One fine Saturday I felt the urge to leave Makati behind and go up north of the Megacity, where you find some green oases such as the campus of UP Diliman and the Quezon Circle. Traffic on EDSA was quite heavy, so I decided to take the the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) for the first time.

Looking to live in a tropical paradise? The Philippines is a popular destination for retirees. Find out why. 

'I keep postponing my return flight. Once Manila gets you, it won't let you go easily'

The Megacity Manila is the capital of a developing country, a tropical developing country. It therefore qualifies to either a) do some volunteer work or b) take your backpack and climb the caves of Sagada, enjoy the Pristine beaches of Bohol or listen to some of the best live music on Earth in the Megacity itself. The Megacity is a hub for Backpackers and Volunteers, some of who are pursuing these tasks in the whole of Southeast Asia.

It is safe to say that all Megacitizens in Manila are also active in the Cyberspace – and as soon as they are reading this paragraph, they are also Megacitizens in Cyberspace. The reason for that is quite simple. Cost for connection to the Internet via smart phone or USB dongle for the laptop are comparatively low and free wireless networks are provided in many coffee shops and restaurants in all HotSpots.

'Two things usually leave a lasting impression to foreigners visiting Japan: the country's love for high-end technology and the exquisite politeness of literally everybody you talk to'

Megacities are geographically distributed all over the world - but united in their common appearance and the things they stand for. No matter which Megacity you enter, there are certain things that you will be able to spot in all of them. Sometimes Megacities across the globe are closer connected than a Megacity and another city in the same country are.

A 'Megacity' is constituted of more than 10 millions inhabitants and - most of the time - is a combination of several smaller cities that naturally or artificially grew together to one large city of cities, the Megacity. Global Cities however are subject to their political, financial, cultural et cetera value.

We haven't forgotten the locals because they are Megacitizens too! Most of the people living in Megacity Manila are locals from all over the country. You can easily identify those born in the Megacity and those from outside Manila by asking them which province they are from. If they come from the province it basically means that they were born somewhere else and moved to the capital. Locals living in Manila are in average more liberal, more open-minded and have a higher proficiency in English compared to those living in other parts of the country.

MEGACITIZENS.com covers not only qua definition 'Megacities' but the so-called 'Global Cities' as well. Megacitizens live in both, Megacities as well as Global Cities.

National Citizens & Icons is a compilation of names that you should be familiar with when living in Metro Manila. It includes national heroes and others who shaped the Megacity and the country in the past - but also those who are currently shaping the future of the Megacity: national icons in politics, sports and pop culture.

A collection of traveling-, living- and working experiences from different Megacitizens who decided to explore the Megacity Manila and everything around it.