Mug Shot — «Manila II - Kalesa»

City: Manila Country: Philippines Edition: 2008 Icon Edition Belongs to: 469 users (71 trading, 77 seeking)

Manila - is the capital city of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities that comprise Metro Manila. Manila is located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay. It is the second most populous city in the Philippines, behind its neighbor, Quezon City. The populace inhabit an area of only 38.55 square kilometers, making Manila the most densely populated city in the world. The city is divided into six legislative districts and consists of sixteen geographical districts. Bustling commerce and some of the most historically and culturally significant iconic landmarks in the country, as well as the seat of the executive and judicial branches of the government are to be found in the city. Manila is also home to many scientific and educational institutions, numerous sport facilities, and other culturally and historically significant venues. The earliest written account of the city is the 10th-century Laguna Copperplate Inscription which describes a context of an Indianised kingdom maintaining diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Medang. The city was invaded by Brunei's Sultan Bolkiah and was already Islamized by the 15th century when the Spanish first arrived. Manila eventually became the center of Spanish activity in the Far East and one end of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade route inking Latin America and Asia. This caused it to be called the "Pearl of the Orient". Several Chinese insurrections, local revolts, a British Occupation and a Sepoy mutiny also occurred thereafter. Later, it saw the rise of the Philippine Revolution which was followed by the arrival of the Americans who made contributions to the city's urban planning and development only to have most of those improvements lost in the devastation of World War II. Since then the city has been rebuilt.

Kalesa - or calesa is a horse drawn carriage used in the Philippines. The word, also spelled calesa, predates the Spanish conquest and descends ultimately from an Old Church Slavonic word meaning "wheels." This was one of the modes of transportation introduced in the Philippines in the 18th century by the Spaniards that only nobles and high-ranked officials could afford. They are rarely used in the streets nowadays except in tourist spots and some rural areas. It has two round wheels on each side and two rows of seats that can accommodate four persons. The driver sits on a block of wood located at the front of the cart near the horse. When the calesa was introduced in the 18th century during the Spanish colonial period, it became one of the modes of transportation in the Philippines. During the American period, Manila was teeming with kalesas, but after World War II they were not used in mass anymore. Rich Filipinos known as the ilustrados used the calesa for personal travel as well as for the transport of goods to nearby areas. Although the calesa has become a rarity, some century-old examples are still preserved in areas of the Philippines, such as the city of Vigan and Laoag. Calesas can also be found in Intramuros where they serve tourist purposes and Binondo in the city of Manila.

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  Philippines, Manila, MIC

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