International relations[edit] D

Diplomatic missions[edit]
Countries that have set up permanent missions or embassies in the city include:

 Argentina
 Australia
 Austria
 Bangladesh
 Belgium
 Brazil
 Brunei
 Cambodia
 Canada
 People's Republic of China
 Cuba
 Czech Republic
 Egypt
 Finland
 France
 Germany
 Indonesia
 Iran
 Israel
 Italy
 Lebanon
 Malaysia
 Malta
 Mexico
 Netherlands
 New Zealand
 Niger
 Norway
 Pakistan
 Palestine
 Papua New Guinea
 Peru
 Portugal
 Romania
 Russia
 Saudi Arabia
 Singapore
 South Africa
 Spain
 Sri Lanka
 Sweden
  Switzerland
 Thailand
 Turkey
 United Arab Emirates
 Venezuela
Sister cities[edit]
Makati's sister city is Los Angeles, California. Makati is also twinned with Ramapo, New York and Vladivostok, Russia.

International
Romania Cluj-Napoca, Romania
United States Los Angeles, United States
United States Ramapo, New York, United States
Taiwan Taichung, Taiwan
Russia Vladivostok, Russia
Local
San Pedro, Laguna
Mogpog, Marinduque
Bacolod, Negros Occidental
Dumaguete, Negros Oriental
Tayabas, Quezon
Santiago, Isabela
Tagum, Davao del Norte
Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur

Local government[edit]

The current mayor for the 2016–2019 term is Abby Binay, the daughter of former mayor and former Vice President Jejomar Binay. Monique Yazmin Q. Lagdameo is the city's incumbent vice-mayor. The vice-mayor heads a legislative council consisting of 18 members: 8 Councilors from the First District, 8 Councilors from the Second District, the President of the Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Council) Federation, representing the youth sector, and the President of the Association of Barangay Chairmen (ABC) as barangay sectoral representative. The council is in charge of creating the city's policies in the form of Ordinances and Resolutions. Current district representatives of the city are Monsour del Rosario, representing the 1st district and Luis Jose Angel Campos Jr., husband of Abby Binay, for the 2nd district.

Barangays[edit]

Map of Makati; note that Makati controls the northernmost tip of Barangay Post Proper Northside.

Makati is divided into 33 barangays (the smallest local government units) which handles governance in a much smaller area. These barangays are grouped into two congressional districts where each district is represented by a congressman in the country's House of Representatives. Congressional District I is composed of the barangays straddling EDSA, the barangays to the north and west of them, while excluding Guadalupe Viejo and Pinagkaisahan, while District II are to the south and east of District I, including the two aforementioned baragays. The districts used to elect the members of the city council are coextensive with the congressional districts.

Barangay	Population (2004)	Population (2010)[44]	Area (km2)	District
Bangkal	22,433	23,378	0.74	1st
Bel-Air	9,330	18,280	1.71	1st
Carmona	3,699	3,096	0.34	1st
Cembo	25,815	27,998	0.22	2nd
Comembo	14,174	14,433	0.27	2nd
Dasmariñas	5,757	5,654	1.90	1st
East Rembo	23,902	26,433	0.44	2nd
Forbes Park	3,420	2,533	2.53	1st
Guadalupe Nuevo	22,493	18,271	0.57	2nd
Guadalupe Viejo	13,632	16,411	0.62	2nd
Kasilawan	6,224	5,291	0.09	1st
La Paz	8,843	7,931	0.32	1st
Magallanes	7,509	5,576	1.20	1st
Olympia	20,172	21,270	0.44	1st
Palanan	16,614	17,283	0.65	1st
Pembo	35,035	44,803	1.23	2nd
Pinagkaisahan	6,186	5,804	0.16	2nd
Pio del Pilar	22,495	27,035	1.20	1st
Pitogo	13,367	15,332	0.14	2nd
Poblacion	8,446	17,120	0.46	1st
Rizal	37,022	41,959	3.55	2nd
San Antonio	12,226	11,443	0.89	1st
San Isidro	8,686	7,589	0.50	1st
San Lorenzo	6,487	10,006	2.09	1st
Santa Cruz	7,419	7,440	0.47	1st
Singkamas	6,226	7,426	0.13	1st
South Cembo	13,570	14,672	0.20	2nd
Tejeros	16,820	13,868	0.29	1st
Urdaneta	3,817	3,717	0.74	1st
Valenzuela	5,908	7,261	0.24	1st
West Rembo	28,889	28,406	0.55	2nd

Mayors[edit]

Main article: Mayor of Makati City

Seal of Makati City[edit]

The official seal of Makati depicts a silhouette of the territory of Makati. At the bottom is the Pasig River, located on the northern border of Makati city. The Guadalupe Church stands on the river and is the oldest church in Makati; a reference to Spanish religious influences. Behind the church rises the modern skyscrapers, for which Makati is well known. Behind the skyscrapers are 33 rays representing the barangays of Makati.

Future development[edit] A

Ayala Land and the Makati Tourism Foundation launched a year-long campaign titled "Make It Happen, Make it Makati" to increase Makati's visibility as an arts and culture destination. The campaign is part of Ayala’s ongoing US$1.5 billion redevelopment masterplan for Makati, which began in 2011 and divides the city into six distinct hubs for business, lifestyle, entertainment and transport.^[39]

In 2013, Ayala Land unveiled its plans for a P20-billion project that will transform the old Sta. Ana race track into a mixed-use development, featuring entertainment and sports facilities. It will sit on a 21-hectare property - the last available sprawling landbank in Makati and will be dubbed as "Circuit Makati" in honor of the Sta. Ana race track, which is part of Makati's heritage as a former racing circuit. There will be a FIFA-sized football turf which will be used for games and for football workshops. It will feature a 2-hectare open-air events ground, which can accommodate up to 20,000 people. It will have links to the Makati central business district (CBD) through Ayala Avenue Extension and South Avenue, other future road linkages or potentially even a revived Pasig River ferry service.^[40]

Transportation[edit]

The Magallanes Interchange

The Ayala MRT Station

Major roads in Metro Manila surrounds Makati, such as Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), located in the southeast part of the city, the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), which intersect EDSA at the Magallanes Interchange, and the Skyway which is built on top of the SLEX.

Land[edit]

Two of Metro Manila's main arteries pass through Makati. The Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) pass along the city's southeast part and connects it with the cities of Mandaluyong and Pasay. The South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) runs through the city's western part and connects it with the city of Manila to the north and with southern Metro Manila. The Manila Skyway, an elevated highway built on top of SLEX, provides residents coming from southern Metro Manila a fast way to reach Makati. SLEX and EDSA intersect at the Magallanes Interchange, which is the most complex system of elevated roadways in Metro Manila.

Buses plying the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA/C-4) route from Baclaran in Parañaque to Quezon City and Caloocan pass through the central business/financial district daily. Jeepneys ply Makati's inner roads and connect the city to its surrounding towns and cities.

The country’s first-ever e-jeepney and hybrid bus services were piloted in Makati. The buses are parallel electric hybrids, powered by an electric motor and a Euro 3 diesel motor. The hybrid buses ply the route from Gil Puyat Avenue (Tramo/LRT-1 Taft) to Kalayaan Avenue(C-5), which are considered among the busiest in the city’s central business district, cutting through other major roads like South Superhighway; Chino Roces, Ayala and Makati Avenues; Paseo de Roxas and EDSA.^[41]

Other major roads in the city include Gil Puyat Avenue, which connects EDSA and SLEX in the north; Ayala Avenue, an important street that runs through the Makati CBD; and Makati Avenue, which connects Ayala Avenue with Gil Puyat Avenue, also extending north to cross the Pasig River to Mandaluyong. At the center of Makati is the Ayala Triangle, a park built on the former Nielsen Air Base.

Railways[edit]

The Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3) on EDSA has four stations located in Makati: Guadalupe, Buendia, Ayala and Magallanes.

The Philippine National Railways has three stations: Buendia, Pasay Road and EDSA.

In 2013, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) worked on a feasibility study for a $1.75 billion monorail project. The proposed 12.56-kilometer elevated monorail is envisioned to connect Makati, Bonifacio Global City and Pasay through the MRT Line 3 as well as the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The present alignment being considered starts from the MRT-3 (Guadalupe Station), enters Bonifacio Global City through the north gate and ends at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. If approved, the monorail project can be completed by 2016.^[42]

In 2015, the NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) approved the Public-Private Partnership project for the Philippine's first subway which will have stations at key points in Makati namely MRT3-Buendia, Ayala-EDSA, Ayala Triangle, Makati Post Office and PNR-Buendia.^[43]

Santa Ana Racetrack[edit] O

Opened in 1937 by the Philippine Racing Club, it was the first notable sport venue of Makati, and was the forerunner of other famous Makati sport venues where international competitions were held such as the Manila Golf Club, which located in Makati in 1948, the Manila Polo Club, which relocated to Makati in 1950, and the defunct Astrobowl Magallanes. It was larger than the San Lazaro Racetrack in Santa Cruz, Manila.

During World War II it became a military storage area, and as a consequence was targeted by aerial bombardment toward the end of the war. On 9 February 1945 it was at the Philippine Racing Club grounds that the Americans, advancing from Wack Wack golf club (photo no. 26a) and crossing the Pasig River using amtracs, returned to Makati. Afterward, they built a pontoon bridge (seventh photo) which was one of two such temporary bridges they had to build after the last remaining bridges spanning the Pasig River—Banzai (Jones) and Santa Cruz (MacArthur)—were blown on 5 February. This pontoon bridge was damaged and knocked out by artillery fire on 10 and 11 February and was reported as having been repaired (photo). The Art-deco buildings of the racetrack were later used as a headquarters by US General MacArthur and also by Allied translators and interpreters.

Horse racing resumed during the postcolonial period. Toward the end of the twentieth century, an increase in the taxation of winnings combined with a rise in the ownership of TV sets led to a decline in attendance, which resulted in the closure of the racetrack in December 2008 and its demolition in 2013.

Santiago Hospital[edit]

The Santiago Hospital was a twentieth-century medical facility in Población. Originally named Hospital Español de Santiago, it was founded in 1902 in Manila by the Spanish community as an infectious hospital for the hospitalization of Spaniards who, having to comply with sanitary regulations concerning compulsory hospitalization, preferred the services of this hospital rather than those of the public San Lazaro Hospital. Its earliest known address was 1819 Calle Azcárraga, Quiapo. In 1929 the hospital moved into its own building, an Art-deco structure in Makati, and at the beginning of the thirties was one of two hospitals in Rizal Province. By 1935 this medical facility, which had thirty-four beds, was classified as a general hospital which treated all sorts of diseases except those requiring compulsory segregation in government institutions, and by that time was admitting patients of nationalities other than Spanish.

During World War II, Santiago Hospital was administered by the Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres, and in February 1945 it had the distinction of being the only hospital in the Greater Manila area which remained open throughout the Battle of Manila. Santiago Hospital, which was once considered to be one of the best hospitals in the Philippines, closed in the 1960s as a result of the increasing urbanization of Makati.

Although generally believed to be Makati's first hospital, it was preceded by a hospital in Guadalupe which existed during the First Republic. Also over a decade earlier in 1884, the Spanish briefly operated in Guadalupe an orphanage, a type of institution which in their point of view was a medical facility. In 1917, the Americans also opened an orphanage in Makati, at Casa Quinta.

Gabriela Silang Monument This monument is dedicated to the Ilocano Revolutionary Gabriela Silang. Even many miles away from Vigan, There is where the statue stands till today.

Culture and sports[edit]

The Ayala Museum

Makati is home to a number of fine art museums, colonial-era churches and recreation areas. Along the south-eastern border of Makati beyond Forbes Park are the Manila Golf Club and the Manila Polo Club.^[35] The Manila Golf Club features an 18-hole golf course. The Manila Polo Club counts among its polo enthusiasts some of the country's wealthiest people. The Makati Sports Club in Salcedo Village is another popular place for sports. The Makati Coliseum is another famous sports landmark in the city, where some of the biggest sports gatherings are held.

The Ayala Museum is a private fine arts and history museum housing various exhibitions such as the "Gold of Ancestors," an exhibition of more than one thousand golden pre-Hispanic artifacts.^[36] Other popular museums also in Makati also include the Yuchengco Museum and the Museo ng Makati.

Makati has several Spanish-era churches, such as the Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church (Our Lady of Grace) in the old town. At the Greenbelt Park stands the modern domed chapel of the Sto. Niño de la Paz. Between Forbes Park andDasmariñas Village is the Santuario de San Antonio, a popular church for weddings in the Makati area. The National Shrine of the Sacred Heart is located in San Antonio Village. Makati also houses the country's only Jewish synagogue, Beth Yaacov.^[37]

According to Time.com, Makati is not only the financial center of the Philippines, but also the selfie capital of the world.^[38]

Education

The University of Makati, a public, non-profit university, is the city's flagship university. Other institutions of higher education include the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), the Ateneo Professional Schools, Australian Catholic University - Manila Program, the Mapúa Institute of Technology, Lyceum of the Philippines University-Makati, Centro Escolar University Makati, Far Eastern University-Makati, iAcademy, Asian Seminary of Christian Ministries (ASCM), Don Bosco Technical Institute, Makati, Assumption College San Lorenzo, Colegio San Agustin, Saint Paul College of Makati, Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary, Asia Pacific College, Colegio de Santa Rosa Makati Assumption College, AMA Colleges Makati, Inc. among others.

Historical sites[edit]

Magallanes Interchange[edit]

The Magallanes Interchange, which was conceived in 1969 and opened in 1975, was one of the first structures of its kind in the country.

Hagdang Bato[edit]

This part of Namayan was sacred to early Tagalogs. Hagdang bató (see photo) is mentioned in chapter sixty-one of José Rizal's first novel, Noli Me Tángere, and chapter three of his second novel, El Filibusterismo. During the Revolution on 10 June 1897, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and about five hundred soldiers crossed the Pasig River at Hagdang bató during the march to Biac-na-bató in Bulacán.

Museo ng Makati[edit]

Museo ng Makati

Located along J.P. Rizal St., the Museo ng Makati is housed in an old building, which was built in 1918 and has been used as Makati's town hall from 1918 to 1961. The museum keeps the records of Makati's history through a collection of rare photographs, murals, and dioramas. It also contains artifacts, such as the fossils of pre-historic animals and earthenware.^[25]

The museum's architecture is a classic "Bahay na Bato", made of masonry at the ground floor and wood at the upper level. In 1934, during the reign of Mayor Nicanor Garcia, the structure was rebuilt using concrete materials. In 1958, while it was still used as a town hall, then Mayor Maximo Estrella had it renovated. In 1961, when the local government of Makati moved its office to its current site, the old town hall was used as the Municipal Library.^{[citation needed]}

But when the library was transferred to the new city hall compound, the old town hall was used as the Philippine Eye and Ear Infirmary. During the term of Mayor Jejomar Binay, the structure was converted into a museum through City Ordinance No. 186 that was enacted in March 1990.^[26]

Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church[edit]

The Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church.

The Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church is a baroque Roman Catholic church which was established in 1601 by Augustinian fathers.^[27] Its original architecture is a blend of the late Spanish Renaissance and early Baroque design. The touch of the Renaissance period is found in the main entrance with rose window and simple Doric columns. The interiors and the window details, meanwhile, have influences of Baroque architecture. The floor plan, on the other hand, is Romanesque.^[27] During the Seven Years' War, this church was raided by the British, an event which marks the first time that Makati was affected by a global conflict. The church was damaged due to an earthquake in 1880 and in 1898 during the early skirmishes between American and Filipino troops.^[28]

The Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church is one of the most popular wedding venues in Metro Manila.^[29][30]

Saints Peter and Paul Church[edit]

Tucked in D.M. Rivera St. and surrounded by skyscrapers and residential areas, Sts. Peter and Paul Church is the oldest church in Makati, which was opened to the faithful in 1620.^[31] It was built by Jesuit priest Rev. Pedro de los Montes at a site named Buenavista through the generous donation of Capt. Pedro de Britto in 1607.^[32]

The church's architectural design is a rectangular nave with apse and sacristy, which is a usual design for colonial mission churches.^[33] The façade is composed of three-tiered papal and keys, symbols of the Papacy, which was first occupied by St. Peter, one of the patron saints of the parish.^[34]

Santa Ana Cabaret[edit]

This twentieth-century nightclub (photos), which was owned by an American citizen and later his son, was once advertised as being the largest cabaret in the world. It opened in Tejeros in 1921 and was in business until 1970, when a typhoon destroyed it. Famous patrons included Cwlth. Pres. Manuel Quezon, US Gov.-Gen. Francis Harrison, and US Gen. Douglas MacArthur. It is also said that the UK's Prince of Wales once visited it. During World War II it was converted into a garment factory, producing shirts and military uniforms for the Japanese. After the Americans returned to Makati in February 1945, they converted their famous dance hall into a temporary medical facility. It was the forerunner of fashionable discos of the eighties and nineties, such as Manila' classy Stargazer, as well as Makati's Euphoria, Faces, and Mars. Its modern counterpart is the Valkyrie Nightclub in Taguig.