the gardens of Rizal Park and Intramuros. Manila Hotel is the first hotel in the Philippines to offer HBO among other television network systems for all rooms. All rooms make use of the Ving Card electronic card system for maximum security.[15] The 570 fully renovated rooms that reflect the hotel’s storied past blend with the conveniences of a modern luxury hotel. Other amenities include traditional decor with elegant furnishings,[5] individually controlled central air conditioning, remote-control TV with cable channels, minibars, separate bath and toilet with extension phone, and secure in-room safes.
The three-bedroom MacArthur suite rents for $650 a night. The penthouse, the most expensive suite (with a private swimming pool) on the 18th floor, has a view of the Bay, of Rizal Park and the 16th-century ruins of the Spanish walled city of Intramuros, opposite the hotel. Like the Presidential Suite, which costs $900 a night, the $1,200-a-night penthouse is decorated with rare paintings, Asian antiques and Filipino crafts.[5] The MacArthur, Presidential and Penthouse Suites provide 24-hour butler service.
Daraga Church - located in my hometown, Daraga Albay, the Philippines. An 18th century Baroque church built on top of a hill (overlooking the magnificent Mayon Volcano). This church was supposedly built by the women (thus the name "Daraga" which means Lady/Single Woman) when the men fled from forced labor during the Spanish era.
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