▁blue ▁fields . ▁The ▁top , ▁red ▁half ▁dep ict s ▁the ▁city ' s ▁nick name , ▁" P ear l ▁of ▁the ▁Orient ", ▁while ▁the ▁lower , ▁blue ▁half ▁is ▁charged ▁with ▁a ▁sea - l ion ▁sur mount ing ▁the ▁waves ▁of ▁the ▁River ▁Pas ig ▁and ▁Man ila ▁Bay . ▁The ▁sea - l ion ▁originally ▁represented ▁the ▁islands ' s ▁former ▁colonial ▁status ▁as ▁an ▁ul tr amar ▁( over se as ) ▁possession ▁of ▁Spain , ▁and ▁is ▁ultimately ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁arms ▁of ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁León . ▁ ▁A ▁white ▁round el ▁surr ounds ▁the ▁arms ▁containing ▁the ▁words ▁L ungs od ▁ng ▁May n ila ▁and ▁Pil ip inas ▁( Fil ip ino , ▁" City ▁of ▁Man ila "; ▁" Ph ili pp ines "), ▁and ▁six ▁yellow ▁stars ▁representing ▁the ▁city ' s ▁six ▁con gression al ▁districts . ▁ ▁Historical ▁arms ▁ ▁For ▁easier ▁identification ▁of ▁the ▁city , ▁Man ila ▁was ▁granted ▁a ▁coat ▁of ▁arms ▁by ▁a ▁dec ree ▁issued ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁March ▁ 1 5 9 6 ▁by ▁King ▁Philip ▁II ▁of ▁Spain . ▁The ▁grant ▁was ▁as ▁follows : ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁King ▁Ferdinand ▁VII ▁granted ▁the ▁use ▁and ▁pla cement ▁of ▁the ▁royal ▁crown ▁above ▁the ▁castle ▁itself ▁as ▁an ▁augment ation ▁of ▁honour ▁by ▁royal ▁ced ula ▁of ▁April ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 8 2 6 . ▁ ▁These ▁arms ▁were ▁used ▁since ▁its