Question 1

True or false: Manila was once part of the United States for over 40 years.

Accepted Answer

True. After the Spanish-American War, the Philippines including Manila was ceded to the US in 1898 and remained a US colony until 1946.

Question 2

True or false: The Pasig River in Manila is one of the most biodiverse rivers in the world.

Accepted Answer

False. The Pasig River is heavily polluted and considered biologically dead in many sections, not a biodiversity hotspot.

Question 3

True or false: The famous Manila Hotel was designed by the same architect who built the Eiffel Tower.

Accepted Answer

False. The Manila Hotel was designed by American architect William E. Parsons, not Gustave Eiffel. The Eiffel Tower was designed by Gustave Eiffel.

Question 4

True or false: Manila is the most densely populated city proper in the world.

Accepted Answer

True. With over 42,000 people per square kilometer, Manila proper holds the Guinness World Record for highest population density of any city.

Question 5

True or false: Manila was originally a Muslim settlement before Spanish colonization.

Accepted Answer

True. Pre-colonial Manila was a Muslim kingdom under Rajah Sulayman, part of the Bruneian Empire's influence, before the Spanish arrived in 1571.

Question 6

True or false: Manila's Intramuros was built entirely from coral stones brought from Cebu.

Accepted Answer

False. Intramuros was built using volcanic tuff (adobe stone) quarried locally from nearby areas like San Mateo and Marikina.

Question 7

True or false: The name 'Manila' comes from a local flower called the 'Maynilad'.

Accepted Answer

False. The name derives from 'Maynilad', referring to the nilad plant (a type of mangrove) that once grew abundantly along the bay.

Question 8

True or false: Manila has the oldest Chinatown in the world, established in 1594.

Accepted Answer

True. Binondo, founded in 1594 by Spanish governor Luis Pérez Dasmariñas, is recognized as the world's oldest continuously inhabited Chinatown.

Manila Trivia Questions