Originally founded in 1670 as a visita of Sta. Ana de Sapa under the
jurisdiction of the Franciscans, Makati City was first dismissed as
"worthless" swamp land by the Spanish conquistador Juan Miguel de
Legazpi in 1571. Yet over the centuries, this small community would leave large
imprints in social, economic and cultural history. The friars established two
of the earliest churches in the Philippines, the Nuestra Señora de Gracia in
Guadalupe and the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Makati, drawing pilgrims
from all over the country. At the turn of the century, the Americans
established Fort McKinley in Makati, and in
