PHILIPPINES. Manila. 1998. Chinatown is one of the business centers of Manila, and Dondo is the citys largest slum area. Recto Avenue, which runs between the two areas is one of the liveliest shopping streets in Manila. Daily necessities are sold at cheap prices. Gaily decorated jeepneys and horse-drawn carriages add to the general congestion in Chinatown from early morning into late evening.