Historical Geographies of the Port of Manila

This study attempts to narrate a history of the Port of Manila, Philippines. It begins with the arrival of the American colonial government and continues to the present. The study broadly attempts to understand how labor and power at the Port has changed over time. In addition to consulting historical archival material, the study will interview truck drivers, dock workers, customs brokers, government officials working in the Port of Manila today. The study offers us an opportunity to understand how port labor has changed over time. It also sheds insight into American involvement in the Philippines both during the American colonial era and in the Cold War.