Manila: Intramuros

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WALK FLY PINOY:
Travel, Photography, Asia
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It has to be done. I have been to quite a few places in and around the country and yet, I have never really explored the history of the city I was born in, at least not in recent years. I have seen and photographed remnants of the Spanish occupation in other parts of the Philippines. I guess it was time that I did so in my city, the country's capital, Manila.


Intramuros, Latin for within the walls, is a small territory located in the western part of Metro Manila, right by the bay and on the southern banks of the Pasig River. Back in the day, this walled city was considered the whole of Manila itself. Over the years, the territory covered by "Manila" expanded to the chaotic urban sprawl you see today.



The most prominent landmark of Intramuros is, of course, the Manila Cathedral, our first stop. The original church was erected here in 1581. It has taken quite a number of beatings over the years, including a world war, and so what we see today is actually the sixth incarnation of the church.



The cathedral interiors are palatial to say the least, the kind of place a lot of couples would want to be married in. The church is notoriously booked though. We're talking years, not just months. In fact, in the hour or so that we were there, we saw at least three set of wedding entourages pass by. Crazy.


After the cathedral, we walked the stone-covered General Luna street onto Casa Manila. It is basically a museum, a showcase of the architectural style and design popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. It costs 75 pesos to go inside the house itself and cameras aren't allowed. Needless to say, we contented ourselves exploring just the exteriors, including the courtyard, which were enough really.



For our final stop, we went back up the road, past the Manila Cathedral and the Palacio del Gobernador, into Fort Santiago, a defense fortress which was a necessity and thus a staple of Spanish colonies founded at the time. The fort forms part of Intramuros' actual walls but to get in, you need to pay 75 pesos.


Most of what Fort Santiago is right now is a well-manicured park/museum which houses memorabilia and other historical artifacts in the life of Filipino national hero Dr. José Rizal. It is a widely known fact that Fort Santiago served as Rizal's final holding prison before his execution on December 30, 1896.


We came to Intramuros in the afternoon. By the time we finished, it was already getting dark and we were getting really hungry. So we did the natural thing to do. We crossed the river into Binondo, Manila's Chinatown. After about a fifteen minute walk into Binondo's busy streets, we settled for a place that served all kinds of Chinese-Filipino dishes. At that point, we all knew we had a very good day. A very very good day.

For my complete gallery on Manila: Intramuros, please go to my Flickr set here.

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Tarlac: Capas National Shrine

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Our route to Mount Pinatubo took us to Capas, Tarlac. Capas is a very historical town in Central Luzon. This is the site of Camp O'Donnell, an American army facility turned Japanese prisoner camp during World War II. This was the final stop in the historic Bataan Death March.


In memory of this episode in Philippine history, what now stands in the site is a war memorial dedicated to the Filipino and American soldiers who endured and fell throughout the 97-kilometer march. The site is now known as the Capas National Shrine or the Paggunita sa Capas.


The shrine is 54 hectares of parkland. In the center is a 70-meter obelisk surrounded by a black marble wall on which lay inscribed the names of the soldiers known to have died in Capas as a result of the death march. Thousands suffered the brutality and the inhumanity throughout the march. Many died en route to the camp.


It's by visiting places like these you get a sense of who you are and what your place is. You become humbled by the enormity of it all. The things you read in textbooks back in grade school start to mean something. They're not just words. They're people and places that changed the world as we know it.


My travel companions commented on the way home that we were lucky we weren't born during the war. I agree. At the same time, there is this huge responsibility for us. At the very least, we should never forget events like these, no matter how horrible and gruesome they may be. They are part of history, our history, our story. More than anything, it is that we should always remember.

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Siquijor: Lazi Church and Convent

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When we were in Siquijor last August, weather was still predictable to some degree. On our second day there, things were just perfect for an inland tour. One of the our stops was the San Isidro Labrador Church and Convent in the town of Lazi.


The church and the convent date back to the late 1800's, built after Lazi was made a parish in the name of San Isidro Labrador under the auspices of the Augustinian Recollects. The whole complex had the church on one side of the street, the convent on the other.

I'll stop with the history lesson here. I won't pretend I know more than these things, nor do I have the diligence to do a little bit of research. I just knew that it was a great day to take pictures and that day, these structures were just the perfect subjects anyone could ask for.

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Cebu: Fort San Pedro

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The third destination in what turned out to be our historical tour of Cebu City is Fort San Pedro. The fort is in an area now known as Plaza Independencia, just walking distance from the Basilica de Sto. Niño and Magellan's Cross. Facing the front entrance of the basilica, walk down the street to your left. After about three blocks, you'll find the plaza and the fort's walls.


There is an entrace fee of 21 pesos. Well worth it, I think. The place is well-maintained (too maintained, if you ask me). They've developed the interiors into some sort of a park. Good thing the structures are still there. One old-looking building has been turned into a museum. Pity it was closed when we visited.


I discovered later that the fort was built by the orders of Miguel López de Legazpi himself. It's that old. The adelantado wanted a military fortification there in order to protect the then emerging Spanish settlement from raids and assaults. By the late 1800's, the historical site served as a stronghold for Filipino revolutionaries.


Again, walking into the fort, you wouldn't really see this "history." Mainly because the park/garden dominates the interiors. That isn't the case, though, when you climb up the fort's battlements. There are many staircases leading up to the walls, one even wheelchair-friendly. So do go up.


There you'll find stone walkways (again, very well-maintained), out-of-service cannons and some sort of a steel artillery storage bunker. Also, there is a concrete staircase leading to the rooftop deck of the front walls. An area higher than the battlements. From there, you'll have a view of a terracotta rooftop and, of course, the streets and buildings right outside the fort.


Before leaving, make sure you drop by the souvenir shops beside the entrance/exit gates. Aside from the keychains, necklaces and bracelets (which you can get personalized with your names, by the way), you might find there a blind man singing together with a young girl gifted with an amazing voice. They were singing some old songs. Some in Tagalog even. So listen and spare some change.

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Cebu: the Cross and the Basilica

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After visiting Bantayan Island in northern Cebu province, we made sure we also visited some of the more touristy sites of Cebu City proper. Hey, it has to be done. My goal was to find as much old Spanish Cebu as I can get. It is a very historical city this one. In fact, Cebu was for a time the capital of the Spanish colony here. Luckily, it did not disappoint.


First on our list, is, of course, Magellan's Cross. The first time I saw this landmark was in grade school, in a history textbook. So, walking into the small stone kiosk that houses it was actually the first time I was beholding it. Well, I expected something taller, but hey, it's tall enough.


The cross can be found in the heart of downtown Cebu City, along Magallanes Street, right in front of the city hall. As I discovered, though, no one will actually ever lay eyes on the original Magellan's cross. The original one has been encased inside this hollow wooden cross, reportedly done to prevent devotees from chipping off its wood, believing it to have healing powers.


Right beside the cross is the back entrance of one very big Catholic church. The Basilica Minore de Sto. Niño is said to be standing on the spot where a sculpture of a black Holy Child was found. Spaniards stumbled upon this Sto. Niño preserved in a burned wooden box left behind by Magellan's 1521 expedition.


Today, the black Sto. Niño is still there. We saw it inside the church, in a special room beside the altar, along with other things inside the basilica. Again, I could not shoot inside the church out of respect to the many devotees praying there. So, I contented myself on other interesting things I found. Trust me. There are many.


We found a well-maintained patio inside, which had this beautifully crafted wishing fountain. Walking inside the church again, I found this staircase whose intricate design amazed me. The balusters and the steps themselves were all beautifully sculpted from wood. I guess this is why I never actually fully resented religion. If it could inspire beautiful works of art like this one, why should I?

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Bantayan: The Historical Kota Park

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WALK FLY PINOY:
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On our second day in Bantayan Island, Cebu, we arranged for an inland trip. We hired a motorcycle taxi (like a Thai tuk-tuk) for the whole afternoon. There were four of us and we paid 200 pesos each. The taxi picked us up after lunch at a restaurant close to the resort and then, we were off.


Our first destination was Kota Park, located north of the island in the town of Madridejos, a small fishing village there. Our resort was located south of the island, so it was quite a drive to get there. It was pleasant, though. You will pass by Bantayan Island's rural landscapes, tree-lined roads and the island's commercial center.


As I found out later on through Cebu's official website, Kota Park, when it was built in the 1790's, served as a Spanish fort (kota, kuta = fort). It was used by the locals, to protect themselves from pirates, and by Spanish militiamen as a camp and a watchtower, given its strategic location at the northernmost tip of the island.


After the Spanish occupation, the fort became a public cemetery, making it the burial ground for many of the locals' departed beloved. It remained a public cemetery until the 1950's. Obviously now, the fort has been rehabilitated into a park. Still, inside the structure, we found relics and artifacts displayed in each of the four corners, including a tall wooden cross marking this fort's historical value to the island.


Past the fort, but still part of the park, is a small narrow beach. We were told by our tour organizer/guide that this is the place where the sun sets on Bantayan Island. We came here just right after lunch and there was still a lot of places to get to. So, obviously, we were not able to stay.


There is concrete footbridge connecting the shore to what seemed to be a "watch-balcony." Standing on this bridge, you will see from afar a cliff face marked with the name Madridejos. If you look below, you will see in the waters different types of jellyfish swimming around. There were black ones, lots of them, and blue ones. They looked bizarre and scary, but definitely a sight to behold.



For other Bantayan-island entries, please see:
Bantayan: The Spanish-Era Town Plaza
Bantayan: Blooms in May
Bantayan: Brilliant Blue Beach
Cebu: From the City to the Island

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