The Dominicans first arrived in the Philippines in 1581. They established the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in 1611, one of the oldest schools in Asia. They were the missionaries to the Chinese in the Philippines. Missionaries are people who spread their faith to other people.
The Dominicans ran the Santo Domingo Church which was also originally found in Intramuros. It was eventually transferred to Quezon City after World War II.