Manila: a singular hybridization between East and West

On Monday, March 10, 2025, at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, the presentation meeting of the volume published by Scuola Sinderesi, edited by Samuele Sangalli: The Hybrid Capital: Manila and its singular culture (2023, Rubbettino), was held. 

Watch the video recording and interviews .

With this text dedicated to Manila, Scuola Sinderesi completed the fourth three-year cycle dedicated to the phenomenon of urbanization as a possible outcome of an increasingly globalized world. After analyzing the megacities in detail in the last two sessions – first in Europe (Rome, Sangalli 2021), then in America (Mexico City, Sangalli 2022) – the focus shifted to the Asian hub of Manila, located in the heart of the famous archipelago, with the aim of understanding the configuration of the cities of the twenty-first century.
Manila, with its peculiar "hybrid-Western" cultural tradition, represents an interesting laboratory of inclusiveness and coexistence between bearers of different cultures and traditions, giving life to a cultural mosaic that it is hoped will respect the peculiarities of each individual. 
The capital of the Philippines, Manila extends over a large metropolitan area and is an emblematic example of urban complexity: an ever-growing population, a constantly evolving geopolitical context and a geographical position that exposes it to significant environmental challenges.