Makati - was founded in 1670 , as a visita of Sta. Ana de Sapa under the jurisdiction of the Franciscans - this was swampland, practically a wilderness, dismissed by Juan Miguel de Legazpi as worthless in 1571. At the turn of the century, the Americans established Fort McKinley in Makati, and in 1901, San Pedro de Makati, with a population of 2,500, was incorporated into the province of Rizal . On February 28, 1914, the Philippine Legislature passed Act 2390, shortening the name San Pedro Makati to Makati in the 1930's, the first airport, Nielson Airport, opened in what is now the Ayala Triangle. The first centrally planned community was established in the 1950's, and since the 1970's, Makati has been the undisputed financial and commercial capital, the once worthless swampland becoming prime real property.

Makati is a short 15 minute-drive from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and the Manila Domestic Airport. Air-conditioned buses plying the Epifanio De los Santos Avenue (EDSA) route from Baclaran in Paranaque to Quezon City and Kalookan City pass through the Central Business District (CBD) daily. Jeepneys ply Makati's inner roads, and connect the city to its surrounding towns and cities. The Manila Rail Transit (MRT) on EDSA has three stations located in Makati: Guadalupe, Buendia and Ayala Avenue.