"Makati City - Manila's Business Center " a Makati Travel Page by whvcebu

Can you imagine? Look at the building on the picture to the left. The small one there is the ""Gilarmi Apartments"". That's where I lived in 1973, when I just arrived in Manila.

This apartment hotel was the only building along Ayala Avenue. Only at the corner of Epifania de los Santos (EDSA) was the second building on the same side, the ""Urdaneta Apartments"". At the place of the ""Peninsula Hotel"" we used to watch the skydivers usually during a Sunday afternoon. The "Pen" was finished only in 1976.

Opposite the Gilarmi is nowadays the center of private capitalism in Makati, the high rise tower of the AYALA building near Rustan's Super market.

What else was there in 1973? Manila Intercontinental hotel and a few shops which were at the most 1 1/2 stories high. Now, 30 years later, there is almost everything not below 20 stories

Makati at Ayala Ave and Makati Ave. intersection. There is the Peninsula Hotel, one of my favorite hang outs whenever I am in Makati. (behind the fountain cascade)

When visiting Manila, drive to Makati, cross E. de los Santos Avenue, continue thru the lush first class village of Forbes Park to reach the American War Cemetery. It makes me feel sad to look at the crosses and to imagine how many young soldiers died during WW II which was started from my country and has gone around the world.

For every visitor to the Philippines it is a must to see the most beautiful war memerial I have ever seen. I saw a lot of them in Germany, France and other European countries. None of them can compare with the Philippines. About 17000 of marble crosses are placed in a huge park with firetrees around the circle shaped main bulding. There are all the seals of all the states of the US carved into the marble floor. In the lobby of the building you see all the maps of all the battles that have been fought. The inlays to the walls are done with colorful tiny mosaic stones.

What you see on the building looking like columns are concrete walls of about 4 meters widths and 5 meters height. On those walls are all the names, ID number and the unit to which they belonged to. The soldiers buried there are Americans and Filipinos who served mostly in the battlefields around South East Asia and the Pacific against the Japanese.