Manila is how the world knows the city. Maynila is how the city knows itself. NYC is where we made it home.
Born and bred in the "World’s Borough" of Queens, I grew up with the sounds of the subway and the stories of the islands. For those of us in the diaspora, identity is a bridge. We live in the intersection of two cultures—navigating the grit of Queens Boulevard while carrying the sunset of Roxas Boulevard in our DNA.
The name Maynila predates the maps and the colonial history. It is the native soul of the city. As a New York Filipino, I noticed something hidden in plain sight: when you look at the heart of our heritage, the NY is already there. It’s in the name. It’s in the spelling. It’s in our identity.
Manila.nyc and Maynila.nyc aren't just domains—they are the two ways we tell our story. One represents our global reach; the other represents our deepest roots.
While Manila is the core, Pasay is the gateway. Just like Queens is the entry point to the greatest city on earth, Pasay is where the journey begins for so many in the Philippines. It’s the place where my family roots are planted—a neighborhood of hustle, transit, and heart.
This brand is a tribute to the bridge between JFK and NAIA. It’s for the Fil-Ams who are just as comfortable on a Jeepney as they are on the N-train.
Anyway you spell it, it’s home.