Category Archives: PLACES OF INTEREST

Maokong Gondola (Taipei, Taiwan)

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Maokong Gondola

On our last full day in Taiwan, right after breakfast, we all checked out of our hotel and loaded all our luggage into our tour bus.  We still had a full day of touring ahead of us and first on our itinerary was a ride on the Maokong Gondola, a gondola lift transportation system (the first in Taiwan) that operates between Taipei Zoo and Maokong.

Taipei Zoo Station

Mr. Vincent Chen, our Eagle Tours guide, informed us during the trip that, after two days of bad weather, the gondola was open for the day. And the weather did improved as we traveled the 19 kms. to Maokong and the sun was already up when we arrived at the Taipei Zoo Station.

Waiting in line for our car to arrive….

This 4.3-km. (2.7-mi.) line has 6 stations – 4 passenger stations (Taipei Zoo, Taipei Zoo South,  Zhinan Temple and Maokong) and 2 angle stations to allow for direction changes along the route. It rises a total of 275 m.  in height between the start and end stations at Taipei Zoo Station and Maokong Station.

Started on November 10, 2005, it was opened on July 4, 2007.  The facilities of the gondola were contracted to the French company Poma. The line now has 147 cabins and 47 support towers.

Our car arrives…..

Since March 30, 2010, 30 of its cabins (5 persons per cabin), operating with a service interval of 3 mins., have been retrofitted with 48 mm. thick, triple layered, reinforced glass bottoms, each weighing 213 kgs. and each cabin modification costing NT$200,000. It allows passengers to look down at the view beneath their feet.

The author boards his car…..

These Crystal cabins, also called “Eyes of Maokong Gondola,” provide more viewing angles and opportunities.  They have their own waiting queue and a computer managed ticketing system that instructs passengers to enter the queue at a specified time. Currently, the price for taking a crystal cabin is the same as that of regular cabins.

L-R: the author, son Jandy, Melissa Ablan and Bhaby Paycana

Our group was to travel only up to Zhinan Temple Station as alighting at the Maokong Station terminus would entail a long queue on the return (it being a Sunday, crowds were expected). We were hoping to ride one these Crystal Cabins but wasn’t so lucky as a regular cabin  (there’s probably like 1 crystal car for every 8-9 regular cars) was assigned to Jandy, Melissa, Bhaby and me.

The Zhinan River Valley. Seen at left is Taipei 101 Building

The ride was pretty long (10-15 mins.) but it was leisurely and scenic all the way,with views of  the city skyline (including the iconic Taipei 101 Building) and the lush Zhinan River valley.

View of Taipei’s skyline

Too bad we didn’t make it up to Maokong where we could have visited various attractions and activities related to tea (tea-tasting; see how tea is being grown and picked at plantations in the Zhanghu and Watsuo area; admiring handmade teapots at the Chang Nai-miao Memorial Tea Museum; and learning about the different types of tea and how it is preserved, brewed and distributed at the Tea Promotion Center) as well as visiting Tianen and San Xuan temples. Still, the gondola ride was as much an attraction as a mode of transport. .

The Philippines travel agents tour group at Taipei Zoo Station

Maokong Gondola: Wenshan, Taipei, Taiwan.  For safety reasons, the gondola service is contingent upon the weather situation.  However, it is generally open from 8:30 AM to 9 PM (10 PM on Fridays and Saturdays). The Taipei Zoo South station closes at 4 PM.  For more information and current status of the gondola, check out the official website.

Fares (based on the number of stations traveled) are NT$70 (1 Station), NT$100 (2 Stations) and NT$120 (3 Stations).  Persons with disability and seniors aged over 65 pay NT$15 (1 Station), NT$20 (2 Stations) and NT$25 (3 Stations).

Fares can be paid by either purchasing the tickets at the stations or using EasyCard or stored-value card. Each adult ticket can bring 2 children (under 6 years of age) for free. Easycards are given a 20% discount on weekdays, and also receive a NT$20 discount when also used for zoo entry.

Discounts are available for group travelling. Groups of 10 or above will receive 20% off their ticket price while groups of 40 or above will receive 30% off. Tourists can also purchase the Maokong Gondola version of the one-day Taipei Pass for unlimited rides on Taipei buses and MRTs, and up to 3 gondola rides in one day. This special one-day TaipeiPass costs NT$350.

How to Get There: By bus, Take the Brown Line (1) to the terminus station, Taipei Zoo (動物園) then transfer to the Maokong Gondola.  By MRT, Bus S10 operates between MRT Taipei Zoo and the peak at Maokong, with a stop at National Chengchi University (國立政治大學).

Fushan Temple (Jiufen, Taipei, Taiwan)

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Fushan Temple

While walking up the main road during my joint exploration of Jiufen with Joyce Ventura, we reached the top of the hill  where the road split. I  decided to try the right (the left road, I learned later, goes to Jinguashi) and, after a nearly 1 km. hike, we espied the gaudy Fushan Temple.

The temple’s gray and deep, dark green facade

The 200-year-old Fushan Temple in Jiufen is one of several temples (the others are at Shuinandong and Jinguashi) that worship Tudigong (The God of Neighborhood or the Earth God, one of the least important gods in the Taoist religion). During the Japanese Colonial Era, Jiufen’s Fushan Temple was the biggest Tudigong Temple in Taiwan.

Check out “Jiufen Old Street“

The temple’s brightly colored  interior

At the time of the gold rush, residents and mine workers prayed in this temple for safety and good fortune as they go in search of gold. Even today, locals believe that the gods here still guard them with things other than gold.

The main altar

An interesting blend of Japanese, Chinese and European decorative motifs, this “temple within a temple” initially just worshiped Tudigong but, in 1935, Weng, Shan-Ying (the director of the Jiufen department of Taiyang Mining Company) initiated the renovation of this temple, building 2 halls beside the temple so that people can also worship Avalokiteshvara and the Goddess of Child-giving.

An intricately carved column

At the exterior are two old stone lamps while the interior sports a beautiful arched post-and-beam structure (made without nails and rarely seen in Taiwan), intricately carved stone pillars, and panels, including one over the main altar with several nude Western-style angels. Its stone sculptures were made with local sandstone.

An equally intricately carved panel

At the temple atrium is a wishing well. The temple is surrounded by a Japanese style garden.Visitors and photographers can enjoy the cherry blossoms in March and April.

Fushan Temple: 1 Lunding Road (on the east side of 102 County Road and Lunding Road intersection), Ruifang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 224. Open daily, 6 AM – 6 PM.

Eagle Tours: +886-910-130-180 (Mr. Vincent Chen) and +886-932-013-880 (Ms. Joyce Chen). 

How to Get There:  There is a bus station here and bus service between RuiFang and Fushan Temple.

National Shrine of St. Michael and the Archangels (Manila)

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National Shrine of St. Michael and the Archangels

The century-old National Shrine of St. Michael and the Archangels, also known as San Miguel Church or Malacañang Church (as it adjoins the Malacañang Palace complex, the official residence of the President of the Republic of the Philippines), is located on the former site of La Fábrica de Cerveza de San Miguel (now San Miguel Brewery).

The church’s Neo-Classical facade

This Catholic church of the Latin Rite is dedicated to the seven archangels who fought against the Lucifer, the fallen angel who rebelled against God – Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel, Saint Raphael, Saint Uriel, Saint Selatiel, Saint Jhudiel, and Saint Barachiel.

An archangel is supposedly assigned to a person depending on the day he is born – St. Gabriel for Monday, St. Raphael for Tuesday, St. Uriel for Wednesday, St. Sealtiel for Thursday, St. Jhudiel for Friday, St. Barachiel for Saturday and St. Michael for Sunday.

Historical plaque

Here are some interesting trivia regarding this church:

  • It is the only shrine in the whole world dedicated to the aforementioned seven archangels
  • As it almost next door to the most important address in the country, a number of presidents have heard Mass at the shrine – Carlos P. García, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (usually accompanied by her husband Mike Arroyo) and Fidel V. Ramos (who is not even Catholic but Protestant). Then-Ilocos Norte Representative (and later President) Ferdinand E. Marcos also married then-beauty queen Imelda Romuáldez in the shrine (at that time a pro-cathedral) on May 1, 1954. Their wedding, tagged as the “Wedding of the Year,” followed almost two weeks of courtship.  President Ramon Magsaysay stood as Principal Sponsor.
  • Unlike most Catholic churches in the country that are usually overflowing with parishioners on Sundays, the prominent location of this church seems not to entice parishioners to hear Mass here. St. Michael only has about 1,500 parishioners, some of whom are descended from old-rich families (who were the benefactors of the church) in San Miguel District (most of these families, however, left this district during Marcos’ time).  One reason churchgoers might be staying away is the abundance of checkpoints all over the Malacañang Complex.
  • It only holds three Masses on Sundays – two in the morning and only one in the evening.
  • The national shrine is also, notably, the only Catholic church in the country where priests (instead of bishops) are canonically permitted to administer the sacrament of Confirmation twice a week (on Thursdays and Sundays).
  • A few blocks away is the National Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of desperate cases
  • Among those buried in San Miguel are Don Enrique M. Barreto (founder of San Miguel Brewery) and Don Domingo Roxas (patriarch of the Zóbel-de Ayala-Roxas-Soriano clans). Archbishop Gabriel M. Reyes, the Archdiocese of Manila’s first Filipino ordinary (served from 1949 to 1952), was initially buried in the shrine before his remains were transferred to the crypt of Manila Cathedral.

The church has a Neo-Classical façade with a semicircular arched main entrance and windows, a rose window at the second level and flanking, symmetrical bell towers with melon-shaped domes topped by turrets.

The church’s interior

Here is the historical timeline of the church:

  • In 1637, San Miguel Church was first built in stone by the Jesuits, along the left bank of the Pasig river (where the Tabacalera,  Mirador Hotel and the old PCSO office are now located) in Paco, Manila (formerly known as Dilao).
  • During the 1645 Luzon earthquake, the church was damaged.
  • In 1779, a provisional church, along the north bank of the Pasig River, was started by Fr. Malo de Molina.
  • In 1783, it was transferred to its present site and placed under the jurisdiction of the Quiapo Parish.
  • In 1835, the first church on this site was built by Franciscan Fr. Esteban Mena
  • In 1852, after an earthquake, Fr. Francisco Febres repaired the church and rebuilt the destroyed bell tower.
  • During the July 19, 1880 earthquake, the church was destroyed.
  • In 1886, the church and its bell towers were repaired by Fr. Emilio Gago.
  • In 1913, the church was rebuilt by Fr. Hipolito Arce (parish priest from 1900 – 1940), through the generous assistance of Doña Margarita Róxas de Ayala, on its present site and inaugurated on September 29, 1913.
  • From 1946 till December 8, 1958, following the city’s destruction in World War II, the church was designated as the pro-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Manila by Monsigñor Michael O’Doherty while Manila Cathedral was being rebuilt.
  • On February 22, 1986, the church was elevated to the rank of National Shrine by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), with Ricardo Cardinal Vidal of the Archdiocese of Cebu and Papal Nuncio Bruno Torgigliani in attendance.  The CBCP made the decision via de jure, citing the church’s rich history.

Its main altar, built with fine wood and stately marble and designed by Fr. Ramon Dodero, an Opus Dei priest, in 1985, is a replica of the old altar built in 1800.  It has a statue of St. Michael crushing the enemy, in the center, with the other six archangels flanking him.

In front of the church is the beautiful 12-ft. high bronze statue of St. Michael in his traditional pose, triumphantly looming over a dragon (Satan). Done by renowned Filipino sculptor Florante “Boy” Caedo, it was blessed in September 29, 1984 by Papal Nuncio Bruno Torpigliani with His Eminence Jaime Cardinal L. Sin, D.D. and Col. Antonio Cabangon Chuas as unveilers.

Bronze statue of St. Michael the Archangel

National Shrine of St. Michael and the Archangels: 1000 Jose Laurel St. cor. General Solano St., San Miguel district, Manila, Metro Manila.  Tel: (632) 735-1611 and 734-1271.  Fax: (632) 736-1105.

Diocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy (Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte)

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Diocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy

We still had extra time for some sightseeing prior to our Cebu Pacific flight back to Manila so, on our drive to Dipolog Airport from Sindangan, we made a short stopover at the Diocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy.  Before we drove up the hill, we already espied the Statue of the Virgin Mary along the highway.

Entering the chapel

The interior of the chapel

Stairs lead to the foot of the Statue of the Virgin Mary, located on another mountain below the Divine Mercy Shrine, while another flight of stairs lead directly to the Divine Mercy Shrine.  An arch along the highway marked the entrance to the shrine. The shrine, administered by Rev. Fr. Danilo Alpuerto, was declared as one of the pilgrim spot for the 2015-2016 Jubilee Year of Mercy.

Statue of the Virgin Mary

The shrine has a whitewashed chapel with the words “Jesus I Trust in You,” “Jesus Misalig Ako Kanimo” (Cebuano translation) and “Jesu Ufam Tobie” (Polish translation) painted into the upper façade. To the left of the chapel is a tower with a square base and octagonal upper storeys with a cross on top of the pointed roof.

The tower on the chapel’s left

Inside the chapel are walls of clear glass panels, which afford a scenic view of the ocean, while above them are stained glass windows. On the flanks of the chapel are outdoor shrines, with boxes for petitions or prayers, dedicated to the Divine Mercy and Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska, Polish nun who inspired the Roman Catholic devotion to the Divine Mercy and earned her the title of “Secretary of Divine Mercy.” There is also a statue of the St. Michael the Archangel and the Virgin Mary on a boat.

Outdoor shrine dedicated to Sister Faustina Kowalska

Outdoor shrine dedicated to the Divine Mercy

A flight of stairs lead to the chapel’s roof deck with railings where the huge statue of the Divine Mercy is located.

Statue of the Divine Mercy

The deck has a panoramic view of the expanse of mountains at the rear and the verdant lowlands and blue ocean in front.

Panoramic view of the verdant lowlands and ocean

There’s also a “Healing Walk,” leading down from the shrine, where you are required to observe silence and remove your footwear to enter.  A sign quotes Exodus 3:5 – “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

The Healing Walk

Along the way are rows of statues of 30+ saints and the Gethsemane Garden with its statue of a kneeling Jesus Christ.

Alcove with statues of saints

Also within the shrine is a candle gallery, the shrine office, a souvenir shop and public toilets. 

Statue of a kneeling Jesus Christ at the Gethsemane Garden

Diocesan Divine Mercy Shrine: Siari Hills, Brgy. Siari, Regional Highway Dipolog – Sindangan, Bayan ng Sindangan, 7112 Zamboanga del Norte. Admission is free.  There is a dress code in the shrine.  No wearing of short pants (as well as long pants for females) and sleeveless shirts or blouses.

How to Get There: Buses and vans going to Ipil and Zamboanga City from Dipolog, and vice versa, pass by the Regional Highway. Under the shrine’s entrance arch are habal-habal drivers who charge P20-50 for a one way trip to the Shrine.

Dapitan City Plaza (Zamboanga del Norte)

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Dapitan City Plaza

In front of the Church of St. James the Greater is the  Dapitan City Plaza (“Liwasan ng Dapitan”), also known as the City Square.  During his exile, Dr. Jose Rizal beautified and developed this plaza.  With the assistance of Spanish Politico-Military Governor of Dapitan, Gov. Ricardo Carnicero, he made the plaza comparable to the ones he saw in Europe.

Check out “Church of St. James the Greater”

With an estimated land area of 1 hectare, the plaza was laid out in the traditional rectilinear Spanish colonial manner. The plaza was already in existence when Dr. Jose P. Rizal arrived in on July 17, 1892.

With the P500 one of his patients paid him, Rizal equipped the town with lighting system, as part of Carnicero’s project, using coconut oil lamps hung on trees and cut tree trunks placed around the plaza. Rizal also beautified Dapitan by planting white santans, red gumamelas and acacia trees.

Relief Map of Mindanao

With the help of Francisco Paula de Sanchez, his teacher in Ateneo de Manila (he studied here from 1872-77), he also made a huge relief map of Mindanao (based on the map done by French Jesuit Fr. Pedro Murillo Velarde in 1752) out of earth, stones and grass during his first two months in Dapitan. Located in the southeast part of the plaza, he intended it to be a teaching aid for geography and history lessons. On June 20, 2005, the Relief Map was declared by the National Museum as a National Cultural Treasure.

The Jose Rizal Monument (center). On the left is the kiosk

Before Dr. Jose P. Rizal became the country’s National Hero, a kiosk was located in the center of the plaza. Later, the kiosk was moved to the northwest side to give way to the monument in honor of Rizal. The two cannons, formerly placed on top of Ilihan Hill, can now be found in the north of the plaza. Except for its elevated border (constructed in 1996), the City Plaza has maintained its original design.

Dr. Jose Rizal Monument

The plaque at the Dr. Jose P. Rizal’s monument has snippets from one of his letters written in Spanish in 1893. It states: “Yo estoy dispuesto a hacer todo lo que pueda en obsequio de este pueblo. No tengo inconveniente ninguno en quedarme para siempre en este distrito” (“I’m willing to do everything I can for the sake of the people. I have no problem to stay forever in this district”).

Casa Real Historical Plaque

Near the plaza is a plaque marking the site of the Casa Real where Dr. Jose P. Rizal stayed with Governor Ricardo Carnicero, from his arrival until he moved to Rizal Shrine at barangay Talisay in March 1893.

Check out “Rizal Park and Shrine”

Pablo Page Ancestral House

Around the plaza are a number of old structures and ancestral houses, all part of t he Dapitan Heritage Zone or Dapitan Historic Center. Most are in dire need of major repair.

Office of the Sangguniang Panglungsod

They include the Antera Adaza Bajamunde residence (Justice Florentino Saguin St.), the Philippine Coconut Authority Office, the Public Services Division of Dapitan, the Office of the Senior Citizens Association and the Office of the Sangguniang Panglungsod.

Office of the Senior Citizens Association

Philippine Coconut Authority Office

The Antera Adaza Bajamunde Residence, more popularly known as the Pablo Page Ancestral House, was built in 1919.

Public Services Division of Dapitan

Dapitan City Tourism Office: Josephine Bracken St., Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte.  Mobile numbers:(0977) 803-1497 (Globe) and (0908) 884-1650 (Smart).

Church of St. James the Greater (Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte)

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Church of St. James The Greater

The last destination in our tour of Dapitan, prior to our trip to Sindangan, was the Church of St. James the Greater.  As we arrived just 5 days before their patron saint’s feast day (July 25), small, colorful flag-shaped banners were strung up all over the plaza and the church.

The Dapitan parish was established in 1631 by Jesuit Fr. Pedro Gutierres.  The present church, a 5 minute walk from the foot of Ilihan Hill, was originally built with galvanized iron walls and wooden floors in 1871 under Fr. Juan Gelabert, S.J. .

The church’s simple Gothic-style facade

 During his exile from July 17, 1892 to July 31, 1896, national hero Jose Rizal painted a backdrop, inspired by a church in Barcelona, for the church altar. However, the painting was later destroyed by fire.  A marker here, near the entrance, also marks the spot where Rizal usually stood when he heard Mass every Sunday. He could not go near the altar during Mass because of his excommunication from the Catholic Church.

Spot where Rizal stood during mass

National Historical Commission (NHC) plaque

From 1904 to 1909, the church was repaired and renovated under the guidance of Fr. Antonio Obach, S.J.  The original galvanized iron wall was replaced with the present solid masonry and the wooden floor changed to mortar. In 1915, the floor was concreted and the sanctuary was remodeled in 1921 by Fr. Eliseo Gil, S.J..

Historical plaque

For about five days in 1944, Japanese soldiers used the church as a resting/sleeping area. Through the years, it has undergone several reconstructions including a major renovation in 1964 when the whole structure was almost completely reconstructed with reinforced concrete by Fr. Antonio Hamak.  The new church was inaugurated on July 23, 1967.

The church interior

It’s simple Gothic-style façade, devoid of much decoration, is flanked by twin square bell towers with pyramidal roofs and semicircular arched openings.  The protruding central portion at the lower level is flanked by lancet windows and rounded pilasters. The Gothic arch main entrance, above which is a lancet window, is flanked by rounded pilasters and is topped by a triangular pediment with a centrally located oculus.

The beautiful church ceiling

Inside the church is its beautifully designed ceiling of interlocking orange and white rectangles forming a swirling pattern around the dome and arches, creating an optical illusion of depth and motion. As a whole, it drowns the audience far below in dizzying disarray.

View of interior from choir loft

At the choir loft is a German made manual pipe organ, with European pipes and a manual pump, that bears the year 1827. It was brought to Dapitan in 1864 by the Augustinian Recollect fathers.

Church of St. James the Greater: Fr. Francisco Paula de Sanchez St., Potol, Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte 7101.  Tel: (065) 212-6202. Email Address: dapitanparish1631@gmail.com. Feast of St. James the Greater: July 25.

How to Get There: Dapitan City is located 15 kms. from Dipolog City. GPS Coordinates: 8.654734,123.42465

Rizal Park and Shrine (Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte)

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Rizal Park and Shrine

The highlight of our visit to Dapitan City was our tour of Rizal Park and Shrine (also known as the  José Rizal Memorial Protected Landscape), a protected landscape and memorial to the Philippines‘ national hero which preserves the farm site in barrio Talisay where José Rizal was exiled from 1892-1896 (4 years, 13 days and a few hours) after being accused by the Spanish colonial authorities of sedition and plotting the Philippine revolution in Manila.  Occupying a hilly peninsula facing the Dapitan Bay, it is located in the seaside barangay of Talisay, about a kilometer northwest from Dapitan city proper.

EGI president Eulalio “Loy” Ganzon, Ms. Mamel Yap and my wife Grace entering the shrine

After his stay at the Casa Real, Rizal was transferred to Talisay, staying in a 24-hectare estate in the seaside barangay Talisay, bordering on Dapitan Bay, which he acquired by purchase.  In August 1892, two months after arriving in Dapitan, Rizal together with Gov. Carnicero and Francisco Equilor (a Spaniard living in Dipolog), luckily won the second prize of PhP20,000, via a lotto ticket with the permutation 9736, of the government-owned Reales Loterías Españolas de Filipinas (English: Royal Spanish Lottery of the Philippines).

Touring the grounds of the shrine

Rizal’s share was PhP6,200 and he gave PhP2,000 to his father and PhP200 to Jose Ma. Basa, his friend in Hong Kong. His share also financially enabled him to buy (for PHp4,000), on July 17, 1892, the Talisay Estate, a 10-hectare piece of land, from Lucia Pagbangon, enlarging his property to 70 hectares.

Map of shrine

In March 1893, Rizal transferred to this place. Later on, his mother Doña Teodora Alonso, his sisters Narcisa, Maria and Trinidad, and nephews Teodosio, Estanislao, Mauricio and Prudencio from Calamba, Laguna came and lived with him in Talisay until 1896. Pio Valenzuela also visited Rizal here, confiding to him about their planned armed revolution and the group’s offer to help Rizal flee Dapitan.

An array of Masonic structures and symbols

On this land he built three houses and decided to be a farmer, clearing a part of the forest and planting a large number of fruit trees (mangoes, lanzones, guyabano, nangka, macopa, langka, santol, mangosteen, batuno, etc.), 6,000 hemp plants, 1,000 coconut trees, coffee and cacao.

Here, he established a hospital and a school for bright boys (beginning with 3 pupils, it increased to 16 and eventually 21, 16 of which did not pay tuition), collected botanical and zoological specimens (the Draco rizali, a flying dragon; Apogonia rizali, a small beetle and the Rhacophorus rizali, a rare frog, were named after him) for some European museums (especially the Dresden Museum).

He also gathered 346 shells of 203 species, created sculptures from clay (Oyang Dapitana and Mother’s Revenge), embarked in the business of buying and selling abaca and copra, drained the marshes to get rid of malaria that was infesting Dapitan, and wrote some of his poems, articles and scientific treatises, as well as letters to his family and friends.

The Casa Residencia with the comfort room at the rear

He also learned, as well as grammatically analyzed and compared, the Subanen, Bisaya and Melayu languages, adding to the 22 languages he already knew (Tagalog, Ilokano, Hebrew, Sanskrit, Dutch, Spanish, Catalan, Latin, Italian Greek, Chinese, English, Japanese, French , Portuguese, German, Swedish, Arabic and Russian).

It was also here that he fell in love with the 18 year old Josephine Bracken (her parents James Bracken and Elizabeth Jane MacBride were both Irish in citizenship), adopted daughter of George (who adopted Josephine after her mother died of childbirth), one of Rizal’s patients.  Rizal wrote the poem A Josefina for Josephine.

El Canto del Viajero (“Song of a Traveler”) – a poem by Dr. Jose Rizal written on a pathway. Rizal wrote it upon receiving the acceptance of his offer to go to Europe then to Cuba (then under a revolution) to help in the curing of patients suffering from a raging yellow fever epidemic.

His exile here ended when he departed, on the steamer Espana, for Manila, and eventually Cuba, on July 31, 1896. On the day of his departure, accompanied by Josephine, Narcisa, Angelica (Narcisa’s daughter), his three nephews and six pupils, a marching band solemnly played Frederic Chopin’s dolorous Marche funèbre as Dapitanons turned out en masse to see him off.

Rizal the Traveler (Julie Lluch)

On January 15, 1897, after Rizal’s execution on December 30, 1896, Rizal’s properties in Dapitan were confiscated.  Don Cosme Borromeo, a good friend of Rizal, was appointed custodian of the confiscated property.  After the end of Spanish rule, the Talisay hacienda and home were neglected.  However, in 1913, the place was converted into a public park to the memory of Rizal.  It was reconstructed during the term of Zamboanga Gov. Jose Aseniero (1925 to 1928), one of Rizal’s brightest pupils.

On September 3, 1940, Commonwealth President Manuel Luis Quezon, through Proclamation No. 616, reserved about 10 hectares (25 acres) of the land in Talisay and turned it into Rizal National Park.  On June 19, 1965, by virtue of Republic Act No. 4368, the administration of this shrine was turned over to the National Historical Commission (later National Historical Institute on September 24, 1972) from the National Heroes Commission.

On January 24, 1973, through Presidential Decree No. 105, the Rizal Shrine was then declared by then president Ferdinand E. Marcos as one of the National Shrines. On April 23, 2000, it was enlarged to its present size of 439 hectares (1,080 acres), with a buffer zone of 15 hectares (37 acres) and was declared, through Proclamation No. 279, as a protected landscape under the National Integrated Protected Areas System.

The park has a collection of five reconstructed houses of bamboo and nipa, originally built by José Rizal, as well as other auxiliary structures, all in their original location.

Casa Residencia

Casa Residencia, the faithfully reconstructed (in 1960) main house of Rizal, is the biggest structure in the place.  Rectangular in shape, it is made of bamboo, wood, nipa and palma brava leaves and is located at the foot of a verdant hill studded with baluno (Mangifera caesia) and bitaong (Callophylum inophylum) trees.

The house had three verandas  (front and sides) with views of the Dapitan Bay, a main room (8 sq. yards), a lone bedroom (with a replica of Rizal’s bed made of narra with intricate carvings) and a wooden staircase leading to the main house.

Manikin of Josephine Bracken seated at the sala (living room)

Hanging on the walls are framed photos of Rizal’s relatives, friends (including Fernando Blumentritt) and acquaintances as well as pictures of relics he or his relatives owned and used (including a hankerchief and a pin cushion of his sister, Saturnina). A comfort room, at the rear, is accessible by a bridge.

A side veranda

Jose and Josephine Bracken lived as husband and wife.  Jose’s mother, sisters Maria, Trinidad and Narcisa, and niece Angelica also stayed here during their visits and Jose asked his family to accept her as one of their own.

Cocina (outdoor kitchen)

The Cocina (outdoor kitchen), located to the left and a little lower than the main house, is about 14 ft. by 10 ft. and its walls are open from the waist up. With thatched roofing and open walls for ventilation, it features a traditional banggerahan (scullery) and kalan (firewood-fueled clay stove).

Casa Cuadrada

Casa Cuadrada (Square House), at the base of the hill, towards Rizal’s clinic, is about 14 by 14 ft. and doubled as a secondary dormitory for Rizal’s students.

Interior of Casa Cuadrada

The area underneath the hut served as vocational workshop where Rizal taught his students (2 – 4 PM) carpentry, Math, English, and Spanish. In turn, during recess, his students helped him with farming, feeding the chickens, building fires to drive away insects, pruning fruit trees and manuring the soil. Outside class hours, students had gymnastics, boxing, wrestling, stone- throwing, swimming, arnis and boating.

The octagonal Casa Redonda

The Casa Redonda, an octagonal stilt house which served as the pupil’s quarters, was later converted to a clinic where Rizal operated on George Taufer, Josephine Bracken’s foster father.

It was also here where he removed his mother’s cataracts. The house is 16 ft. wide, 16 ft. long and 7 ft. high.

Casa Redonda Pequena

The hexagonal Casa Redonda Pequaña, on the right of the main house, served as a chicken house that can accommodate a few dozen chickens.

Casitas Hospitales (Casitas de Salud)

The Casitas Hospitales (or Casitas de Salud) are two structures (one each for male and female) huts perched atop a low hill originally intended as tea houses but later converted into clinics to each accommodate 2 patients from far flung municipalities. Each has a floor area of 70 sq. ft..

Aqueduct system (Patubig sa Talisay)

The aqueduct system or lagoon, cutting across the shrine, feeds a water reservoir connected by bamboo tubes to the kitchen and lavatory.  It is 110 m. long and has inclined walls about 2.5 m. deep.  As a perito agrimensor (expert surveyor), Rizal applied his engineering knowledge by constructing this system of waterworks in 1895 with the help of his pupils.  The water system provided adequate and year-round water supply for Rizal‘s farm and household needs.

The top of the dam with the bust of Don Ricardo Carnincero and his wife on the left

It connects to the still existing and original dam where Rizal gave swimming lessons to his students.  Accessed by a long flight of cemented steps, its top has a bust of Don Ricardo Carnicero and his wife.  Near the dam is a four by 2.5-m. concrete water reservoir built in 1968. 

The natural, heart-shaped Mi Retiro Rock

Mi Retiro Rock, a natural heart-shaped rock reclaimed from the sea and set in an artificial lagoon, is where Rizal scribbled the beautiful poem Mi Retiro (A Mi Madre) which described his place of exile as a tranquil haven from political persecution, and the song Himmne a Talisay (Hymn to Talisay) written for his pupils and paying tribute to individual excellence and holistic education.

Rizal exchanged commitment vows with Josephine Bracken at Mi Retiro Rock. Rizal also spent many hours watching the sunset here.

Because they could not be married under the Catholic Church (Fr. Antonio Obach refused to marry them without the permission of the Bishop of Cebu), this is also where he exchanged commitment vows with Josephine Bracken. Rizal also spent many hours watching the sunset here.  It is also called Batong Lumayag because it appears to be afloat during high tide.

The 500-seat, open air amphitheater where lectures on Rizal are held

A 500-seat, semicircular and open-air amphitheater, built in 1978 by the city government from funds from the office of the Regional Commissioner headed by Rear Admiral Romulo M. Espaldon (Minister for Muslim Affairs), is located beyond Mi Retiro Rock.  Situated at the slope of a hill, it is 20 m.long and has eight elevated steps.  Lectures about the life of Rizal are conducted here, usually by the curator.

Visit of Pio Valenzuela to Dapitan (Julie Lluch). Pio was the emissary sent by Andres Bonifacio to Dapitan to inform Rizal of the plan of Katipunan during the meeting at a little river called Bitukang Manok. Valenzuela arrived in Dapitan on board the steamer Venus with Raymundo Mata, a blind man who came with Valenzuela to camouflage his mission. Rizal objected to Bonifacio’s project because the people were not ready for a revolution and arms and funds must first be collected before raising the cry of revolution..

Strategically located within the sprawling shrine are Julie Lluch’s beautiful life-size brass sculptures, all unveiled on June 19, 2016 (the 155th birth anniversary of Rizal), depicting José Rizal as traveler, Rizal and Pio Valenzuela in a huddle, and Josephine Bracken.

Museo ni Jose Rizal

The Museo ni Jose Rizal, an addition to the shrine, was built in 1971.  Located at the foot of a hill, near the shrine’s main gate, it houses all Rizaliana books, periodicals and other historical exhibits.  Part of the building serves as the office of the Rizal Shrine Curator.  The shrine is administered and maintained by the National Historical Institute (NHI).

Check out “Museo ni Jose Rizal“

Masonic structures and symbols, beside the museum, dedicated to Rizal.  Rizal was a prominent member of Masonry.

Members of organizations dedicated to the promotion of Rizal’s ideals (Knights of Rizal, Kababaihang Rizalista, Kabataang Pangarap ni Rizal, Kingdom of God Inc., etc.) live in a community atop the hill of the Rizal Shrine.

Other Masonic monuments

Rizal Park and Shrine: Brgy. Talisay, Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte. Open daily, 8 AM to 5 PM (The Museo ni Jose Rizal is closed on Mondays). Admission is free. 

How to Get There: The protected landscape and memorial is located some 9 kms. (5.6 mi.) north of the Dipolog Airport. It is accessible via the Dipolog–Oroquieta National Road and Jose Rizal Avenue in Dapitan.

Museo ni Jose Rizal (Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte

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Museo ni Jose Rizal

The first building you encounter upon entering the 10-hectare Rizal Shrine (site of national hero Jose Rizal’s exile from 1892 to 1896), immediately to the right, is the 2-storey, fairly new and modern Museo ni Jose Rizal which was originally built in 1971.

Check out “Rizal Park and Shrine“

The museum interior

The museum was later modernized (part of an overall plan to modernize around 15 more local museums nationwide, including those of Loay in Bohol, Iloilo City, Naga City, Baliuag in Bulacan, San Juan and Quezon City) by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), chaired by Dr. Maria Serena I. Diokno, and inaugurated on June 19, 2016 (the 155th birth anniversary of Rizal).

Gallery 1: Pagtapon sa Dapitan (Exile to Dapitan)

Gallery 2: Gawaing Pang-Aghamat Sining ni Rizal (Rizal’s Scientific and Artistic Pursuits)

Gallery 3: Mga Alaala ng Dapitan (Memories of Dapitan)

Gallery 4: Landas Tungo sa Pagkamartir (Road to Martyrdom)

It now has an e-learning room for online lessons of the National Historical Commission on Philippine history plus a variety of interactive features such as light-and-sound tableaus, a holograms (showing him talking about his last thoughts as he treks the road to martyrdom) and touch screen terminals featuring Rizal’s everyday activities as a political exile in Dapitan.

Ang Dulce Extranjera ni Rizal

Ang Guro (The Teacher)

Audio visual presentations in the museum include the Talisay waterworks system (also known as the Linao Aqueduct) which Rizal surveyed and helped build with the blueprint he made. Rizal harnessed the natural spring of Linao Creek, giving the public a potable-water system. Later, he connected pipes to the aqueduct and, with his students, built the pipe works that served his household and farm needs.

Ang Inhinyero at Arkitekto (The Engineer and Architect)

Ang Magsasaka at Mangingisda (The Farmer and Fisherman)

The Museo ni Jose Rizal Dapitan has four galleries:

  • Gallery 1. Exile to Dapitan
  • Gallery 2. Rizal’s Scientific and Artistic Pursuits
  • Gallery 3. Memories of Dapitan
  • Gallery 4. Road to Martyrdom 

Clothes of Rizal

Prominently on display at the center of the ground floor are some of Rizal’s personal wardrobe – a beige long-sleeved shirt and trouser, a brown wool vest and trouser and a black textile coat.

Haec Est Sibylla Cumana

Four sets of Haec Est Sibylla Cumana, a book of oracle or “spin-the-top-and-learn-your-future” game created by Rizal in Dapitan, also occupy a prominent spot in the museum. A family heirloom, the book was only made public in 2011 (the 150th birth anniversary of the National Hero) upon publication by Cruz Publishing.

The blackboard and table Rizal used to teach his students

Nearby are the original blackboard, table and chairs used by Rizal for teaching his pupils at Casa Cuadrada.

List of animal specimens sent to Dresden, Germany

Shell collection

Some ethnographical material collected by Rizal

Also on display are all Rizal’s personal writings (books, letters, poems, etc.), periodicals, replicas of his artworks (including paintings of his wife Josephine Bracken), his tools for fishing, the original medical instruments used by Rizal in operating the cataracts of his mother, Teodora Alonso, and many other patients from far and wide plus other historical exhibits.

Ang Manggagamot (The Physician)

Mga Gawaing Pang Agham

There are also reproductions of old Rizal photographs including those of his lady loves – Leonor Rivera, Segunda Katigbak, Josephine Bracken, Gertrude Beckett, Nellie Boustead, O-Sei-San, Suzanne Jacoby.

Museum corner for Josephine Bracken

Reproductions of Rizal’s sculptures

Part of the building serves as the office of the Rizal Shrine Curator.  Nearby is a monument of Rizal erected on March 8, 1987 by the Order of the Knights of Rizal.

Ang Malikhaing Rizal (Artistic Rizal)

Ang Manunulat (The Writer)

Mga Gawaing Pang-Iskolar (Scholarly Activities)

Museo ni Jose Rizal: Brgy. Talisay, Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte. Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 8 AM to 5 PM. Mobile number: (0917) 656-4168. E-mail: museonijoserizaldapitan@gmail.com. Admission is free. Curator (since 1992): Gabriel M. Cad.

How to Get There: The museum is situated near the shrine’s main gate and the shrine is located 2 kms. from the Dapitan City Hall. The protected landscape and memorial is located some 9 kms. (5.6 mi.) north of the Dipolog Airport. It is accessible via the Dipolog–Oroquieta National Road and Jose Rizal Avenue in Dapitan.

Rizal Disembarkation Site (Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte)

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Rizal Disembarkation Site) (Desembarco de Rizal)

Upon arrival in Dapitan City, we first visited the Rizal Disembarkation Site (Punto del Desembarco de Rizal) along Sunset Blvd. where Dr. Jose Rizal first set foot on Sta. Cruz Beach in Dapitan, the start of his 4 year exile.

Check out “Rizal Park and Shrine”

The author at the Rizal Disembarkation Site

Rizal, under maximum security, left Manila after midnight, 14 July 1892, on board the steamer SS Cebu along with military corps as well as prisoners (one due for execution). On July 17, from the steamer, the ship captain Delgras and three artillery men accompanied Rizal to the small boat that would take him to the shore. The sea was rough and, in his account of his journey to Dapitan, Rizal described the beach as “very gloomy,” perhaps reflecting his mood about his exile. 

At 7 PM, they landed on the beach in Santa Cruz on to begin his life in exile. Accompanied by Delgras and the artillerymen, Rizal walked, with a farol de combate that lit the dark Sta. Cruz Street, to the Casa Real where he was presented to Don Ricardo Carnicero, Spanish military governor of the district.  He stayed here for eight months (17 July 1892 to March 1893).  Acting as his warden; Carnicero was supposed to send reports of his “prisoner” to higher authorities. However, he didn’t see any threat in him and Rizal was allowed to freely move around and lived a normal life in Dapitan. On the occasion of the commandant’s birthday on August 26, 1892, Rizal wrote a poem entitled “A Don Ricardo Carnicero.”

Bronzed statues of Rizal, Delgras and the 3 artillerymen

Marking the spot along Sta. Cruz Beach is a monument conceived by Antonio Tuviera and designed by Arch. Nilo Ajo. Ferraren.  The monument was unveiled on December 28, 2009 during the 4th Handuraw Festival celebration.

NHC historical plaque

Inauguration plaque

It consists of a raised podium with bronze statues of Jose Rizal, ship captain Delgras and three artillery men (one holding the farol de combate).  The statues were installed and bronzed by Ronel Roces.

Sta. Cruz Beach

Sunset Boulevard, the road along the landing site, is a good spot to watch the sunset. Across the landing site is a 20-foot cross was erected to symbolize the propagation of Christianity in the locality of Dapitan.

The 20-ft. high cross

Rizal Disembarkation Site: Sunset Blvd., Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte.

Onay Museum (Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte)

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Onay Museum

The one-storey Onay Museum, completed in 2009, houses the life and works of Gen. Alexander Badong Yano, the 38th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (the highest position in the AFP hierarchy), the 49th Commanding General of the Philippine Army and the first and only AFP Chief of Staff and four-star general from Mindanao. The name “Onay” (as he was fondly called by his classmates) came from his last name in reverse.

“Onay: is “Yano” in reverse

The life and works of the general in pictures

As you enter the museum, you are welcomed by a big portrait showing the life and works of the general, depicting his childhood to adolescence and to his years in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Gen. Alexander B. Yano

Alexander Badong Yano, born on June 13, 1953 to the late Iñigo Yano and Gloria Badong, both retired public school teachers of Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte, is the eldest in a brood of 5 (which includes Brig.-Gen. Cesar B. Yano, a Philippine Defense and Armed Forces Attaché, a diplomat in Washington D.C. and a Philippine Military Academy Class 1980 graduate).

In 1965, “Alex,” or “Boy” as he is fondly called, graduated Salutatorian from the public elementary school of Sindangan.  Later, he pursued his secondary education in Saint Vincent’s College in Dipolog City, graduating with honors in 1969. Before taking the entrance examinations of the Philippine Military Academy, he took up 3 years (1969-1972) of Civil Engineering studies at the Cebu Institute of Technology where he was an irregular student due to activism.

In 1972, Alex entered the prestigious military institution. During his time in the PMA, he excelled more in athletics and extra-curricular activities establishing, among others, two PMA athletic records in the high jump and 400-meter low hurdles (a record, set in 1975, that remains unbroken up to this day). As a graduating cadet, he was accorded the coveted position of Regimental Adjutant of the PMA Cadet Corps, a recognition of his early leadership potentials. He graduated in 1976 as a member of the “Magilas” Class.

Later, to complete his military training, he took up courses in the Philippines such as the Special Forces Operations Course; Field Artillery Officers Course; Pre-Command Course for Battalion Commanders and the Command and General Staff Course. Abroad, he finished the Infantry Officers Advance Course in the US Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia, United States, landing in the Commandant’s List as an Honor Graduate.

Upon his graduation at the PMA, Alex was commissioned and called to active duty with the Philippine Army. His early years in the military service were spent mostly in combat assignments in Northern and Central Luzon and, during the height of the CPP/NPA rebellion in the 1970s and 1980s, in the provinces of Samar.

During the infamous Cabatangan crisis in November 2001, Yano hugged the limelight when, as Task Force Zamboanga Chief, he acted as overall ground tactical commander that led to the successful release of over a hundred civilian hostages and the eventual liberation of the Cabatangan Government Complex in Zamboanga City from over 300 fully armed MNLF Breakaway Group elements led by Julhambri Misuari, Nur Misuari’s nephew. After this crucial battle, the late Zamboanga City Mayor Maria Clara Lobregat gave him the moniker “Liberator of Cabatangan.”

After his tour of duty in Zamboanga City, then SOUTHCOM Chief Gen. Roy Cimatu personally handpicked him to command the 601st Army Brigade in SOCSARGEN at the height of terrorist bombings that rocked Gen Santos City in 2002. During his over two-year stint as brigade commander, no single terrorist bombing occurred in General Santos City. He also gained similar recognition as adopted son of both Zamboanga and Dipolog cities.

In 2003, as brigade commander, he earned his first star rank, the first in his PMA batch to become a general. In recognition of his invaluable contributions to that city, he was also declared as “adopted son” of General Santos City.

Later, he served as Assistant Division Comdr of the 9th Infantry Division in Bicol.  For his proven competence and abilities, especially in understanding the intricacies of the Mindanao conflict, he was appointed, on July 7, 2004, as Chairperson of the Government Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities with the MILF. Then, he briefly served as Chief of the AFP’s Civil Relations Service and AFP Spokesperson where he ably articulated the AFP’s position on various defense and security issues.

When Gen. Generoso Senga became the Philippine Army Chief, Yano was personally plucked from Camp Aguinaldo to assume as Chief of Staff of the Philippine Army.  In April 2005, he earned his second star as a major-general, again the first to earn said rank in his class. On July 31, 2006, Alexander Yano was appointed head of the  Southern Luzon Command and, on August 24, 2007, as the commander of the Philippine Army following the retirement of Lt.-Gen. Romeo Tolentino.  On May 12, 2008, he succeeded Gen. Hermogenes C. Esperon, Jr. as AFP Chief-of-Staff.

On May 1, 2009, he retired one-month earlier and was succeeded by Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado of Philippine Army, his PMA classmate, as AFP chief of staff.  Right after his retirement from the military service, he was appointed as Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He has published two books namely “Onay: A Personal Journey” and “The Man Who Dared to Dream.”

A well-respected general who spent most of his military career in the field, Alex is known as the ‘Soldier’s soldier” for his professional competence and excellent leadership that earned him the respect and admiration of his men, colleagues, and superiors.  He is married to the former Estela Aragon from La Union, a retired military nurse, and blessed with a son, Ervin Andrew, also a nurse by profession.

Among Yano’s impressive and incredible collections on display are items from his boyhood days in Sindangan and Dipolog, college days in Cebu and cadetship in PMA; memorabilia of a life well lived in the service of his fellowmen; uniforms; nameplates; trophies; plaques of appreciation; photos (including one with Manny Pacquiao); news clippings about his great works and legacy, and other items gathered in the course of his 37 years in the military and his ambassadorial tour in Brunei Darussalam.

Signed photo of the general with 8-division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao

The general’s various uniforms.  The upper two and the one at lower left are from his PMA days. The rest are his dress and field uniforms as AFP Chief of Staff

Among the array of things displayed in the museum is a letter written by him as a Grade I pupil on July 4, 1960 addressed to his grandmother and uncle to send him money for his uniform and clothing.

Photos of the general’s stint as ambassador to Brunei

As a testament to his exemplary achievements, he received various military awards and medals in recognition of his courage and bravery.

Some of Gen. Yano’s many medals, decorations and badges

On display, they include four Distinguished Service Stars; the Philippine Legion of Honor (Degree of Officer); four Outstanding Achievement Medals; the Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation; the Anti-Dissidence Campaign Medal; the Long Service Medal; the Visayas Anti-Dissidence Campaign Medal; the Mindanao Anti-Dissidence Campaign Medal; the Military Civic Action Medal; Silver Wing Medal, Honorary PAF Gold Wings, Honorary Flag Rank Command Badge, the Military Commendation Medal; the Gold Cross Medal for gallantry in combat; the Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Operations Ribbon; the Gawad sa Kaunlaran; Bronze Cross Medal and 27 Military Merit Medals. He also received his Honorary Airborne Wings from the Royal Thai Army.

In 2003 and in 2005, he was awarded as “Most Outstanding Zamboanga del Norte Citizen.” On December 2005, he received the “Outstanding Alumnus Award” from St Vincent’s College in Dipolog City and, on November 2005, he was conferred the “PMA Achievement Award” by PMA in Baguio City.

The author (right) with Gen. Yano

Gen. Yano (in blue) with visitors from E. Ganzon, Inc.. On Yano’s right is EGI President Eulalio Ganzon

Onay Museum: Brgy. Sicayab, Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte. Though open to the public, before one could explore the gallery, one has to seek prior permission from the general or his caretaker.