Makati

Makati, officially the City of Makati, is a 1st-class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines.
Makati is the financial center of the Philippines; it has the highest concentration of multinational and local corporations in the country. Major banks, corporations, department stores as well as foreign embassies are based in Makati. The biggest trading floor of the Philippine Stock Exchange used to be situated along the city's Ayala Avenue, before the stock exchange moved their headquarters to the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. Makati is also known for being a major cultural and entertainment hub in Metro Manila.
According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 629,616 people making it as the 17th most populous city in the country and ranked as the 41st most densely populated city in the world with . Although its population is just above half a million, the daytime population of the city is estimated to be more than three million during a typical working day because of the large number of people who go to the city to work, shop, and do business.
Etymology
The name of Makati originates from its earlier name during the Spanish colonial period: San Pedro Macati. The first part of the name comes from Spanish for Saint Peter; while the second part comes from Tagalog makati, from kati, meaning "[of the] low tide" or "[of the] ebb tide".
History
Spanish colonial era
Parts of the city were once subject to the pre-Hispanic Kingdom of Namayan, whose capital is now in the Santa Ana district of Manila. While under the jurisdiction of the Franciscan friars during the 17th century, it was established as a town on June 1, 1670 under the name San Pedro Macati out of the southern barangays of the then-town of Santa Ana. The nearby Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church, welcomed an image of the Virgin Mary and devotees from Mexico, and one person from a family in Makati, the De Oca family, produced Isidoro Montes de Oca who became pivotal in the Mexican war of Independence against Spain.
In 1851, Don José Bonifacio Róxas (an ancestor of the Zóbel de Ayala family) purchased the Jesuit estate of "Hacienda San Pedro de Macati" for 52,800 pesos. Since then, the development of Makati has remained linked with the Zóbel de Ayala family and their company, Ayala Corporation. In 1890, San Pedro de Macati was proclaimed as a public town of the then Manila province.
American invasion era
In 1901, Makati was incorporated into the newly established province of Rizal. On February 28, 1914, the name of the town was shortened to its present name of Makati, by virtue of Philippine Legislature Act No. 2390.
Japanese occupation era
On January 1, 1942, Makati was one of the municipalities of Rizal merged alongside Manila and Quezon City to form the City of Greater Manila as an emergency measure by President Manuel L. Quezon. It regained its pre-war status as a municipality of Rizal when the City of Greater Manila was dissolved by President Sergio Osmeña effective August 1, 1945.
Philippine independence
After the destruction that the Second World War brought upon Manila, and the subsequent closure of Nielson Field, the town grew rapidly, and real estate values boomed. The first of the planned communities (in what are now the barangays Forbes Park, Urdaneta, San Lorenzo and Bel-Air) were established in the 1950s with the efforts of its landowner, Ayala y Compañía. At the same time, Fort McKinley, then renamed Fort Bonifacio, and the then Philippine Army headquarters, became the starting point for the building up of seven more communities by military families who worked in the base area. The first office buildings were built on what is now the Makati Central Business District (CBD). Since the late 1960s, Makati has transformed into the financial and commercial capital of the country.
On November 7, 1975, Makati was separated from Rizal province to become part of the National Capital Region as a component municipality.
The Martial Law era
Makati was the setting of what is believed to be the single biggest case of involuntary disappearance during martial law – the case of the "Southern Tagalog 10" – ten activists from the nearby Southern Tagalog region, mostly in their twenties, who were abducted in late July 1977 at the Makati Medical Center.
Following the assassination of opposition senator Benigno Aquino Jr. on August 21, 1983, Makati became a nexus for protests against the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos. Known as the Confetti Revolution, the demonstrations held in the central business district were led partly by employees of major corporations based in the area, culminating in the 1986 People Power Revolution that toppled Marcos' 20-year authoritarian regime. His political rival and successor, Corazon Aquino–the wife of the deceased senator Aquino–became the eleventh and first female president of the Philippines.
In January 1986, Fort Bonifacio and the Embo barangays of Cembo, South Cembo, West Rembo, East Rembo, Comembo, Pembo and Pitogo were transferred to the control of Makati.
After Mayor Nemesio Yabut had become ill in February 1986 and eventually died on February 25, coinciding with the last day of the People Power Revolution. Aquino appointed Jejomar Binay as acting mayor of the town of Makati two days later; he was subsequently elected as mayor in 1988.
Cityhood
On January 2, 1995, President Fidel V. Ramos signed Republic Act No. 7854, making Makati the seventh city in Metro Manila. The law was approved by a plebiscite one month later, on February 2, 1995, by majority of voters.
Contemporary
On May 17, 2000, at 5:02 p.m. PHT, the Glorietta mall located inside the Ayala Center was bombed, injuring 13 persons. According to local authorities, the homemade bomb originated from the restroom of a restaurant and affected an adjacent video arcade. The bombing was said to be the precursor of the May 21, 2000 SM Megamall bombing and the Rizal Day bombings.
On October 19, 2007, an explosion in Glorietta 2 left eleven people dead and injured more than a hundred. Initially, authorities said that it was caused by a liquefied petroleum gas explosion at a restaurant, but later began investigating the possibility that the explosion may have been a C-4 bomb.
Makati lost the territorial dispute with Taguig in April 2022, which was ruled with finality a year later in April 2023. The city will lose 10 barangays to Taguig, thus losing an estimated 300,000 people from its population. Because of Taguig's territorial takeover, Makati's 2nd district is put into limbo as it does not meet the constitutional requirement of 250,000 people and may be reduced back to a single congressional district. But pending legislation, the status quo of its existence, is expected to prevail.
Geography
Makati is located within the circle of 14′40″ °N and 121′3″ °E right at the center of Metro Manila. The city, including its eastern portion that is now administered de jure by Taguig, is bounded on the north by the Pasig River, facing Mandaluyong, on the northeast by Pasig, on the east by Pateros, on the southeast by Taguig, on the southwest by Pasay, and on the northwest by the city of Manila. Makati has a total land area of . Its territory also surrounds Manila South Cemetery, an exclave of San Andres district of Manila.
Barangays
Makati is divided into 33 barangays (the smallest local government units) which handle 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. The 1st Congressional District is composed of the barangays straddling EDSA, the barangays to the north and west of them, while excluding Guadalupe Viejo, while the 2nd Congressional District is to the south and east of the 1st District, including the aforementioned barangay. The districts elect the sixteen members of the city council, eight from each of the two councilor districts that are coextensive with the congressional districts.
Following the Supreme Court's April 2023 ruling to finally side with Taguig regarding the cities' boundary dispute, an official transition and handover of ten barangays, including the eight Embo barangays, from Makati to Taguig are expected to happen. The status of two out of the ten barangays, namely Post Proper Northside and Post Proper Southside, is unclear as they overlap Taguig's barangays Fort Bonifacio, Pinagsama, Ususan, and Western Bicutan, respectively.
Notes
Climate
Under the Köppen climate classification system, the city features a tropical monsoon climate. Together with the rest of the Philippines, Makati lies entirely within the tropics. Its proximity to the equator means that the temperature range is very small, rarely going lower than or going higher than . However, humidity levels are usually very high which makes it feel much warmer. It has a distinct, albeit relatively short dry season from January through May, and a relatively lengthy wet season from June through December.
Climate change
The Global Climate Risk Index 2021 lists the Philippines as one of countries most affected by catastrophes due to extreme weather events. Makati is a low-lying, coastal city vulnerable to natural calamities intensified by climate change, such as typhoons, floods, and landslides. The city's disaster risk reduction and management office noted a rise in rainfall experienced by the city over the years, particularly during the rainy season.
In August 2022, the city government declared a climate emergency, amid rising sea levels and global temperature changes.
Makati undertakes climate adaptation programs to address vulnerabilities to climate change, which include health services to residents, emergency response, and environmental management and protection. It intends to increase projects to address climate change, including a planned purchase of more electric vehicles, installation of solar panels in public schools and government offices, and improvement of public transport to lessen greenhouse gas emissions.
Cityscape
Demographics
Makati has a population of 629,616 as of the 2020 census. Makati ranks ninth in population size within Metro Manila municipalities. 88.9% of Makati residents identified their religious affiliation as Roman Catholic. Other groups having large number of members in the city are the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Members Church of God International, Evangelical Christians, Iglesia ni Cristo, Protestantism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism.
Based on the city's Transport and Traffic Improvement Plan 2004–2014, the city's daytime population is estimated to be 3.7 million during weekdays, owing to the large number of people who come to work, do business, or shop.
The daily influx of people into the city provides the skilled labor force that allows Makati to handle the service requirements of domestic as well as international transactions; it also serves as the base of a large consumer market that fuels the retail and service trade in the city. At the same time, however, the large tidal population flows exert pressure on Makati's environment, services, and utilities, most noticeably causing large traffic volumes along the major road corridors leading to the city as well as within and at the periphery of the central business district.
Economy and infrastructure
The city of Makati remains the richest local government unit (LGU) in the Philippines in terms of income from local sources and on a per capita basis. As of end-2012, Makati had registered over 62,000 business enterprises, which are engaged in financial services, wholesale/retail, services, real estate, export/import, and manufacturing. Makati also boasts of having the highest number of BPO offices in Metro Manila at 1,159 companies to date, as well as the highest number of PEZA-accredited IT Parks and Buildings. The city government of Makati has not increased its tax rates since its new Revenue Code took effect in 2006. The city has been free of deficit for about three decades.
The Ayala Triangle is a sub-district of the Makati CBD, comprising the parcel of land between Ayala Avenue, Makati Avenue and Paseo de Roxas, as well as the buildings on those streets. Many multinational companies, banks, and other major businesses are located within the triangle. A few upscale boutiques, restaurants, and a park called Ayala Triangle Gardens are also located in the area. Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas also have the distinction of being the runways of the former Nielson Field, Metro Manila's main airport in the 1930s.
The Makati Business Club has over 800 chief executive officers and senior executives, which represents 450 of the country's biggest corporations.
Most of the tallest skyscrapers in Metro Manila and the Philippines are located in Makati. Among them are the PBCom Tower, Trump Tower Manila and Gramercy Residences in Century City, Discovery Primea, Shang Salcedo Place, and G.T. International Tower. PBCom Tower along Ayala Avenue was the country's tallest office building from 2001 to 2017. It is the headquarters of the Philippine Bank of Communications or PBCom. It has a total ground-to-architectural-top height of , with 52 stories, including an 8-level radio tower.
In addition, Evangelista Street in Barangay Bangkal is known for being the site of automobile repair shops, replacement automobile parts stores, tire and wheel stores, car air-conditioning unit repair shops, and car tint stores, almost similar to Banawe Street in Quezon City.
Shopping centers
Makati is one of the most well-known shopping hubs of Metro Manila. Various shopping centers, offering both international and local retail shops, high-end boutiques, dining outlets and entertainment facilities can be found around the city.
The Ayala Center is a major commercial development operated by Ayala Land located in the Makati CBD. The center is known for its wide array of shopping, entertainment, and cultural offerings, making it a premier shopping and cultural district in the metropolis. It is a vast walkable complex with high-end malls that houses cinemas, local and international shops, homegrown restaurants and international food chains. The shopping malls that are located at the Ayala Center include Greenbelt, Glorietta, Park Square, The Link, and Ayala Malls One Ayala. The Ayala Center is also home to three department stores, namely: SM Makati, Rustan's, and The Landmark.
Other shopping centers in Makati include Power Plant Mall at Rockwell Center, Century City Mall at Century City, Ayala Malls Circuit at Circuit Makati, Cash & Carry Mall, Walter Mart Makati, Makati Central Square (formerly Makati Cinema Square), Guadalupe Commercial Center, Paseo de Magallanes, and pocket malls at various high-rise residential condominiums or office buildings in the city.
Education
The University of Makati, a public, non-profit university, is the city's flagship university. Other institutions of higher education located in the city include the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), iAcademy, Asian Seminary of Christian Ministries (ASCM), Don Bosco Technical Institute of Makati, Assumption College San Lorenzo, Saint Paul College of Makati, Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary, and Asia Pacific College.
Several higher education institutions headquartered outside the city have established branch or satellite campuses in Makati. These include the Ateneo de Manila University (Ateneo Professional Schools), De La Salle University, Far Eastern University, Mapúa University, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Centro Escolar University, and AMA Computer College Colleges, among others.
Australian Catholic University, a foreign institution, maintains an extension program in Makati.
As of 2020, the Schools Division Office (SDO) of Makati oversees 37 public schools: 25 elementary schools and 12 high schools (including the Makati Science High School). Of the 12 public high schools, 5 offer only junior high school (Grades 7 to 10), 5 offer complete secondary education (Grades 7 to 12), and 5 are standalone senior high schools. In 2023, 14 public schools in the eastern portion of Makati were transferred to the jurisdiction of Taguig–Pateros and later under the direct supervision of the national Department of Education as a result of a Supreme Court ruling siding with Taguig to finally resolve the cities' boundary dispute.
Rafael V. Palma Elementary School, which is under the jurisdiction of the neighboring city of Manila, is located in Barangay La Paz, near the Makati–Manila boundary.
Culture and sports
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. 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 city's only professional sports team is the Makati OKBet Kings, which joined the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League in its second season.
The University of Makati Stadium was the home venue of Philippines Football League club Kaya F.C.–Makati until the team's move to Iloilo City. In the northwest, Circuit Makati Blue Pitch is a multi-use stadium, used not just for football games but since 2017 serves as the primary hub of the Philippine-American Football League.
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. 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 Saints Peter and Paul Parish, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish and the Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church (Our Lady of Grace) in the old town. At the Greenbelt Park stands the modern domed Sto. Niño de Paz Greenbelt Chapel. Between Forbes Park and Dasmariñas 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.
There is a red-light district around Padre Burgos Street in Barangay Poblacion.
Future development
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 redevelopment masterplan for Makati, which began in 2011 and divides the city into six distinct hubs for business, lifestyle, entertainment and transport.
Transportation
Major roads in Metro Manila surround Makati, such as Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), located in the southwestern part of the city, the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), which intersect EDSA at the Magallanes Interchange, the Skyway which is built on top of SLEX and Osmeña Highway, collectively known as South Superhighway, and Carlos P. Garcia Avenue, a component of Circumferential Road 5 (C-5).
Land
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) starts in southwestern Makati and connects it with southern Metro Manila and Southern Luzon. The Skyway is an elevated expressway that connects with NLEX and SLEX, providing residents coming from Northern Luzon, Northern Metro Manila, Southern Luzon and other cities of 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. Carlos P. Garcia Avenue, a component of Circumferential Road 5 (C-5) that runs parallel to EDSA, traverses the eastern portion of Makati and connects it with Taguig and Pasig.
City buses, as well as Premium Point-to-Point Bus Service, ply the city through EDSA, Osmeña Highway, Kalayaan Avenue, or the central business/financial district towards other parts of Metro Manila and Southern Luzon. The city is the location of One Ayala, a complex with an intermodal transport hub. The BGC Bus also connects the city and Bonifacio Global City, with a terminal at the McKinley Exchange Corporate Center. Jeepneys ply Makati's inner roads and connect the city to its surrounding towns and cities. Tricycles are also used for shorter distances except at most of the Central Business District, exclusive villages, and some major roads.
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 area) to Kalayaan Avenue (near C-5), which are considered among the busiest in the city's central business district, cutting through other major roads like Osmeña Highway; Chino Roces, Ayala and Makati Avenues; Paseo de Roxas and EDSA.
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; McKinley Road, which connects the city to Bonifacio Global City; Arnaiz Avenue, which connects the city to Pasay; Osmeña Highway, which connects SLEX to the city of Manila; Makati Avenue, which connects Ayala Avenue with Gil Puyat Avenue, also extending north to the Makati–Mandaluyong Bridge; and J. P. Rizal Avenue, the oldest main thoroughfare of Makati which connects it to the city of Manila and Pateros. At the center of Makati is the Ayala Triangle, a park built on the former Nielson Air Base. According to the city's Department of Engineering and Public Works, the city has of concrete roads and of asphalt roads.
Railways
Manila Metro Rail Transit System Line 3 (MRT Line 3) on EDSA has four stations located in Makati: Guadalupe, Buendia, Ayala and Magallanes.
The Philippine National Railways has three stations in the city: Dela Rosa, Pasay Road and EDSA. Pasay Road, formerly known as Culi-culi and Pio del Pilar, is the first railway station in Makati. Dela Rosa replaced the old Buendia station in 2017. All aforementioned stations are part of the PNR South Main Line.
In 2013, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) worked on a feasibility study for a $1.75 billion monorail project. The proposed elevated monorail is envisioned to connect Makati, Bonifacio Global City and Pasay through MRT Line 3 as well as Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The present alignment being considered starts from the Guadalupe MRT 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.
In 2015, NEDA approved the Public-Private Partnership project for the Makati-Pasay-Taguig Mass Transit System Loop which will have stations at key points in Makati namely Buendia MRT station, Ayala-EDSA, Ayala Triangle, Makati Post Office and PNR-Buendia which was later shelved and partially revived in 2018 as the Makati Intra-City Subway which inherits most of the stations in Makati.
Water
The Pasig River is located north of Makati. The Pasig River Ferry Service has two stations in Makati: Guadalupe and Valenzuela.
Government
Local government
Makati is classified as a highly urbanized city (HUC). The mayor is the chief executive and is a member of the Metro Manila Council. The mayor is assisted by the vice mayor, who presides over a legislative council consisting of 18 members: 8 councilors from the 1st district, 8 councilors from the 2nd 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.
The incumbent mayor is Abby Binay, the daughter of former mayor and former Vice President Jejomar Binay. Monique Lagdameo is the incumbent vice mayor. Current district representatives of the city to the House of Representatives are Romulo "Kid" Peña Jr., representing the 1st district, and Luis Jose Angel Campos Jr., husband of Abby Binay, for the 2nd district.
Mayors
Seal of Makati
The current seal of Makati, adopted in August 1995, composes of the outline map of Makati containing 33 rays, green buildings, and a church.
The map of Makati, first used on the municipal seal from 1990 to 1995, is in golden yellow color which represents wealth and prosperity. The rays represent the 33 barangays of Makati which are described to be "surging forward to a brighter future". The color of the buildings symbolizes life which is described to reflect a "new progressive" Makati. The church represents the oldest church of Makati, the Nuestra Señora de Gracia, which was used by Filipino revolutionaries against the Spaniards in 1896 and the Americans in 1898. The waves represent the tide which came from the phrase "Makati na, Kumakati na" which means ebbing tide.
International relations
Diplomatic missions
Most of the diplomatic missions to Manila by foreign countries in the Philippines have their chanceries located in Makati:
(Consulate)
(Taipei Economic and Cultural Office)
(Consulate)
Sister cities
Makati's sister city is Los Angeles, California. Makati is also twinned with Ramapo, New York and Vladivostok, Russia.
Notable persons
Pío del Pilar, Filipino revolutionary general
Jejomar Binay, former Vice President of the Philippines
Nancy Binay, incumbent senator
Abigail Binay, lawyer and incumbent city mayor
Michelle Dee, actress
Vhong Navarro, TV host, actor and dancer
Ciara Sotto, actress
Julia Clarete, actress
China Roces, actress
Jhong Hilario, actor, dancer, TV host and incumbent 1st district councilor
Teodoro Locsin Jr., journalist, lawyer, diplomat and former 1st district representative
Monsour del Rosario, actor, athlete and former 1st district representative
Joker Arroyo, lawyer, former 1st district representative and former Senator
Agapito Aquino, former senator and former 2nd district representative
Rico J. Puno, singer and former 1st district councilor
Chiquito, actor and former vice mayor
Sandro Reyes, football player
Rhian Ramos, actress
Mike Arroyo, former First Gentleman
Bela Padilla, actress
Migz Zubiri, incumbent senate presidency
See also
List of renamed cities and municipalities in the Philippines
Tourism in Manila
References
External links
Official websites
Makati Website
Makati Web Portal
General information
[ Philippine Standard Geographic Code]
West Valley Fault in Pasig and Makati – 3230 III 17B Pasig
West Valley Fault in Makati and Taguig – 3230 III 22a Taguig
1670 establishments in the Philippines
Cities in Metro Manila
Highly urbanized cities in the Philippines
Populated places established in 1670
Populated places on the Pasig River