Intramuros (meaning "within the walls") was Manila. Before the coming of the Spaniards, it was the site of the native settlement Maynilad. Ruled over Rajah Soliman, it was a center for trade of Asian Goods.

Maynilad was conquered by the Spaniards in 1571. On June 24, Adelantado Miguel Lopez de Legazpi founded the city of Manila over the ashes of the old settlement. As the years passed, the Spaniards realized the threat of invassion by foreign intruders and resolved to construct a series of defenses of high walls, bullwarks and moats. When finished, the walls stretched 4.5 kilometers in length enclosing an area of 64 hectares. Within it were residences, churches, palaces, schools and government buildings.Entry was made through gates with drawbridges which closed before midnight and opened at the break of dawn.

Intramuros became the political, cultural, educational, religious and commercial center of Spain's empire in the East. It was also one of the stopovers of the famed Acapulco galleons. But the glory was not to last. In 1898, as a result of the Treaty of Paris, the Philippines was ceded to the United States, ending the Spanish colonial era. Thus, the Filipinos began a different lifestyle with their new colonial masters.

The Japanese occupied the Philippines at the outbreak of the World War II. For three years, fear and death stalked the city. Fort Santiago became the hellhole where thousands of hapless civilians and guerillas died. The war also proved the end for Intramuros. During the battle in 1945, American forces shelled Intramuros where hundreds of Japanese held out in a last-ditch stand. Thousands died during the eight-day seige. Practically, the whole of Intramuros was leveled to the ground except San Agustin Church and most of the walls fortifyng the city.

A ruined city stood over a modernizing metropolis through the years. Efforts to restore Intramuros were sporadic. In 1979, a presidential decree created the Intramuros Administration to restore and develop the Walled City as a historic site and major tourism attraction.

Today, efforts to preserve Intramuros and revive its illustrious past are stronger than ever. The present generation of Filipinos has come to realize its historical value. As in the days of our forefathers, Intramuros is a priceless treasure to be shared with the world.