Since Manila is prone to earthquakes , the Spanish colonial architects invented the style called Earthquake Baroque which the churches and government buildings during the Spanish colonial period adopted . As a result , succeeding earthquakes of the 18th and 19th centuries barely affected Manila , although it did periodically level the surrounding area . Modern buildings in and around Manila are designed or have retrofitted to withstand an 8 @.@ 2 magnitude quake in accordance to the country 's building code .