In the beginning of the twentieth century, legendary city planner Daniel Burnham laid out a vision for Manila: The Pearl of the Orient anchored by the Manila waterfront:

Over the past half century, the waterfront has changed and expanded, bringing jobs and development to the metropolis but leaving Old Manila behind.

… all embraced by a bold extension of Luneta Park’s vast open space, Manila’s largest coastal habitat forest continuing the broad strokes of the Burnham plan of the pas and ensuring a truly sustainable development not only for Manileños and the Philippines.