Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, is known by a number of nicknames, aliases, sobriquets and slogans, both officially and unofficially, now and in the past.
The city is most popularly referred to as the Pearl of the Orient. This nickname appears in the lyrics of the city's official hymn and is also depicted in the city's coat of arms.[1]
Manila is also frequently shortened to Mla or MNL (the IATA code for Ninoy Aquino International Airport).