Imperial Manila has to go

IMPERIAL Manila is a pejorative term for the overly centralized government system we have. As a national artist, Nick Joaquin used to say, “When Manila sneezes, the Philippines catches cold.” I am referring to the National Capital Region (NCR or Metro Manila) and not just the City of Manila.

Metro Manila is composed of 16 independent cities and one independent municipality. The region encompasses a “land area of 619.57 square kilometers (239.22 square miles) and a population of 12,877,253 as of 2015. It is the second most populous and the most densely populated region of the country and the ninth most populous metropolitan area in Asia, the fifth most populous urban area in the world.”