Category Archives: PLACES OF INTEREST

Benito Soliven View Deck and Flower Park (Isabela)

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Benito Soliven View Deck and Flower Park

After breakfast at The Sophia Hotel, our media group again boarded our provincial government-supplied airconditioned bus for our Discover Isabela Tour which would take us to two of the province’s Heritage Churches as well as an upcoming tourism leisure site.  Our tour first brought us to the town of Benito Soliven, just a 33-km. (1-hour) drive away via the Pan-Philippine Highway.

Check out “Hotel and Inn Review: The Sophia Hotel“

The partial medicine wheel garden

Our destination here was the Benito Soliven View Deck and Flower Park, a recreation area ideal for a mini-stroll or pictorial session. The focal point of the Flower Park was its partial medicine wheel garden. More than just a shape, in Native American folklore, medicine gardens serve as ceremonial sites, perhaps for healing ceremonies as medicine wheels build on the radiating energy of circles.

A 2-pax wickerwork basket

Gravel walkways, lined with shrubs, serve as its spokes.  At the moment, its center was dominated by a huge Christmas tree, a carryover from the holidays, and a circular concrete bench. Within the vicinity of the garden is a wishing well and a huge wicker basket where couples can sit and do Instagrammable selfies.  On their own, flower farms are sought after just for photos on social media.

A rustic view of the distant mountains, rice fields and the Pinakawan River

Another feature of the site is its awesome rustic view of mountains, rice fields and the Pinakawan River.  This scenery is best seen from a concrete view deck reached by a steel stairway.  At ground level, there’s a wickerwork ring chair and wooden platform with wooden benches and a heart-shaped wickerwork backdrop (another great backdrop for your Instagram feed). Truly, there’s something romantic about the idea of being in the middle of a flower garden and an awesome view.

An Instagram worthy site….

During our visit, we were treated to a merienda of turon, bananacue and buco juice, a fitting prelude to what’s next in store for us – the Sky Cycle (Zip Bike), a “rush” (due to the rush of emotions) which takes biking to another level.

The media group at the concrete view deck. The author is fourth from right

This would be my second try at this adrenaline-filled activity, the first being at the Chocolate Hills Adventure Park (CHAPS) in Bohol. The bicycle, minus the rubber tires, is securely joined to the zip line so there’s no problem balancing. All we had to do was pedal and feel the ride.

Check out “Chocolate Hills Adventure Park”

Suiting up for the Sky Cycle

After all suiting up with helmet and harness, Ms. Analiza “Azi” Andaya (outoftownblog) and Ms. Riza Divina (Abante) took first crack at it, followed by me and Ms. Marita “Ika” Roxas-Ysmael (YMV & Associates) and, finally, by Mr. Vince Samson (Asian Journal) and Mr. Neilsen Elesis (Woman’s Journal).

Riza and Ana trying out the Sky Cycle

It took some time to for me to feel at ease with the bike (it needed adjustment for my height) but, once adjusted on the return, I got the feel for it and the ride became more enjoyable and exciting.

The author and and exultant Ika (this is her first try on a bike zip) on the return trip (photo: Boy Santos of Philippine Star)

The piece de resistance of our visit, the Sky Cycle was truly an exciting, one-of-a-kind experience.

Benito Soliven View Deck and Flower Park: District I, Benito Soliven 3331, Isabela.

Isabela Provincial Tourism Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-3146.  Mobile number: (0917) 317-3820.  E-mail: isabelatourismoffice@gmail.com.

Isabela Provincial Information Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-0248.  Mobile number: (0927) 395-7555.  E-mail: letters_info@yahoo.com.

How to Get There: Benito Soliven is located 426.8 kms. (an 8-hour drive) from Manila and 39 kms. (via Junction Naguilian – San Mariano – Palanan Rd. and Pan-Philippine Highway) from the City of Ilagan.

 

Japanese Tunnel (City of Ilagan, Isabela)

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Ilagan Japanese Tunnel

A lull in our 2020 Bambanti Festival proceedings allowed our 20-man media group to make a visit, via the provincial government-supplied airconditioned bus, to the Ilagan Japanese Tunnel, just a short 6.5-km. (15-min.) drive away from the Provincial Capitol.

Upon arrival, we were met and guided by Ms. Gemelet C. Amugauan of the Ilagan Sanctuary Tour Guide Association.  Inside the tunnel, we were not allowed to take pictures though.

Statues of Japanese soldiers guarding the entrance to the tunnel

This man-made war tunnel, part of the Japanese military headquarters during the 1942 to 1945 Japanese Occupation of the Philippines in World War II, was built with the sweat and blood of detained Ilagueños and is one of the few remaining tunnels in the province.

The Japanese tunnel

Aside from being the headquarters, it was also a weapons storage facility for bombs, explosives, guns and ammunition. Captured Filipino guerrillas were also imprisoned and tortured here.

The tunnel  measures about 40 m. long and 3.66 m.  in width and height. However, the real length of the tunnel has yet to be determined as the site has yet to be fully explored. 

Part of the exhibit

The tunnel was restored, reconditioned, and conserved by the city government and, on February 16, 2016, through City Mayor Josemarie L. Diaz,  was unveiled and opened to the public.

Stairway leading up to the watchtower

Inside the cave, Gemelet narrated the history of the place and showed us a replica of a golden Buddha (the original was said to have been inside the cave when it was first found), bomb shells (now defused), a Japanese rifle, a golden fan, replicas of pieces of gold bars and some uniforms of that era. Scattered inside the cave, as well as outside, are concrete, life-size statues of Japanese soldiers. 

The watchtower

Some people say that this tunnel in Ilagan is only a decoy as there might be a larger tunnel somewhere in Brgy. Camunatan, where 6 x 6 army trucks can fit inside but, up to now, they couldn’t find that tunnel.

Japanese Gates (Torii) at the top and bottom of the stairway

A long flight of concrete steps, cut into the hillside, leads to a watchtower. At the top and bottom of the stairway are concrete Japanese gates (torii).

Japanese-style garden

Outside the Ilagan Japanese Tunnel, garden has been designed to look like the parks of Japan, with a Shinto shrine, bridge, wind chime (furin) and a koi pond.

Ticket office and souvenir shop

There’s also concrete model of  Japanese World War II plane (its wing broken), a children’s playground, a treehouse, picnic tables and a souvenir shop.

Treehouse

Lady visitors can have a slice  of Japanese traditional by renting traditional Japanese kimonos, have their hair styled like a Japanese Geisha, carry a Japanese umbrella for a more authentic feel and then have their awesome pictures taken along the stairway or under the torii. 

Statue of Japanese soldier

Ilagan Japanese Tunnel : Brgy. Santo Tomas, Ilagan City, Isabela. Mobile numbers (0935) 701-1586 and (0932) 858-3081. Admission: PhP50/pax.  There’s an Information Center at Bonifacio Park in Ilagan City where a guide can take you to the Ilagan Japanese Tunnel. Documentary and pre-nuptial photography sessions as well as other pictorials are allowed for a fee. You have to pay for comfort room use.

Isabela Provincial Tourism Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-3146.  Mobile number: (0917) 317-3820.  E-mail: isabelatourismoffice@gmail.com.

Isabela Provincial Information Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-0248.  Mobile number: (0927) 395-7555.  E-mail: letters_info@yahoo.com.

How to Get There: The City of Ilagan is located 429.3 kms. (an 8-hour drive) from Manila and 35.5 kms. (a 1-hour drive) from Cauayan City.

Bamboo Organ Museum (Las Pinas City, Metro Manila)

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The old convent housing the Bamboo Organ Museum

Just before Christmas Eve, Jandy and I picked up Vicky Dionela, my wife’s balikbayan first cousin at my brother-in-law Mark’s residence in Citadella Village (Las Pinas City) to tour her around Manila before she returns to Vienna (Austria).  I decided to bring them to the nearby Church of St. Joseph, home of the world-famous Bamboo Organ.  This would be my second visit (the first was in February 2005) and the first for Jandy and Vicky.

Check out “Church of St. Joseph”

L-R: the author, Vicky and Jandy posing beside the old church bell

After our arrival, we decided to first visit the Bamboo Organ Museum situated within the old Spanish convent beside the church. Welcoming us at the main entrance is the huge original church bell with its wooden yoke (or headstock).  The bell’s inscription reads “Siendo Cura-del Pueblo de Las Peñas el M.R.P. Padre Diego Cera se Fundio este equilon ano de 1820.” During the time of Fr. Diego Cera, the name of the town was “Las Peñas” until it was changed to “Las Piñas.”

Our BOFI Lady guide explaining the history of the church and the Bamboo Organ

After paying the admission fee, we were assigned a lady BOFI (Bamboo Organ Foundation, Inc.) tourist assistant.  She narrated to us the humble beginnings of the church, how it was built and the important contributions on how it came to its present existence. She also narrated how Padre Diego Cera made the organ, how it was retrofitted in Germany, and finally its reinstallation at the church.

Check out “Bamboo Organ”

Artifacts from the Bamboo Oragan – old keyboard, metal and bamboo pipes

During our tour, we also learned that Spanish Augustinian Recollect missionary St. Ezequiel Moreno was once a parish priest in Las Piñas (from July 1876 to mid-1879). Now the patron saint of cancer patients, he was canonized by St. Pope John Paul II on October 11, 1992.

Posing beside an old chair of the parish priest and a bust of St. Ezequiel Moreno

Inside the museum, we also enjoyed a comprehensive series of displays of religious artifacts, busts, priestly chairs, and the original parts of the organ (keyboard, the manually-operated giant bellows used to supply air to the organ; metal and old broken bamboo and pipes; etc.). There’s also a mini mock-up of the bamboo organ (also made of bamboo) which we can actually play.  Our lady guide patiently explained to us its inner workings.

The old manually-operated bellows

Hanging on the walls are old photographs relating to the famed Bamboo Organ and the church, showing the various stages of the church as time passed, as well as posters (declaration of the Bamboo Organ as a National Cultural Treasure, first Bamboo Organ Festival on Mar 6-11, 1976, etc.) and paintings.

Vicky playing a mock up of the Bamboo Organ

We then went up an old stone staircase to the choir loft of the church where we saw the highlight of our tour – the world famous and majestic Bamboo Organ itself.

Jandy ascending the stone stairs up to the choir loft

I’ve never seen the Bamboo Organ this close and I was surprised that there are a lot more pipes at its back than what’s seen from ground level.

Posing at the choir loft with the Bamboo Organ in the background

After our guided tour of the museum, we toured the rest of the church before buying some souvenirs at the souvenir shop.

Bamboo Organ Museum: Padre Diego Cera Hall, St. Joseph Parish Church Compound, Diego Cera Ave., Brgy. Daniel Fajardo, Poblacion, Las Piñas City. Open Tuesdays – Sundays, 8 AM – 12 noon and 2 – 6 PM. Admission: PhP100 (adults), PhP50.00 (children).  Admission includes a postcard, brochure and a guided tour. Tel: (02) 8825-7190 and (02) 8820-0795. Email: bambooorganfoundation@gmail.com. Website:  bambooorgan.org/museum.

How to Get There: From the Star Mall in Alabang (formerly Metropolis), board a jeepney bound for Zapota Bayan and ask the driver to drop you off at the ‘Bamboo Organ.’ From Alabang, the church is on your left side.

Bamboo Organ (Las Pinas City, Metro Manila)

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The Bamboo Oran

The centerpiece of the Church of St. Joseph in Las Pinas City is the famous Bamboo Organ and it is with this obra maestra (masterpiece) that  Augustinian Recollect Fr. Diego Cera de la Virgen del Carmen, resident  Catholic parish priest (its first) in Las Piñas from 1795 to 1830, was to gain undying fame as an organ builder.  A native of Spain, this organist and organ builder was a gifted man, a natural scientist, chemist, architect and community leader.

Check out “Church of St. Joseph“

Church of St. Joseph

So unique is this church organ made with bamboo, the tallest grass in the world (only the trumpet stops are made of metal), that it was even mentioned by Robert L. Ripley (of Ripley’s Believe It or Not fame) in his book on “Great and Strange Works of Man.”  The choice of Bambusa sp. (Gramineane), identified to be indigenous to Batangas and the Luzon area, was probably both practical and aesthetic as bamboo was abundant and used for hundreds of items of both a practical and an artistic nature. The Bamboo Organ is described, by many international organ masters, as one of the finest old organs in the world and its construction, with bamboo, is noted as being one of the major factors that gives it a truly unique and lively sound. 

Fr. Diego Cera

Of the three built, one was intended as a gift for the Queen of Spain.  It never arrived for unascertainable reasons. However, some good came out of it as the Queen donated a church bell, now displayed at the old church convent.  The second was installed in the Capuchin Church of San Nicholas in Intramuros.  One of the 33 stops of this organ was made of bamboo.  The organ was, however, heavily damaged in 1898 and completely destroyed by fire during the American liberation in 1945.

The third and only existing one left was started in 1816 (while the church was still under construction) and completed in 1824.   With the help of the Las Piñas community, Fr. Cera started cutting the bamboo in 1816, selecting 950 pieces of different sizes and volumes.  These he buried in beach sand from six months to a year, curing them with salt water, thereby protecting them from wood-boring termites.  In 1817, Fr. Cera unearthed the bamboo pieces.

Together with the natives (whom he trained prior to the gathering of materials), he proceeded with the construction of the organ. At first, he attempted to use bamboo for 122 pipes but this experiment failed and, eventually, the bamboo pipes were used as ornamental pipes located at the rear side. Secretly working with Swiss chemist Jacques E. Brandenberger (who was employed by Blanchisserie et Teinturerie de Thaonbut, the cellophane inventor for the air bags to be used in the construction but without the trumpet stops), the organ was already playable in 1821. After Fr. Cera decided to make the trumpets using metal (musical characteristics of which he could not replicate with bamboo), the organ was finally completed in 1824.

The old keyboard, metal and bamboo pipes of the Bamboo Organ, now on display at the Bamboo Organ Museum

The finished product was 6.7 m. high, 4.17 m. wide, 1.45 m. deep and weighed 3.5 tons.  From its 1,031 pipes emanate dulcet tones.  There are 902 pipes made of bamboo consisting of 747 “speaking” pipes, 36 “blind” flue pipes and 119 “blind” reed pipes. The 129 metal trumpets, horizontally placed reeds of soft metal imported from Mexico, are composed of 112 metal pipes, 10 “speaking” reed pipes and 7 others for the “bird” stop.   The five-octave keyboard has 23 stops arranged in vertical rows and a full pedalboard.

Despite its single manual and small pedals, the organ has an unusually high tonal range.  Its special birdstop tube (pajarito) was, to quote, “designed to imitate the song of birds when a small quantity of water was poured therein.”  The tambor tube, on the other hand, gives out the boom of a kettle drum.  The organ was originally powered by a windmill.  However, an electric blower, installed in 1932 (the centennial of Fr. Cera’s death) by Fr. Paul Hubaux, is now used.

The old manually-operated bellows of the Bamboo Organ (now at the Bamboo Organ Museum)

Over the years, natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods took their toll on the Bamboo Organ. Major repairs were undertaken in 1863, 1867 and 1872. The July 14, 18 and 20 earthquake of 1880 and the October 1882 typhoon  destroyed the galvanized roofing of the church, causing rain and stones to fall on the then disassembled organ, rendering it unplayable for several years.

In February 1883, through the combined contributions of the government, town residents and the Archbishop, repairs on the organ, costing a total of 270 pesos were carried out.  In 1888, Fr. Saturio Albeniz headed the project of improving the organ.  However, it was not fully completed, further degrading the condition of the organ. In 1891, the organ was repaired once again but, during the Philippine Revolution, the pipes were then dismantled and kept in the old sacristy.

The author (left) with son Jandy and cousin Vicky beside the Bamboo Organ

Around 1909, there was an attempt to sell the organ and replace it with a harmonium.  It was aborted when a certain Kapitan Pedro opposed this and offered to pay the expenses of the organ.  Unfortunately, only two stops were repaired.  In 1911, the organ was rediscovered by tourists and reassembled.  Several concerted efforts were also made to save the organ.  In 1917, the organ was in such a bad state that only two stops were working.

Fr. Victor Faniel (term: 1915–1920), of the C.I.C.M. (Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) or Belgian Fathers, attempted to restore the organ but could not repair the bellows.   In order to solicit voluntary contributions for the repair of the organ, Fr. Faniel authored and published Historical Facts, a pamphlet featuring substantial historical data about the bamboo organ.

The bellows currently used by the Bamboo Organ

In 1917, the organ was reassembled by the Las Piñeros but the repair works were not conducted in an expert manner. In April 1932, Fr. Paul Hubaux, C.I.C.M., saw the difficulty of pumping air and physically manipulating the bellows  so he installed a one-horse power Wagner electric motor in order for the bamboo organ “to be heard again in full and sufficient volume.”

In 1943, during the Japanese Occupation, it was partially repaired and overhauled by two technicians, Carmelo and Jose Loinaz.  However, the lack of expertise did little to improve its condition.  Some of the repairs that were intended to preserve, actually almost destroyed it.

In 1960, German Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Friedrich von Fürstenberg, offered a donation worth 150,000 DM. However, the restoration work needed be done in Germany. The restoration project was temporarily shelved because of the risks of transporting the organ from Manila to Germany and back.  However, by 1962, the organ was in such a bad state that only one-fifth was working as there were many leakages in the air supply.  All horizontal trumpets were disconnected and the same was true for all the base pipes.  Only three stops out of the 23 were working and some disconnected pipes were piled inside the organ.

The organ’s cornet

In 1962, the Historical Conservation Society offered its services to restore the organ, in anticipation of the second centennial anniversary of Las Piñas. A total of Php 4,975.00 was donated for the instrument alone. However, insufficient funds only allowed partial repair works by Mr. Jose Loinaz. An organ builder, Fr. Hermann Schablitzki, S.V.D., also attempted to conduct repair works to the bamboo organ. The condition of the bamboo organ reached its “terminal stage” – disconnected horizontal trumpets and bass pipes, three functional stops out of twenty-three, leakage of air from the chest, and piling of disconnected pipes inside the bamboo organ. Only 1/3 of the Bamboo Organ was functioning during that time.

In the early 1970s, Belgian Rev. Fr. Mark Lesage (C.I.C.M. parish priest in June 1969) and assistant parish priest Fr. Leo Renier (who happened to be a musician and organist) set out consulting with several authorities on the bamboo organ. Mr. Jose Loinaz and Fr. Schablitzki strongly suggested a total repair. On the other hand, Fr. John van der Steen, C.I.C.M., echoed the need for total restoration. Lesage and Ranier, as well as the townspeople, decided on the total rehabilitation of the dying organ and the implementation of the restoration work was firmed up.

On December 2, 1972, during the inauguration of the Las Piñas Church, Mr. Johannes Klais the expert organ restorer scion of the organ builder firm of Johannes Klais Orgelbau, visited, personally inspected and assessed the Bamboo Organ which he had heard about when he was still a child. With a rich and extensive experience in the restoration of Spanish organs, he expressed his desire to help.  He remarked that the organ could still be repaired, but only in the Klais factory in Bonn, Germany. The crucial and sensitive work was awarded to the firm.

In March 1973, two technicians of the Klais firm, Joseph Tramnitz and Joseph Pick, arrived at Las Piñas and dismantled the bamboo organ. Due to concerns about shrinkage in the cold German climate, the repair of the bamboo pipes was done in Japan under Mr. Tsuda, also trained by Mr. Klais himself. The other parts of the organ were crated and shipped to Germany. On September 1973, upon its repair, the bamboo pipes were also shipped to Germany and installed in the “Klimakammer,” a special room built in the factory with the same Philippine humidity and temperature to prevent shrinkage of the bamboo.

On February 1974, actual repairs were started.  Klais enlarged the original plan of Fr. Cera and the old bellows of the organ were replaced. At present, the new bellows were located at one side of the choir loft and beside the belfry.  Parts that could not be used anymore were replaced with very durable wood.  Only the best materials were used.  Mr. Klais also trained Mr. Marciano Jacela, a Filipino scholar of the Carl Duisberg Foundation, on how to take care of the organ in the future in case any repair was needed.  Mr. Jacela also actively participated in the difficult and complicated restoration work.

During all that time, the 200,000 German Deutchmarks (PhP460,000 at that time) needed (excluding transportation, tickets for technicians and other expenses) for the organ repair was  raised from various sources. In the true bayanihan spirit, money for the organ repair, as well as church renovation, came in with the help of the Las Piñas community and the neighboring area, coming in the form of donations from businessmen as well as coins from schoolchildren.

On February 17, 1975, the Bamboo Organ, now with 89 completely new pipes (35 were trumpet pipes and 53 were bamboo pipes) was presented to guests invited by Mr. Mauro Calingo, the Philippine ambassador, at a one-hour concert held at the Philippine Embassy at Bonn, Germany, with world-renowned organist Wolfgang Oehms (organist of the Trier Cathedral in Germany) playing the Bamboo Organ. After that historic event, the launching of the first long-playing album of the bamboo organ was released.

On March 16, accompanied by Mr. Marciano Jacela (responsible for reassembling the bamboo organ), Robert Coyuito (then President of the Pioneer Insurance Companies who donated the insurance premium for the bamboo organ) and German technician Ulrich Bisacker, a dozen crates containing all the parts of the restored Bamboo Organ were finally returned, via Sabena Airlines,  to a joyous welcome here after an absence of almost two years.   A joint motorcade and foot parade was held the next day.  The organ was finally reassembled on March 17.  A month later, Klais arrived in Manila to a hero’s welcome.

For around thirty years, minor repairs and improvements were performed on the instrument under the general restoration conducted by Klais Orgelbau.  In 1990, Helmut Allgaeuer Orgelbau replaced the bone plates of the keyboard and, in 1993, Helmut’s apprentices Cealwyn Tagle and the late Edgar Montiano, both members of the Las Piñas Boys Choir turned organ builders and trained in Grunbach, Austria,  took over the maintenance of the instrument, doing minor jobs on broken trackers, hairline cracks, and keyboard adjustments.

On November 24, 2003, the Bamboo Organ was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines. In 2004, the Las Pinas-based company, Diego Cera Organ Builders Inc. (considered as the first Filipino pipe organ building company, it was founded by Tagle and Montiano In March 1994), carried out a general overhaul of the Bamboo Organ, replacing some leather parts and making improvements in the wind system, particularly the re-installation of a multi-fold parallel bellows which was patterned after the bellows of the Baclayon (Bohol) pipe organ, which is believed to be constructed by Fr. Diego Cera.

Through this organ-building priest’s genius, plus the dedication of Klais and the untiring efforts of the Las Piñas community, then and now, the legacy of this centuries-old National Treasure has been preserved, continually bringing unique angelic music from the earthly bamboo. Today, the famous organ, as well as the church museum at the old convent house, is a popular tourist destination for Filipinos and foreign visitors alike in Las Piñas.

Check out “Bamboo Organ Museum”

The organ is now the cornerstone of the International Bamboo Organ music festival.  First held from March 6 – 11, 1976, the inaugural concert featured Wolfgang Oehms complemented by the Las Piñas Boys’ Choir, the Cultural Center of the Philippines Orchestra (under the baton of Maestro Luis C. Valencia) and the Maharlika Rondalla. Oehms played standard European compositions and two Filipino works – excerpts from Misang Pilipino by former dean of Philippine Women’s University College of Music, Lucrecia R. Kasilag (who later became a National Artist for Music in 1989) and commissioned Parangal by organ, rondalla, brass, woodwind and percussion conducted by Prof. Alfredo S. Buenaventura, the composer himself.

Now the longest-running annual international music festival held in the country, the festival is a series of cultural performances centered on the unique Bamboo Organ.  The  classical music compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 to 1750), Giovanni Gabrielli (1557 to 1612), Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 to 1809), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 to 1791), Antonio Vivaldi (1675 to 1741) and other famous composers are performed by local and international artists, orchestras and choirs (notably the Las Pinas Boy’s Choir) with the accompaniment of this famous organ. Since 1992, Prof. Armando Salarza has been the titular organist of the Bamboo Organ as well as the Artistic Director of the International Bamboo Organ Festival

Bamboo Organ: St. Joseph Church, Diego Cera Ave., Brgy. Daniel Fajardo, Poblacion,  Las Piñas City. Tel: (02) 8825-7190 and (02) 8820-0795. Email: bambooorganfoundation@gmail.com. Website:  bambooorgan.org/museum.

How to Get There: From the Star Mall in Alabang (formerly Metropolis), board a jeepney bound for Zapota Bayan and ask the driver to drop you off at the ‘Bamboo Organ.’ From Alabang, the church is on your left side.

Laguindingan Airport (Misamis Oriental)

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Laguindingan Airport

The PhP7.85 billion Laguindingan Airport is the first airport in Northern Mindanao that serves the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, and Marawi, as well as the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte and Bukidnon. Mindanao’s second-busiest airport (after Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City), it is classified as a Principal Domestic Airport Class 1 by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

This airport, sitting on a 4.17 sq. km. (1.61 sq. mi.) site, is 46 kms. (29 mi.) from Cagayan de Oro and 57 kms. (35 mi.) from Iligan City. it replaced both the old, worn-out Lumbia Airport (now Lumbia Airfield, a military air base for the Philippine Air Force) in Brgy. Lumbia, Cagayan de Oro and Maria Cristina Airport in Brgy. Maria Cristina, Iligan City.

Here is the historical timeline of the airport’s construction:

  • On January 10, 2006, the Laguindingan Airport Development Project was inaugurated, with groundbreaking ceremonies presided by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
  • By July 2007, the construction of the 4.4-km., 4-lane access road had started to connect the new airport to the national road.
  • On August 30, 2007, the cost of the airport project (US$09 million or ₱7.853 billion) was duly approved by the National Economic and Development Authority Board.
  • In early 2008, grading of the airport site area, headed by the Department of Transportation and Communications and its foreign and local consultants, South Korea-based Yooshin Engineering Corporation and Ortigas Center, Pasig-based SCHEMA Konsult, Inc. respectively, and Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Company(as the general contractor for the project), was
  • On June 13, 2013, the airport was inaugurated by President Benigno Aquino III
  • On June 15, two days after its inauguration, the airport was opened.
  • In August 2013, the Project Development and Monitoring Facility Board approved the revision of the operations and maintenance of the airport.
  • By December 2014, the installment of the Instrument Landing System and other equipment was completed.
  • On March 12, 2015, the airport began to accommodate night flights and operating hours were increased, from the previous 6 AM –6 PM daily schedule, to 5 AM–9 PM.
  • In September 2017, Ayala Land (which owns 183 of the 417 hectares of land acquired by the government to develop the airport complex), is set to build its first industrial estate outside Luzon within the planned aerotropolis around the airport.
  • On October 20, 2017, Cebu Pacific made Laguindingan Airport its seventh hub, with its wholly owned subsidiary Cebgo adding flights to Caticlan and Dumaguete at the same time.
  • On February 26, 2019, Aboitiz Infra Capital Inc. was granted by CAAP an Original Proponent Status (OPS) for its unsolicited proposal for the airport’s upgrade, expansion, operations, and maintenance.

One of two conveyor belts for baggage claim

The airport has a single 2,100 m. x 45 m. runway which can accommodate four takeoffs and landings an hour and features a cargo terminal that has a built up area of 350 sq. m.; a 46,150 sq. m. apron area for Code C/E aircraft (10,000 sq. m. for ATRs); 23 m. wide taxiway and facilities for general aviation and ground support facilities.

The 7,184 sq. m., 1.5-level very clean and modern passenger terminal building, overlooking the sea, can accommodate 2,000 passengers a day and 1.6 million passengers a year. It has 2 conveyor belts for baggage claim and two passenger boarding bridges.

Branches of Seattle’s Best Coffee and Kenny Rogers at the Pre-Departure Area

Its Pre-Departure Area, at the second floor, has branches of Kenny Rogers and Seattles Best Coffee.  As of 2019, Laguindingan Airport was the 6th busiest airport in the country, with an estimate of 2,000,000 passengers passing through it.

Pre-Departure Area

It serves flights from Manila, Davao City, Cebu City, Iloilo City, Bacolod City and Zamboanga City through Cebu Pacific Air, Philippine Airlines or PAL Express and Air Asia.

One of two jet bridges service a PAL Express jet

Laguindingan Airport (IATA: CGY, ICAO: RPMY): Brgy. Moog, Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental. Open daily, 4 AM- 11 PM.

Isola di Francesco (Panglao, Bohol)

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Isola de Francesco

Part of the Panglao Bluewater Resort-sponsored CountrysideTour

After our Dolphin Watching Tour, we proceeded to the nearby Isola di Francesco (“Island of St. Francis”) on Pungtud (or Pontod) Island.

In the past, I have seen this island only from afar, from the vantage point at nearby Virgin Island.

Check out “Virgin Island“

The island is owned by the Philippine Centre of St. Pio of Pietrelcina and Mr. Ramon Rodriguez, a devotee of Italian Capuchin monk St. Pio (Francesco Forgione) of Pietrelcina, who was said to have been once blind. He was said to have prayed to St, Pio and his eyesight was restored.

A mere 10-min. boat ride from Panglao town proper, Isola di Francesco is a destination for meditation, silent prayer and reflection in harmony with the lapping of the waves and the chirping of the island’s resident birds.

Upon arrival on the island, we were greeted by the welcoming arms of a huge statue of St. Pio of Pietrelcina.

The author with the huge statue of St. Pio of Pietrelcina

This solemn and peaceful island has a chapel (opened in 2016), a visitor’s center, a mini museum, clean restrooms, water tanks, changing rooms and guest houses.

Tableau of the Crucifixion

There are also several religious sculptures (some in the middle of the sea) of Jesus Christ, the saints, angels, cherubs, and the Holy Family.

Life-size statues of Jesus and the Apostles on a fishing boat

Just off the waters of the beach are  quite unique, life-size statues of Jesus and the apostles. Most of the cost to develop this place was donated.

Cherubs hanging from trees

The interesting Isola di Francesco’s Nature’s Art Museum, filled with photos of the Franciscan friars as well as artwork that speak of the grandeur of God and His Creation, was opened last March 2017. A 10 AM holy mass is said every 23rd day of the month in the chapel.

Nature’s Art Museum

This serene island, maintained by the faithful as religious shrine, is not your usual tourist trap and is not often included in the island hopping packages, an exact opposite of the much crowded and touristy island and beach destinations of Panglao. You only need an hour or so to explore the island.

Young mangroves shoots found offshore

This beautiful sandbar is open to the public and there is free boat shuttle service, at Poblacion Panglao, near the church, going to and from the island for those who wish to offer prayers for healing, pay tribute or simply just want to visit the place.

The tourist trap called Virgin Island seen from Isola di Francesco

Visitors can stay as long as you want. Even the use of the kayaks, snacks (bottled water, soft drinks, etc.)  and birds’ food to feed pigeons are free (however, donations are welcome). There’s a souvenir shop selling religious items.

Visitors Center

The beautiful island has white sand all over, with plenty of seaweed, some mangroves and big and small starfish but no fish. The waters around the sandbar are pristine and clean and very good for swimming.

The doves and pigeons of Isola de Francesco

The island is a dove and pigeon sanctuary and you can see eggs and babies in nests in the central garden area.

The author hand feeding some of the doves and pigeons

You can feed the doves and pigeons by donating any amount in the store for a plastic of bird feed. Even when there’s a sign to not scare them, some people scare the doves away to get a beautiful picture of it with them.

Statue of St. Michael the Archangel

However, here are rules to be followed.  You cannot bring any food or drinks on the island.

The chapel

At the chapel, you cannot enter if you are wearing shorts, short skirts, sleeveless, etc. (however, they can lend you a sarong to cover yourself).

Rosaries hanging from trees

As this is a shrine, peace and soft talk is very much appreciated and public displays of affection and ogling is frowned upon here. 

Statue of St. Augustine of Hippo, the patron saint of Panglao

Bohol Tourism Office: Governor’s Mansion Compound, C.P.G. Ave. North, Tagbilaran City, 6300 Bohol.  Tel: +63 38 501-9186.  E-mail: inquire@boholtourismph.com. 

Panglao Bluewater Resort: Bluewater Rd., Sitio Daurong, Brgy. Danao, Panglao, 6340 Bohol.  Tel: (038) 416-0702 and (038) 416-0695 to 96. Fax: (038) 416-0697.  Email: panglao@bluewater.com.ph. Website: www.bluewaterpanglao.com.ph.  Manila sales office: Rm. 704, Cityland Herrera Tower, Rufino cor. Valera Sts., Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City, Metro Manila.  Tel: (632) 817-5751 and (632) 887-1348.  Fax: (632) 893-5391.

Loboc Night River Cruise (Bohol)

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Loboc Night River Cruise

Part of the Panglao Bluewater Resort-sponsored CountrysideTour

From the Bohol Biodiversity Center in Bilar, we again boarded our coaster for the 19.3-km. (30-min.) drive to the Loboc River Port where we were to try out the Loboc Night River Cruise of Village Floating Resto and Cruises as guests of Loboc Mayor Leon A. Calipusan and cruise owner Ms. Maria Lourdes Tuyor-Sultan, both of whom were joining us on the cruise. This would be my first nighttime cruise of the river (the others were during the day).

Check out “Bohol Biodiversity Complex,” “Loboc River Cruise (2014)” and “Loboc River Cruise (2003)”

Boarding the Village Floating Resto

The first of its kind in the Philippines, this nighttime cruise is a welcome diversion to the day cruise which, for quite a time now, has caught the fancy of local and foreign tourists. The four floating restaurant operators (the others are Mary Jo Varquez of Busay Monarch, Sonia Balbido of Long River Cruise Floating Resto and Tessie Labunog-Sumampong of Loboc Riverwatch Floating Resto) have been servicing an average of 800 guests daily for the upstream daytime cruising.

The table setup…..

All 19 floating restaurants are served by a commissary which employed a chef to oversee food preparations for the hundreds of tourists who board and eat at the restaurants each month.

The buffet spread…..

The night cruise, introduced by the Provincial Tourism Council as an option to help ease congestion at the river, actually had its beginnings in 2006.

Appetizers…..

Dessert…..

That year, Gov. Erico Aumentado embarked on the lighting of the Loboc River, with Chinese businessman (the chairman of Filipino multinational Liwayway Group whose flagship enterprise is the manufacture and distribution of Oishi snacks) and Philippine Special Ambassador to China Carlos Chan funding the riverbank lighting project and commissioning lighting experts from China to determine the requirements of Loboc River.

Grilled prawns ….

Thus, the P13.5 million project of lighting the whole 2.85 km. stretch of the Loboc River was born, with some 450 lampposts and floodlights being installed from the modern, PhP10-million (also partly funded again by Mr. Chan), 120-m. long docking port (which houses the eco-tourism center and includes the tourism office, a visitor’s lounge and air-conditioned comfort rooms) all the way up to the Busay Falls, including the two bailey bridges crossing the river.

The very Christmas-like light show along the riverbank

Our cruise was sort of an inaugural run as the original night cruise was discontinued after the October 15, 2013 earthquake damaged the lighting system.  Cruising the Loboc River at night, soothing to the spirit, was a different experience altogether, relaxing both body and mind and infusing peace and harmony to weary souls.

The on-board live entertainment…..

The cool night air, the eerie lights on the riverbanks (lighting up the palm trees and putting to shadow other vegetation) and their colorful reflections shimmering on the waters coupled with the soft serenading music of the performing band while we dined on a delicious buffet spread lent a romantic air to the night cruise.

The author enjoying the cruise…..

The night scene, with myriads of shimmering lights reflected on the waters, casted a shimmering splendor on the river.

L-R: Ms. Corazon Cagahastian, Mr. Diego Cagahastian, the author, Ms. Teresa Chanco, Loboc Mayor Leon A.Calipusan, Mr. Pete Dacuycuy and Mr. Pedro “Boo” Chanco.

Village Floating Resto & Cruises: Brgy. Valladolid, Loboc, Bohol. Tel: (038) 537-9223  and (038) 501-8078. Mobile number: (0928) 507-7627. E-mail: villagefloatingresto@yahoo.com.

Bohol Tourism Office: Governor’s Mansion Compound, C.P.G. Ave. North, Tagbilaran City, 6300 Bohol.  Tel: +63 38 501-9186.  E-mail: inquire@boholtourismph.com.  

Panglao Bluewater Resort: Bluewater Rd., Sitio Daurong, Brgy. Danao, Panglao, 6340 Bohol.  Tel: (038) 416-0702 and (038) 416-0695 to 96. Fax: (038) 416-0697.  Email: panglao@bluewater.com.ph. Website: www.bluewaterpanglao.com.ph.  Manila sales office: Rm. 704, Cityland Herrera Tower, Rufino cor. Valera Sts., Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City, Metro Manila.  Tel: (632) 817-5751 and (632) 887-1348.  Fax: (632) 893-5391.

Museo ng Pamana at Kasaysayang Boholano (Loay, Bohol)

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Museo ng Pamana at Kasaysayang Boholano.  The escuela de los Ninos is on the left and the Casa Tribunal on the right

Part of the Panglao Bluewater Resort-sponsored CountrysideTour

After lunch at Panglao Bluewater Resort, we met up with Mr. Christopher “Boyet” Boncales, our guidefor our resort-sponsored Countryside Tour, at the reception area.  Boyet, 43, a tour guide of 25 years, has been guiding VIPs, ambassadors and other high ranking officials to Bohol. We all boarded our Travel Village coaster for the 33-km. (1-hour drive) to Loay’s Holy Trinity Church Compound.

Check out “Resort Review: Panglao Bluewater Resort“

Check out “Church of the Holy Trinity“

Upon arrival, we were welcomed by Ms. Perlina Alo, curator of the Museo ng Pamana at Kasaysayang Boholano (Museum of Boholano Heritage and History).

The 2-storey Casa Tribunal. Notice the non-centering of openings. Above the main entrance is an anagram of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Anagram of the Blessed Virgin Mary above the entrance door of Casa Tribunal

Under the jurisdiction of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the museum is housed within two buildings at the compound– the 2-storey Casa Tribunal (the old tribunal or municipal building) and the single-storey Escuela de los Ninos (school for boys).

The one-storey Escuela de los Ninos

The former’s solid stone architecture and non-centering of openings probably makes it one of the earliest structures in the compound and the 18th century anagram of Blessed Virgin Mary over main door belies its construction under the supervision of Recollect parish priests.

Ms. Perlita Alo (center) briefing our media group

The latter, one of two schoolhouses (the other one, for girls, faces it from across the plaza), was also built by the Recollects and dates from the last quarter of the 19th century.

Religious paraphernalia and statuary

Paintings of Four Evangelists by Ray Francia

Ms. Alo first toured us inside the Casa Tribunal. The exhibit on the ground floor centers on the materials used in the construction of the church complex – coralstone, limestone, batikuling (Litsea leytensis, wood used for religious images), apitong (Dipterocarpus grandiflorus, a local hardwood), narra (Pterocarpus indicus); bakan (Melia azedarach); etc.

Scaled model of the church compound

Face Value: The Faces of Philippine Numismatics

Also on exhibit are religious statuary and paraphernalia; a scaled model of the church complex and currently being restored paintings (from the spandrels at the church dome ceiling) of the Four Evangelists (Luke, John, Matthew and Mark) done by Ray Francia.

Gallery 1

Gallery II

At the second floor are exhibits on the methods of construction; the evolution of churches in the 1600s; the restoration methodology of the NHCP plus 3 scaled models of Loay’s church.  Also at the second floor is the exhibit entitled:” FACE VALUE: THE FACES OF PHILIPPINE NUMISMATICS” ongoing from October 30 to November 10, 2019.

Scaled Models of Ancestral Houses

Scaled model of Loay Church

Moving on to the Escuela de los Ninos, we watched an audio-visual presentation of the history of Bohol at the foyer.  Exhibits at the two galleries centers on episodes in Bohol’s history – Early Boholano History; Arrival of the Spaniards; Changes Under the Spanish; Tamblot’s Revolt; Dagohoy’s Revolt; The Cantonal Government; Resistance Against the Americans; Change Under the Americans; Resistance Against the Japanese during World War II; and Rehabilitation and Growth.

Copy of Fr. Pedro Murillo Velarde’s Carta Hydrographica y Chorographica de las Yslas Filipinas (1734, A Hydrographical and Chorographical Chart of the Philippine Islands)

Also on display here are scaled models of Bohol’s bahay na bato or stone houses (Zarraga Ancestral House and Clarin Ancestral House in Loay; Rocha Ancestral House and Balili Heritage House in Tagbilaran City; etc.); a copy of Fr. Pedro Murillo Velarde’s (1696-1753) Carta Hydrographica y Chorographica de las Yslas Filipinas (1734, A Hydrographical and Chorographical Chart of the Philippine Islands); a painting of the Blood Compact; a church confessional; seals of the Cantonal Government; and a bust of Pres. Carlos P. Garcia.

Bust of Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, Bohol’s first and, so far, only native-born Philippine president

Painting of the Blood Compact

Check out “Balili Heritage House” and “The Ancestral Houses of Sitio Ubos“

Museo ng Pamana at Kasaysayang Boholano: Holy Trinity Church Compound, Loay, Bohol. Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 8 AM to 4 PM. Admission is free.  Mobile number: (0915) 178-0325.

Bohol Tourism Office: Governor’s Mansion Compound, C.P.G. Ave. North, Tagbilaran City, 6300 Bohol.  Tel: +63 38 501-9186.  E-mail: inquire@boholtourismph.com. 

Panglao Bluewater Resort: Bluewater Rd., Sitio Daurong, Brgy. Danao, Panglao, 6340 Bohol.  Tel: (038) 416-0702 and (038) 416-0695 to 96. Fax: (038) 416-0697.  Email: panglao@bluewater.com.ph. Website: www.bluewaterpanglao.com.ph.  Manila sales office: Rm. 704, Cityland Herrera Tower, Rufino cor. Valera Sts., Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City, Metro Manila.  Tel: (632) 817-5751 and (632) 887-1348.  Fax: (632) 893-5391.

Bohol–Panglao International Airport

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Panglao International Airport

The PHP8.9 billion (US$169 million) Bohol–Panglao International Airport (also known as New Bohol International Airport), on a 216-hectare area in Panglao Island, serves as the gateway to Tagbilaran and the rest of mainland Bohol for domestic air travelers, replacing Tagbilaran Airport (which is 10 times smaller), to support Bohol’s increased passenger traffic due to tourism.

This airport is officially classified as the international airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and though Philippine Airlines ended its Tagbilaran-Seoul flights on February 9, 2019, it welcomed the twice weekly (Mondays and Fridays) Royal Air Philippines’ Hong Kong-Bohol-Hong Kong flights which started last September 30.

Covered area in front of the terminal building

Bohol’s new international airport was partially funded with PHP5.862 billion (US$123.5 million, about 79% of its total project cost) by an official development assistance (ODA) loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with the remaining amount coming from the general appropriations fund of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTr). JICA also  provided JPY4.37 billion ($38.96 million) for the second phase of the airport project.

The airport apron

A Japanese consortium of Chiyoda Corporation and Mitsubishi Corporation was the prime contractor for the project. EEI Corporation, the sub-contracting partner, handled the civil works while the design and consultancy work on the projectwas awarded to Japan Airport Consultants (JAC) in association with Phil JAC.

The airport was inaugurated on November 27, 2018. After the DoTr upgraded the airport’s navigational equipment to allow it to handle planes landing at night, the Bohol gateway began operating flights up to 10 p.m. on September 1, 2019.

Passenger boarding bridge

The BPIA (IATA code: TAG) has a 2.8 km. (9,184 ft.) long asphalt runway with a width of 45 m. (147.6 ft.) and running in a 03/21 direction. It has a 55,585 sq. m. concrete apron that features four parking bays for aircraft as large as the Airbus A330 or a maximum of seven parking bays for narrow bodied aircraft and is flanked by two taxiways which allows 10 takeoffs and landings per hour.

Bridge

Currently, the airport’s parking tarmac can hold, at a time, up to seven Airbus A321 aircraft or four Airbus A330 or Boeing 777 aircraft, enough to handle the deluge of foreign and local travelers even during peak seasons. The airport also has enough space to build another terminal in case expansion is needed in the future plus the runway could also still be extended up to 3.2 kms., making it possible to accommodate as many as 3.4 million passengers annually.

Baggage handling conveyor belt

The airport, dubbed as the first eco-airport in the Philippines and the country’s green gateway, boasts of environment-friendly features with advanced Japanese technology such as:

  • A photo voltaic power generation system set-up that aims to eventually power all of the airport’s energy requirements
  • A rainwater catchment mechanism that would utilize the abundant rainwater that the province gets for various uses
  • A sewerage disposal system that is at par with those often found in eco-conscious Scandinavian nations
  • An energy-efficient air-conditioning system, powered by solar energy, is available only in the pre-departure area.  The airport’s primarily uses  natural ventilation.
  • Geotextile sheets are used in the soaking yard to avoid the drainage water from seeping into the surroundings.
  • Energy-saving features integrated in the airport’s design include installation of LED lights, natural lights and ventilation for most public areas.

The single-level passenger terminal, spread over 8,500 sq. m., has a multi-curved roof that appears to be floating over the building and takes inspiration from the rolling Chocolate Hills, one of the province’s famous landmarks. The external 1,958 sq. m. covered area in front of the terminal building is dedicated for sending off and welcoming passengers’ relatives.

This new international airport can annually accommodate 2,000,000 passengers, more than double the 800,000 capacity of the decommissioned Tagbilaran Airport (the provincial government is eyeing to manage the 26-hectare property and convert it into an information technology hub or a commercial park).

BPIA’s location also makes it ideal to divert aircraft bound for Cebu (it is only 90 kms. away, way nearer than Manila or Clark, which are 600 and 700 kms. away, respectively) in case the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, a gateway to the Central Philippines for international tourists, in Mactan is closed due to unfortunate circumstances. Panglao is also accessible by fast craft from Cebu City.

Bohol–Panglao International Airport: Panglao; 6340 Bohol. Mobile number: (0936) 277-9019.

Immigration Museum (Melbourne, Australia)

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Immigration Museum

This museum, founded in 1998, is a division of Museums Victoria which administers the cultural and scientific collections of the State of Victoria.  Its sister museums are Melbourne Museum (including the Royal Exhibition Building) and Scienceworks Museum. The museum’s two floors house temporary and permanent exhibitions. Primarily displaying Australia‘s immigration history, it is located on  in the grand Old Customs House building which originally looked out onto ships tied up at the adjacent Queen’s Wharf.

Check out “Melbourne Museum” and “Royal Exhibition Building“

The building’s Renaissance Revival facade

The 3-storey former Customs House Building, resting on a bluestone foundation, occupies the site of Fawkner’s Hotel, one of the first buildings in the city, built in 1835 by John Pascoe Fawkner, one of the founders of Melbourne.

It is of architectural significance as an example of the work of three of the Victorian Public Works Department‘s most talented and accomplished architects – Scottish immigrant Peter Kerr, who did the initial design, and Arthur E. Johnson and John G. Clark, who prepared the final design, which incorporated the earlier building (but without the projected grand stairs and classical portico).

Historical plaque

Between 1856-58 and 1873-76, it was constructed in two separate stages.  In 1965, the building was converted to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices and, in 1998, became an immigration museum. On September 8, 1994, it was included Victorian Heritage Register.

Jandy, Grace, Kyle, Cheska and Bryan at the steps leading to the museum entrance

One of the finest examples of a customs house in Victoria, it is an extraordinary example of the Italian Renaissance style (with remnants of Greek Revival influence), a style greatly favored for official buildings in Melbourne during the 1860s and 1870s. It has a rusticated ground floor facade while the two upper floors are surmounted by a simple projecting cornice running around the whole building.

Reception counter

A flight of stairs leads up to the entrance doors, above which four Ionic-style columns run through the two upper floors in support of the fascia and cornice. The site is delineated by a fine wrought iron fence with bluestone posts and base.

Second floor lobby

The impressive and opulent former Long Room, one of the grandest and most elegantly proportioned classical interiors in Melbourne, now houses the main exhibition space of the Immigration Museum.  A notable piece of Renaissance Revival architecture, it features giant Ionic colonnades (modeled after the Erechtheion Temple in Athens) and high ceilings.  The hand-laid tessellated tiles, based on fragments of encaustic tile found in floor fill, were made at Stoke-on-Trent in the UK.

The Long Room

The museum facilities and activities include a Discovery Center, community gallery, touring exhibitions and public and educational programs, including community festivals, exhibitions and many community engagement activities.

The museum’s permanent exhibitions explores Victoria’s immigration history through global motivations for leaving homeland, personal stories of immigrants from various countries and time periods, the ship journey over time, and a history of Australia’s immigration policies and processes.

On display are hundreds of objects from the Museum’s collections, some developed through partnerships with families and communities, relating to migration, cultural diversity, transport technology, customs and quarantine, and popular culture. All these subjects are presented in a number of ways – object and image-based displays, audio-visual presentations, immersive experiences (such as a series of recreated ship environments), interactive theater, on-site computer information outlets and the Museum website.

The Migration collection includes over 6,000 objects which document the migration experiences of Victorians since the 1830s and, consequently, the long history of the cultural diversity of the Victorian and broader Australian population.

“Leaving Home” Exhibit

The “Leaving Home” Exhibition, using sound, objects, still and moving images, explores the reasons why people left their countries to come to Australia and what they brought with them. Some of the many reasons include fleeing from the ravages of war, hunger, religious persecution and political repressions while others were lured by a sense of adventure, by the prospect of a new beginning, of owning land, of making a fortune, or to be reunited with love ones.

Many arrive with keepsakes, precious reminders of loved ones or special places. The experiences of arriving in a new country vary from person to person, with stories that are sometimes sad, sometimes funny, but always engaging.

“Identity Yours, Mine, Ours” Exhibit

The “Identity: Yours, Mine, Ours” (What does it mean to belong and not belong in Australia?) Exhibition explores how our cultural heritage, languages, beliefs, and family connections influenced our self-perceptions and our perceptions of other people – perceptions that can lead to discovery, confusion, prejudice and understanding.

Visitors are invited to find connections with others, as well as challenge the assumptions we make about each other every day through engaging personal stories, intriguing objects, compelling images and interactive multimedia experiences.  Visitors are also encouraged to share their stories, affirm their identities and celebrate diversity in our community.

“Getting In” Exhibit

The “Getting In” Exhibition, showing how and why Australia’s immigration policies have changed, focuses on four periods – the Gold Rush Days of the 1840s to 1900; Federation to the end of the Second World War;  Post-War to the Early Seventies, and 1973 to the Present Day.  Since 1788, more than 9 million people have migrated to Australia while countless others have tried and failed.

Since the 1800s, various immigration policies have dictated who gets in and photographs, historical objects and personal stories show the effects of these policies on cultural diversity in Victoria. An interactive theater experience, central to the exhibition, finds visitors find themselves in the role of a government official charged with the responsibility of interviewing people applying to migrate to Australia, and discovering whether or not they “get in.”

Customs Gallery

The Customs Gallery shows the story of Customs House, where officials controlled what-and who-could enter Victoria. Customs officers collected import duties, inspected ships for smuggled goods, controlled immigration to Victoria, and prevented the importation of items such as illegal drugs, endangered and contaminated animal products, and banned books and films.

Discovery Center

The Discovery Center, set in the beautifully restored 19th century vaults of the Customs House, is a perfect place to relax in comfy lounges; talk to helpful staff; research family history; explore Australia’s migration history; share personal stories; research contemporary issues; and understand its culturally diverse community.

You can a book from its unique reference library, explore its collections and vast web resources online, or enjoy the screen lounge showcasing stories of cultural celebrations.

“Our Bodies, Our Voices, Our Marks”

During our visit, the temporary exhibition Our Bodies, Our Voices, Our Marks was ongoing.  It features a suite of exhibitions and experiences that explores the art of tattoo, alongside themes of identity, self-expression, culture and community.

Check out “Our Bodies, Our Voices, Our Marks” Exhibition“

Museum Shop

The Immigration Museum Shop offers a wide range of souvenirs, gifts and books while its Museum Café offers coffee, soft drinks, snacks, confectionery and more.

Tribute Garden

The Tribute Garden, located in the northern garden of the museum, is a public artwork that pays tribute to 7,000 people who have made the journey to Victoria.  It features the names of immigrants who came from over 90 countries, from the 1800s to the present day.  The region now known as Victoria is represented by the people of the Kulin Nation as traditional owners of the land, and records the names of languages and dialects spoken by Aboriginal communities. Launched in 1998 and concluded in 2002, Melbourne-based artist Evangelos Sakaris designed the original artwork while Gina Batsakis led the design for the following stages of the project.

The Atrium

The Atrium, a beautiful glass conservatory at the rear of Old Customs House, connects the main building to the Courtyard. It can accommodate long-table dinners running the entire length of the Atrium, or layout more intimate round tables throughout. Sliding double doors open from the glass-walled Atrium into the sun-drenched Festival Courtyard which is utilized to host community festivals which are an amalgamation of food, music and culture.  The wide hallway connecting the Atrium to the rest of the museum is home to changing feature exhibitions, usually hanging art that tells a story.

Festival Courtyard

Immigration Museum: 400-424 Flinders Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000.  Tel: 1311 02.  E-mail: mvbookings@museum.vic.gov.au. Website: www.museumsvictoria.com.au/immigrationmuseum/. Open daily, 10 AM – 5 PM (closed Christmas Day and Good Friday). Admission: adults ($15), children (free).  Entry to the Tribute Garden is free.