I am guessing this shot was taken in the Intramuros district in the general vicinity of the Pasig River, as that looks like the Manila Post Office at the top right of this photograph, with Taft Avenue running up to it.
My new friend John Tewell, who I’ve asked for help identifying sites in Manila, sent me the following description of just what is contained in my pap’s photo here. Wow. There is much more in this picture than what meets the eye. I now feel very inadequate in my identifications and descriptions of these places!
From John: This picture is looking northwest from just west of Padre Burgos Drive that is a northern extension of Taft Avenue. The foreground water is a drainage ditch. In the distance the building on the left is Letran College that is inside the walls of Intramuros. In front of Letran is the Old Spanish Wall of Intramuros. Also in front of Letran is the Quezon Gate that the Americans put through the wall sometime after 1898. The wall in the center of the picture is Baluarte de San Gabriel which is the north east corner of Intramuros. Next going right in the picture is the El Hogar Building. Built in 1914, the five-story building housed the first Filipino financing institution. Next is the First National City Bank building, it was built in 1915. The First National City Bank building was getting in bad condition until very recently. It has been rejuvenated (2011-2012) back as close as possible to the way it was before WWII and the street level part has been made into small shops. These last two buildings are on the north side next to the Pasig River across from where this photo was taken. The Post Office building is out of the picture to the right.
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This picture is looking northwest from just west of Padre Burgos Drive that is a northern extension of Taft Avenue. The foreground water is a drainage ditch. In the distance the building on the left is Letran College that is inside the walls of Intramuros. In front of Letran is the Old Spanish Wall of Intramuros. Also in front of Letran is the Quezon Gate that the Americans put through the wall sometime after 1898. The wall in the center of the picture is Baluarte de San Gabriel which is the north east corner of Intramuros. Next going right in the picture is the El Hogar Building. Built in 1914, the five-story building housed the first Filipino financing institution. Next is the First National City Bank building, it was built in 1915. The First National City Bank building was getting in bad condition until very recently. It has been rejuvenated (2011-2012) back as close as possible to the way it was before WWII and the street level part has been made into small shops. These last two buildings are on the north side next to the Pasig River across from where this photo was taken. The Post Office building is out of the picture to the right.