The residence of the President of the Philippines, this complex in the San Miguel district on the north bank of the Pasig was one of the primary objectives of the American advance on the city.

The seat of the Commonwealth Government, this reinforced concrete structure will be a fortress in the hands of die-hard Japanese troops.

The Central Post Office stood at the northern end of the government district in Ermita, a massive concrete structure that the Japanese intended to turn into a fortress.