Manila is the second most populous city in the Philippines after the former capital Quezon City with a population of 1 @,@ 780 @,@ 148 in 2015 . Because of its small land area and huge population , Manila is regarded as one of the most densely populated cities in the world with 42 @,@ 857 people per square kilometer . Manila is one of the sixteen cities and a municipality that make up Metro Manila , the National Capital Region of the Philippines . In 2012 , Globalization and World Cities Research Network listed Manila as a global city .