Malate, Manila

## Etymology

The name _Malate_ is derived from a corruption of the Tagalog word _maalat_ ("salty"). The name likely referred to the brackish waters, where the river estuary (in today's _Malate Estero_) meets the bay.

The Spanish historian Antonio de Morga wrote in his book, _Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas_ (trans:Events in the Philippine Islands), published 1609, that _"Manila has two drives for recreation. One is by land, along the point called Nuestra Señora de Guia. It extends for about a legua along the shore and is very clean and level. Thence it passes through a native street and settlement, called Bagunbayan, to a chapel, much frequented by the devout, called Nuestra Señora de Guia, and continues for a goodly distance further to a monastery and mission-house of the Augustinians, called **Mahalat**."_ The Spaniards pronounced this later as "Malate".

## History

During the Spanish colonial period, Malate was an open space with a small fishing village where the chief _Tagáls_ settled after losing their fort, "Maynila" (now Intramuros), to the colonizers in 1571 — among them the ancient noble families of Raja Matanda and Raja Soliman. The Malate Church became its focal point of community activity, dedicated to _Our Lady of Remedies_.

After the United States of America annexed the islands in 1898 as a consequence of the Spanish–American War, American urban planners envisioned Malate as the exclusive residential area for American families and old Spanish mestizo families. In 1901, with the chartering of the city of Manila, Malate became a district after the city's borders were extended outside Intramuros.

At the end of the Second World War, many homes of the affluent were still standing. As such, the displaced wealthy families who evacuated their houses during wartime returned and re-built their private villas and kept the whole district exclusively residential until the onset of extensive commercialization in the 1970s.

## Education and scholarly activity

Education in Malate is mostly provided by private schools. Several educational institutions which are part of the University Belt extend towards Malate via Taft Avenue, such as the De La Salle University, the De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde, Philippine Christian University, Philippine Women's University, St. Paul University Manila and St. Scholastica's College Manila. Prominent secondary schools in Malate are the Jesus Reigns Christian Academy, Jose Abad Santos Memorial School and the Malate Catholic School. The _Doña Aurora Quezon Elementary School_ is the only public school in the district.

## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Malate
- **settlement type**: District of Manila
- **image skyline**: Manila Bay, Roxas Boulevard skyline night (Manila; 02-04-2021).jpg
- **image caption**: Malate skyline at night
- **image map**: Ph fil manila malate.png
- **subdivision type**: Country
- **subdivision name**: Philippines
- **subdivision type1**: Region
- **subdivision name1**: Metro Manila, National Capital Region
- **subdivision type2**: City
- **subdivision name2**: Manila
- **subdivision type3**: Congressional districts
- **subdivision name3**: Part of the Congressional Districts of Manila, 5th district of Manila
- **subdivision type4**: Barangays
- **subdivision name4**: #Barangays, 57
- **area total km2**: 2.5958
- **area total sq mi**: 1.0022
- **population as of**: 2020
- **population total**: 99257
- **timezone1**: Philippine Standard Time
- **utc offset1**: +08:00
- **postal code type**: List of ZIP codes in the Philippines, Zip codes
- **postal code**: 1004
- **area code type**: Telephone numbers in the Philippines, Area codes
- **area code**: 2