# City of Greater Manila

Greater Manila, officially the City of Greater Manila and sometimes referred to as the Greater Manila Area (GMA), was a chartered city 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

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. 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.
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.

## Composition

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 covered Binondo, San Nicolas, Tondo, and the northern portion of Santa Cruz.
* Bagumpanahon covered the rest of Santa Cruz, Quiapo, Sampaloc (including the present-day Santa Mesa), and San Miguel.
* Bagumbayan covered Ermita, Intramuros, Malate, Port Area, and the western portion of Paco.
* Bagungdiwa covered the rest of Paco, Pandacan, and Santa Ana (including the present-day San Andres and the Manila South Cemetery exclave).
Quezon City was divided into two districts, bisected by the Manila Circumferential Road (now EDSA):
* Balintawak, located southwest of the road, covered San Francisco del Monte, Galas, La Loma, New Manila, Santa Mesa Estate, and the western portion of Mandaloya Estate, which encompassed the present-day northeastern portion of Mandaluyong (including Wack Wack Golf and Country Club) and the present-day eastern portion of San Juan (including Greenhills).
* Diliman, located northeast of the road, covered Diliman proper, Cubao, Bagongbantay (Bago Bantay), Culiat, the University District, the rest of Mandaloya Estate, and the present-day western portion of Marikina as it was extended up to the western bank of the Marikina River.
Meanwhile, the city's present-day northern portion 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, located south of Maricaban Creek and including the Nichols Field (now part of Pasay), Fort McKinley (now Fort Bonifacio), along with the present-day eastern and southwestern portions of Parañaque, was not part of Greater Manila.

## Government

Greater Manila was headed by the mayor, who was also the chairman of the City Board, the legislative body of the city. The members of the City Board included the assistant mayor, city treasurer, city fiscal, city assessor, city health officer, city engineer and architect, and fire brigade commander. Mayors of the constituent municipalities and heads of districts now part of Manila and Quezon City were the district chiefs under the Chief of the Division of Districts and of the District and Neighborhood Association. The city was also represented in the National Assembly of the Japanese-sponsored Second Philippine Republic under the at-large district of Manila.

### Mayors

Jorge B. Vargas assumed the mayoralty post in December 1941 upon appointment by President Manuel L. Quezon. Vargas later appointed León Guinto as his successor in January 1942.
TERM :
| Jorge B. Vargas | December 24, 1941–January 26, 1942 |
| León G. Guinto Sr. | January 27, 1942 – July 17, 1944 |