Manila’s all-encompassing ‘informality’ makes it an emblematic global city
Manila is indisputably at the centre of some of the most important urban trends of the past half-century: it is the world’s most densely populated city, and continues to grow at an exponential pace. It serves as the headquarters to one of the fastest growing economies in the world (10th in 2017, according to the World Bank). Filipinos, especially residents of Manila, travel all over the world as nurses, nannies, construction workers and sailors. They provide the mass labour fuelling the global service economy.
Relaxing on a Manila rooftop (John Christian Fjellestad CC BY 2.0 Flickr)