10 Nostalgic Photos Of Makati

Happy 348th birthday, Makati! Yes, Makatizens, what used to be idle grassland by the Pasig River has, through three-and-a-half centuries, transformed into the city we know and love today: a bustling, world-class city with spectacular buildings, malls, museums, restaurants, and apartments, one with a passionate community at its heart.

Can you imagine? Yes, it's been 348 years!

Last Friday, June 1, 2018 marked 348 years since the founding and christening of Makati as a registered land. According to Wikipedia, Makati became an independent municipality in 1670, and was christened San Pedro de Macati in honour of the town's patron, Saint Peter.

As our city celebrates 10 days of Makati Foundation Day, through street parades, art installations, film screenings, and other events, join us as Make It Makati takes a stroll down memory lane, from its ancient churches to its historical roads to its groundbreaking department stores! Get all misty-eyed as we  give you  10 amazing snapshots of our beloved city through the years.

(We'd like to thank the various websites and blogs we borrowed these images from. We truly appreciate your writing about our great city.)

One of the oldest photos we found of what we now know as Guadalupe Church in 7440 Bernardino. The Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Makati City has been renamed Nuestra Señora de Gracia. The church finished completion in 1629. Do visit the church today as it is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. ( Source: www.filipinoamericanwar.com)

Three of Makati's pioneering minds strike a pose. ( From left to right: Col. Joseph McMicking, Alfonso R. Zobel de Ayala, and Enrique O. Zobel. ) Did you know that Ayala Triangle Garden's McMicking Memorial & Courtyard stands as the city's tribute to Col. McMicking, one the visionary builders of our city? (Source: Manila Nostalgia)

Yes, you got that right! The two roads we now know as Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas used to be runways of the Manila International Airport. The control tower, the Nielson Tower, still stands today as Blackbird Restaurant at the Ayala Triangle Gardens. (Courtesy: YouTube.)

Airplanes dock by the Nielson Tower.  Yes, folks, it was a bustling airport back then. (Source: Manila Nostalgia)

Makati by the old Highway 54 (now EDSA). Yes, you read that right: Take a left turn and that's Buendia Avenue. Can you imagine yourself driving here without all the traffic? (Source: Buzzfeed)

There were only a few skyscrapers in Ayala Avenue back in 1970. Yes, on the far left, that's the Rizal Theater--the city's premier film and performance venue. Its spot is now occupied by Makati Shangri-La hotel.  (Source: Manila Nostalgia)

Here you can see Henry Sy's massive SM Malls enterprise in its humble beginnings as ShoeMart  Makati, which opened its doors in the 1960s. (Source: sminvestments.com)

The old Makati Post Office. Yes, back then, it was just this small. (Source: talonggo.com )

On May 31, 1969, the Makati Medical Center formally opened its doors to the public. At the time, it was the most state-of-the-art, world-class hospital  in the Philippines. (Source: Makati Med website)

The Peninsula Makati opened on September 1976 on the corner of Ayala Avenue and Makati Avenue. The Gabriela Silang Monument still stands today, sculpted by Jose Mendoza. (Source: The Peninsula Manila Facebook Page)

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Did you learn a thing or two about our beloved city? Did we jog your memory? Tell us your reactions on our Facebook page, Make It Makati. Happy Makati Foundation Day to one and all!