History of Makati
I’m stepping outside of myth and lore to share the very real blunder that named the area of Makati in Metro Manila.
According to this bas-relief located near Makati Poblacion Park, in 1571, Spanish Governor-General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi visited a small settlement by the Pasig River in one of his fluvial expeditions from Manila. When he asked the locals, in Spanish, what the name of the place was, the natives – who did not understand him – pointed to the river and replied, “Makati na! Kumaka tina,” referring to the ebbing tide. He then recorded the name of the place as MACATI and later dismissed it as a worthless swampland.
This bas relief is donated by the Makati Festivals Foundation, Inc. with the support of the City Government of Makati.
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