Beauty is truth, truth is beauty, that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. — George Keats

To most tourists, Manila is a mere afterthought, a necessary inconvenience to catch connecting flights to the more alluring destinations elsewhere around the Philippines. If visitors permit themselves a stay, it’s only for a day, just enough for a quick dart to Intramuros or a glimpse of cosmopolitan BGC and Makati — token gestures, really, genuine interest lacking.

Manila is not easy to like at the outset. Even for those who swear by the city, it was not love at first sight. Visitors are baffled, not knowing exactly what to make of it or what to expect. Predominantly Catholic and more Hispanic than Asian, it is the peculiar one among its Islamic, Buddhist and Hindi counterparts. Not one to espouse its finer features, it does not put its best foot forward, doing itself no favors. It disappoints right from the first handshake. Initial impressions, formed as early as when visitors step into an airport with lesser merits than they’re used to or are exposed to the sight of shanties that line the street on the way to their accommodation, are difficult to overcome. The odds are stacked against it, with little chance of getting their affection.

Observers point out the obvious lack of landmarks — a Forbidden City, a Tower of London, or even a recognizable Merlion, if you will — that encapsulate what it is. But Manila is a place not typified by monuments. More than just an anthology of sights to behold, it begs to be experienced. To understand its complexities, one needs to get around, not stay confined in one sector, such as an Intramuros. Its story lies throughout the breadth of the capital, across its different municipalities and districts. The city reveals its true self only to those willing to put in the time and effort. And those who have given it a chance are pleasantly surprised.

Metro Manila is that unshaven dinner guest whose shirt isn’t pressed, a bit unrefined, and lacking in social graces. But once you get over his coarse exterior, you find him genuinely warm and engaging. And he stays behind to help you clean up when everyone else has gone home.

You would have encountered thousands of faces as you ventured around the city. Where do they come from? Where do they go? A quick glance and they disappear, each stepping out into their own lives in an endless possibility of imagined endings and outcomes.