Category Archives: Historical Sites

Iloilo City Tour: By Car

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After our museum visit, we tried, for lunch, one of Iloilo’s famous cuisine, La Paz batchoy at Ted’s at the Provincial Capitol. After lunch, we began the GPS mapping of the rest of the city proper in earnest, making short stopovers at a number of the city’s notable landmarks.

Church of St. Joseph

Fronting the City Hall is Plaza Libertad (formerly Plaza Alfonso XII), at the intersection of De la Rama, Gen. Hughes and Zamora Sts. It was the site where the first Philippine flag was raised, on  December 25, 1898, after Spain’s surrender to Gen. Martin Delgado.  Across the plaza is San Jose Parish Church, started in 1873 by Augustinian Fr. Mauricio Blanco, who also built the convent.  It was spared during World War II.  The main altar was gilded with 17,000 gold panels by Fr. Jesus Fernandez.  Renovated, from 1980 to 1982, by Fr. Gilbert Centina III, O.S.A.., Romblon marble was used to decorate the transept walls, presbytery, the main and side altar walls and the floors.  This 1-storey Byzantine church has 3 naves, a transept and 2 flanking, 3-storey, rectangular bell towers (one of which has a barometer and a clock).

Forts San Pedro

Fort San Pedro, near the mouth of the Iloilo River.  Built in 1616 as a defense against enemy raids, it was almost totally destroyed, by naval and air bombardment, during World War II.  The Iloilo-Negros Air Express Company (INAEC, founded by Don Eugenio Lopez, Sr. on 3 February 1933), pioneered the first commercial aircraft flight in the country, which took off from a grassy airfield near the fort.   Also nearby, at the river’s mouth, is a lighthouse and Rotary Park.   

Iloilo Port Terminal building

The city’s port, one of the country’s finest, is protected by Guimaras Island.  It handles a considerable volume of rice and sugar shipments. Muelle Loney, the riverfront, with its wharves and warehouses, is a popular promenade named after Nicholas Loney (1826 to 22 April 1859), British vice-consul in Iloilo in 1855 and Father of the Philippine Sugar Industry.  Loney established the first trading company in Iloilo and transformed and galvanized the local sugar industry in Negros and Panay by importing British machinery.  

Rappelling at Wawa Gorge (Rodriguez, Rizal)

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Wawa Gorge

I again joined as a guest in a demonstration tour hosted by Lakbay Kalikasan for teacher representatives from 9 different schools, this time to Montalban (now renamed Rodriguez after its late local son and Senate president Sen. Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez, Sr.), a town steep in mystery and folk legends, and one of the nearest, it being just 28.60 kms. from Manila.  Assembly and pick-up point was our usual EDSA Shrine.  Our 2-van convoy made a brief stopover at U.P. Diliman (my college alma mater) before proceeding to our final destination, the town’s Wawa Dam and its beautiful gorge.

The two mountains of Bernardo Carpio

Montalban is mostly mountainous, its central and eastern sections being traversed by mountain ranges extending north to south.  It also has a series of steep, sloping ridges. The province’s highest peak, the 1,468-m. high Mt. Caladang, is located along the Rodriguez/Quezon province boundary.  The town’s mountains and caves figured prominently during the early days of the Katipunan (a hideout and a site for secret meetings) and the Philippine Revolution (site of a June, 14, 1897 rout of Spanish forces under Col. Dujiols).     

Montalban is full of legends and folklore.  Near Wawa Gorge, the folk hero and demigod Bernardo Carpio was said to hold two mountains apart, with his mighty hands, to prevent them from colliding.   His enemy, the enchanted king of the mountains of San Mateo, was defeated by Bernardo in a wrestling match.  The king had his revenge when he enticed Bernardo to enter Pamitinan Cave.

He blocked the entrance, with two gigantic boulders of rocks, and trapped him inside forever, thus shackling him to a prolonged bondage. When an earthquake occurs every 100 years, it is said to be Bernardo breaking one of his chains.  It is said that when all his chains have been broken, he would then liberate all his countrymen from their own slavery.

Wawa Dam

Wawa Dam (also called the Montalban Dam), located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains, in Brgy. Wawa, supplies water to the Novaliches area in Quezon City.  Overlooked by Mt. Irid, its spectacular, forested Wawa Gorge lies between two marble and limestone mountains (of Bernardo Carpio fame) and, through it, passes the Wawa River (or Marikina River) as it flows into Laguna de Bay.  On our way to the dam, our group espied one of 4 caves believed to be Japanese strongholds during World War II.  A historical marker was said to have been placed at the entrance of one of the caves in memory of the Japanese soldiers who died in the three-month long battle in 1945.  Treasure hunters are also said to be attracted by rumors of gold buried in the caves.

Wawa Gorge is also the place to be for the relatively new, adrenaline-pumping and extreme sport of rock climbing.  The gorge’s 400-meter high cliffs provide different levels of difficulty for rock climbers.  There are ten rock climbing sites with approximately 50 established routes, graded 5.0 to 5.12, all stable, free from vegetation and generally safe from rock falls.   Its Redemption Area, perpendicular to a metal footbridge, features “Fun in the Sun” (unrated), “Redemption” (5.10, bolted), “Sacrament” (5.8, bolted), “Sanctuary” (5.6) and “Under the Bridge” (has three short, unrated climbs).  The strictly traditional “Sanctuary” is the most popular.

Trying my hand at rappelling

We, however, weren’t there for the rock climbing and there was to be no rock-climbing spectacle either on this hot summer day. Lakbay Team Leader Ryan Viado, however, had a special treat in mind for us: the equally adrenaline-pumping sport of rappelling at the gorge’s metal footbridge.  Rappelling, is nothing new to me, having tried (and enjoying) it during a past Lakbay tour of Biak-na-Bato National Park in Bulacan. Assisted by Alan Galang and Alexes Erquiza, Ryan soon had our rappelling equipment installed at the bridge.  Initially, there were no volunteers willing to try this seemingly once-in-a-lifetime experience.  To set a precedent and embolden the others, I took the first crack at it, doing a near-flawless performance. Just like in Biak-na-Bato, rappelling was the piece de resistance for this fruitful and memorable day.

Lakbay Kalikasan: G/F Balai Lakbay, 2 Alondras St., Mira-Nila Homes, Tandang Sora Ave., Quezon City, Metro Manila.  Tel: (632) 932-7818 to 19.  Mobile number: (0917) 500-4796. Website: www.lakbaykalikasan.com.

Rizal Shrine (Calamba City, Laguna)

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After hearing mass at the Church of St. John the Baptist in Calamba City, Jandy Cheska and I crossed over to visit the Rizal Shrine, the birthplace of our National Hero Jose Rizal.  This bahay na bato, the first in Calamba, took two years for Rizal’s father to build. Now a property of the national government and administered and maintained by the National Historical Institute (NHI), this reproduction of the original Spanish Colonial-style, 2-storey house has a red tile roof, thick stone ground floor walls, doors wide enough for a carriage to enter, wooden upper walls of narraand molave and balustrades and capiz shell windows.  

Rizal Shrine


However, we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside.  Its controversial stairway (questioned by old folks to be slightly misplaced saying it should have been a little closer to the wall), with its circular base, leads to the caida (the banquet hall which served as library to Don Francisco and is in turned connected to the sala(living room) by an ornate doorway.  On both sides of the sala are the bedrooms. The house contains replicas of Rizal’s antique family furniture, household articles, library and Rizal memorabilia. Antique items include a very old coffee grinder, a punka (ceiling fan) and a water filter that purifies water from the well.  In the garden are various Philippine fruit trees, an empty stable with a square-shaped calesaon the side and a bronze statue of Rizal as a child done by Duddley Diaz (unveiled on 19 June 1998). The shrine also has a souvenir shop.

 
 
 
Rizal Shrine: J.P. Rizal St. (formerly Calle Real), Calamba City, Laguna.  Lectures and guiding services can be arranged. Open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.  Admission is free.  Tel: (092) 545-2010.  
 
How to Get There: Calamba City is located 55 kms. from Manila and is accessible via the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).  Take the Calamba Exit.
 

Church of La Purisima Concepcion de la Virgen Maria (Baclayon, Bohol)

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Church of La Purisima Concepcion de la Virgen Maria

We had just finished unloading our luggage and were savoring our welcome drink at our resort when our tourist van arrived to pick us up.  Barely catching our breath, we were again on the move as we had to compress a tight, pre-arranged sightseeing tour around Bohol within the day.   The province has a quite efficient road system with concrete roads encircling the province and traversing the land from Trinidad on the north and Loay in the south.  Besides this, second-class roads also connect the other towns, thereby completing a truly serviceable transportation network.  Touring the island is thus a breeze since travelers can start practically anywhere.  From Panglao, we again crossed the bridge to Tagbilaran City.  About 3 kms. out of the city, we made a photo op stopover at the Blood Compact Site at Brgy.  Bool, the site of the blood compact between Spaniard Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Rajah Sikatuna on March 16, 1565.

The Blood Compact Site

Our first real stop was at the town of Baclayon were we visited the Church of La Purisima Concepcion de la Virgen Maria, one of the best examples of Philippine Baroque combined with Western and Eastern influences.  Reputed to be the oldest church in the country, it was first built by the Jesuit Frs.  Juan de Torres and Gabriel Sanchez in 1595.  The present coral stone church was built in 1727. The church’s simple Early Renaissance facade has a 21-m. high, massive square bell tower (now connected to the church by a portico-façade installed in 1875), a fine porch and massive stone piers (in which some of the town’s priests are entombed.   Inside are an intricately carved, gilded altar and icons plus two side retablos, all dating back to the Jesuit era.  It also has a pipe organ installed in 1824.  The pulpit, installed in 1870, is located at the epistle corner.  The floor’s glazed tiles were installed in 1875 after the completion of the portico. 

Bataan’s Vietnamese Connection

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It being Good Friday, we fittingly made plans for a self-imposed, late afternoon Calvary-like hike, up Mt. Agalis, to the remote Pintong Alipi Falls.  Bienvenido “Kit” Nazareno, Vener’s 55-year old uncle, volunteered to drive and accompany us there.  The 30-min. jeepney trip to the jump-off point included passing by the 380-hectare, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA)-managed Bataan Technology Park in Brgy. Sabang. Now being developed as the “Silicon Valley of the Philippines,” this place used to have a humanitarian beginning, it being the former site of the Refugee Processing Center (PRPC), a refugee processing camp for Vietnamese “boat people.”  

A Vietnamese relic at Bataan Technology Park

It was said that the PRPC was among the most comfortable refugee camps in the world.  No barbwire fences and no border soldiers to accost the refugees coming in and out of the camp.  Set up in 1979 under the United States Repatriation Program, it served as a temporary home and transit center for the relocation of Indo-Chinese refugees (Vietnamese, Khmers and Laotians) victimized by the American war in Southeast Asia.  Here, they were trained in English, American history and vocational skills.  The center housed 18,000 refugees at one time and more than 100,000 have passed through here.

Remains of the first Vietnamese refugee boat

Today, the PRPC is no more as it was closed in 1994.  All we saw during transit was a shrine and the rotting remains of the first refugee boat to arrive there.  Vietnamese cuisine, however, has left an imprint in the town.  Near the town hall is a store serving hu-thieu, a soup concoction consisting of sotanghon noodles, sliced hard-boiled eggs, spices and bean sprouts.  We sample this before we departed Morong for Manila.  We, however, missed out on the bun-mi, another Vietnamese-inspired favorite which consists of grilled bun stuffed with pipino, tomatoes, onions and sliced meat with spices, mustard and mayonnaise added.

Dambana ng Kagitingan (Pilar, Bataan)

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The Memorial Cross

Come Holy Week, I was invited by Jandy’s teacher Ms. Veneriza “Vener” Trillo to vacation at their home at Morong in Bataan.  That being the case, I also planned to make a stopover at the Dambana ng Kagitingan in Pilar.  Its giant cross, on the 553-m. high Mt. Samat, stands as a mute symbol of the heroic World War II resistance put up by Filipino-American forces against the invading Japanese 60 years ago.  A visit to Bataan is certainly meaningless without seeing it.  On this pilgrimage, I brought along my son Jandy, his classmate Jeff Agtonong, teachers Mr. Erwin Vizcarra and Mr. Ronnie Boy Lansangan plus Ms. Marianne de Guzman,  Ronnie’s friend. 

Mt. Samat

We left Manila very early in the morning (4 AM) of April 17 (Holy Thursday), taking the longer (150.40 kms. from the Balintawak flyover) route along Bataan’s east coast instead of the shorter Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) route.  Normally it would take 3 hrs. tops to travel the said distance, but hey, this is Holy Week and heavy traffic is the rule and not the exception.  It was everywhere, from the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), then being widened, all the way up to Lubao in Pampanga.  The Lubao section (then being rehabilitated) was the worst, with over an hour wasted.  After Lubao, it was smooth driving all the way as we entered Bataan, the Roman Superhighway and the Angel Linao Highway, to Pilar town. Along the way, we passed the entrance to Dunsolan Falls, located along Mt. Samat’s western slope, and Mt. Samat Inn.  Upon reaching the Mt. Samat turn-off, it was a steep drive up a 7-km. long winding asphalt road.  We finally reached the shrine by 10 AM.

The colonnade of Dambana ng Kagitingan

The shrine, at the end of the road, is located just 70 m. below the mountain’s peak.  It was built at a cost of PhP7 million (including access roads) and was opened on April 9, 1974, the anniversary of Bataan’s fall (Araw ng Kagitingan).  Our pilgrimage to the shrine was done nearly 30 years after the fact. Today, the Araw ng Kagitingan held at the shrine usually features wreath-laying ceremonies, remembrance of the Death March and tributes to World War II veterans, whether dead or still living. 

The base of the cross

Immediately above us, reached by a long flight of stairs, is the shrine’s marble-capped colonnade.  It has an altar, an esplanade and a museum.  The shrine’s 12 relief columns, done in marble, depict historical events and important battles that took place in Bataan. The altar, used for religious services, has a stained-glass mural behind it. There are also statues of war heroes, two bronze urns (symbolic of the Eternal Flame of Freedom) and 18 bronze insignias and flagpoles with colors of USAFFE division units.  What struck the eye; however, were the two huge panels on the north and south walls inscribed with accounts of the Battle of Bataan in relief.   The colonnade’s basement museum, reached by a spiral stairway, displays an array of authentic World War II American and Japanese weapons (rifles, machine guns, mortars, shells, bayonets, etc.), uniforms (helmets, boots, belts, etc.), old photos, news clippings and, in the center of the dimly-lit hall, a scaled 3-D model of the Bataan peninsula indicating important battle sites.

The museum

Upon finishing our museum tour, we crammed our necks up to look at our ultimate destination: the towering Memorial Cross.  From the colonnade, we made the long but leisurely walk up the 14-flight zigzagging footpath (paved with bloodstones from Corregidor Island) on the mountain slope to the cross.  Once up, I found out that we could have drove all the way up to a parking lot beside it.  Some exercise (in futility?) it turned out to be as I later walked down the winding road to fetch the car.  The cross was huge, 91.8 m. high to be exact. Built in 1968 with steel and reinforced concrete, it stands on an 11 meter high platform capped with nabiag na bato slabs sculpted with bas reliefs depicting significant battles and historical events.  Above this base, the cross is finished with chipped granolithic marble. Its 30 m. wide arms (15 m. on each arm) rise 74 m. from the base and can be reached by an elevator. 

View of the shrine from the Memorial Cross
We failed to make it to the last morning trip up the viewing gallery at the cross’ arms as it was now lunchtime.  We had to wait another hour, becoming the second batch up that afternoon.  The 18-ft. by 90-ft. viewing gallery has a 7-ft. high clearance. It was pleasantly cool and windy up there, quite a different scenario from 6 decades ago when the area reeked with smell of death and the intense heat of battle. The views, nevertheless, were spectacular.  From the gallery, we could view the sea, mountains, forests (somewhat denuded at certain areas) and distant Manila, located 126.34 kms. northeast.  The cross is finished with luminous material and can be seen on a clear night as far away as Manila across Manila Bay.    

Biak-na-Bato National Park (Bulacan)

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Biak-na-Bato National Park

I got an invitation from Jesu-Mariae School (JMS), my son Jandy’s school, to join an outbound education demonstration tour for teachers at Biak-na-Bato National Park in Bulacan sponsored by Lakbay Kalikasan and I promptly accepted.  Five JMS teachers were to accompany me – Ms. Ofelia “Openg” E. Bermas, Ms. Maritess H. Dimaranan, Mr. Robert V. “Rob” Castañeda, Mr. Joel P. Fatlaunag and Mr. Ronnie Boy R. Lansangan.   

The Balaong River

We left Manila fittingly on April 9, Araw ng Kagitingan, and were picked up, by 5 AM, at the EDSA Shrine by a Lakbay Kalikasan-chartered airconditioned tourist bus.  In all, there were 48 of us from different schools.  Our Lakbay Kalikasan hosts were Ms. Rosa-Vina S. Prudente (Team Leader and Lecturer), Mr. Ryan Viado (Team Leader 1), Mr. Roger Quizol (Team Leader 2), Ms. Hanna Garcia, Mr. Bobby Estrebillo and Mr. Joel Garalde.  We arrived at Biak-na-Bato by 9 AM after a 3-hr. trip (including waiting for latecomers, a stopover for breakfast and calls of nature) via the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), exiting at Sta. Rita/Baliwag Exit.  Then, from the National Highway, we headed towards Plaridel and Baliwag. At a Y intersection 7 kms. from San Ildefonso, we took the road to the right then,  about 1 km farther, another right at another intersection leading straight to Biak na Bato.

Yungib 2 Cave

This 2,117-hectare National Park, site of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo’s Biak-na-Bato Republic, covers a large part of San Miguel de Mayumo and parts of San Idelfonso and Doña Remedios Trinidad (DRT).  Its attractions are its series of 16 major caves, some unexplored, that lies at the rocky foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains. The park is bordered by a small mountain range (the 432-m. high Mt. Nabio, the 422-m. high Mt. Susong Dalaga and the 380-m. high Mt. Silid) in the east and the Balaong River in the west.   It also has low, 140-m. high, rolling hill lands.  Also within the park are Brgys. Biak-na-Bato, Kalawakan and Sibul. The park has two areas: the easily accessible Front Country and the undeveloped and hard to reach Back Country.  

Yungib 3 Cave

It seemed that we weren’t literally going for a walk in the park as our bus entered the Back Country. There are 3 trails leading to the Back Country and its rarely-visited caves.  The trail we chose was well-marked. It starts directly across the Balaong River from the park entrance and proceeds over hills towards Mt. Silid.  We are to explore several semi-caves and at least one pit cave.  From a trail branch to the top of Bahay Paniki Cave, we can also explore 2 more caves without spelunking gear.

Yungib 1 Cave

Reality meets history at this trail as we were going to walk under the blazing heat of the sun through an unpaved, poorly shaded and dusty trail as our Katipunero ancestors did over a century ago.  No pain, no gain.  However,we had the luxury of doing some stretching exercises before our hike. Accompanying us was park guide Mr. Patricio Garcenilla.  Our nostalgic 2-hr. trek took us to 4 caves – Yungib 2, Yungib 3, Tangapan Cave and Yungib 1. The first 3 were naturally lighted and all had at least 2 entrances.  In every cave, we were given a historical overview of what each cave served.  Yungib 2, the so-called Pagamutan (“infirmary”), was, in the past, the nearest cave from the battlefield. Here, in this makeshift hospital, our Katipunero ancestors sought medical help for battle wounds.  Yungib 3, on the other hand, served as the Katipuneros’ storage for weapons, food and other war necessities.

Tangapan Cave

Tangapan (“meeting place”) Cave, near the third trail’s start, was where Gen. Aguinaldo first made contact with other revolutionaries.  Its well-lit main chamber is accessed by a front and back entrance.  A small tunnel, leading to the river, requires the use of helmets and lights for exploring.  Our final destination, Yungib 1, was the longest and the darkest of the four.  Called the “Ambush Cave,” here our Katipunero ancestors would lie in ambush as they waited for pursuing Spanish soldiers.  They escaped via a rear entrance.  We also made our “escape” via the same route, watching our heads as we groped in the dark.  In all 4 caves, we all said a prayer dedicated to our brave ancestors prior to departing. 

Gen. Aguinaldo Cave

After this nostalgic travel through time, it was back to our bus for a short drive to the developed Front Country.  The parking area before the entrance was filled with food stalls selling just about anything from snacks, maps and even souvenirs made from Biak-na-Bato limestone.  This time, we hiked along paved trails straddling the river to our designated picnic area.  Along the way, we passed (but didn’t explore) the Gen. Aguinaldo Cave and Cuarto-Cuarto Cave. Gen. Aguinaldo Cave, also called Biak-na-Bato Cave, was Aguinaldo’s headquarters in 1897 and site of the republic. The Pact of Biak-na-Bato was also signed here.

Bahay Paniki Cave

Once at the picnic area, we pigged out, kamayan style, on a feast of pork adobo, inihaw na talong (eggplant), tokwa (tofu), rice, and a salad of diced tomatoes, onions and salted eggs, all washed down with soft drinks or bottled water. Just when we felt like dozing off, a whistle blew signaling the start of more trekking.  Whatever we ate seemed to disappear as we traversed the paved, up-and-down (mostly up) trail to Bahay Paniki (“House of Bats”) Cave.  This easy-to-explore and well-lit cave is located upstream from the river.  Probably the largest cave in the area, it has a rather deep natural indoor swimming pool fed by an underground stream.  Thousands of fruit bats fly in and out from dawn and dusk.  The presence of these bats also meant the presence of guano (bat droppings), a sure source of income for the inhabitants.  However, it was a cause of concern for those of us who wanted to swim.  What the heck!  A number of us (including me), with or without life vests, dove in and enjoyed the cool waters.

Lakbay Kalikasan: G/F Balai Lakbay, 2 Alondras St., Mira-Nila Homes, Tandang Sora Ave., Quezon City, Metro Manila.  Tel: (632) 932-7818 to 19.  Mobile number: (0917) 500-4796. Website: www.lakbaykalikasan.com.

A Calesa Tour of Intramuros (Manila)

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After Jandy and I finished touring Fort Santiago and its Rizal Shrine, a calesawas waiting outside for us.  During our absence, my daughter Cheska, always the adventurer, took a fancy for a ride in that horse-pulled contraction and was able to convince Grace to hire one (for PhP200).

It surprised me that the 4 of us were able to fit in a carriage with a backseat made to seat just 2 passengers comfortably.  Jandy and later Cheska took turns on the driver’s seat.  Our driver, Boy Javier, rode shotgun.  Grace and I, plus one of our kids, just managed to squeeze (or should I say contort) ourselves at the back.  We all took it good-naturedly and proceeded in high spirits on our nostalgic 1-hour tour which took us from the fort to Manila Cathedral, Plazuela de Sta. Isabel, San Agustin Church, around the walls and gates of Intramuros and back.  Boy, quite familiar with Intramuros’ history, acted as our tourist guide.

During the Spanish era, Intramuros was breached by eight main gates or puertas: Aduana (Pasig River), Almacenes, Isabel II (Pasig River), Sta. Lucia (Manila Bay), Sto. Domingo, Parian (landward), Postigo del Palacio (Manila Bay) and Real (landward).  The last three were main gates of the original 16th century fortifications. When the Americans took over the 67-hectare walled city, two of the eight gates, Aduana and Almacenes, were torn town to make way for wharves, warehouses and vehicular access. 


The Postigo del Palacio, along Calle Postigo (from the Spanish word meaning “door latch”), was built in 1783 and was the private gate of both the archbishop and the governor-general, who would use it whenever they wanted to enter or leave the city incognito.  Our National Hero Jose Rizal was led to his December 30, 1896 execution through this gate from his cell in Fort Santiago.


The Puerto Real (Royal Gate), built in 1663, was the gate reserved for the governor for his stately entrance or exit.  It was originally located at Calle Real del Palacio (now Gen. Luna St.), at the right side of Baluarte de San Diego facing Bagumbayan.  It was destroyed during the British invasion of 1762.  Later, it was transferred from to its present site along Muralla St. and was made narrower and lower.  Civil and religious parades that used to pass the old gate were later rerouted to Puerto del Parian.  Two spiral staircases lead to the ramparts.  Its interior holds a collection of church silver.  Musical performances take place in the Puerto Real Gardens.

Puerta del Parian, the official gate of the governor after the British invasion, links the city with the bustling Chinese ghetto (Parian de Arroceros, one of Intramuros’ earliest concentrations of Chinese merchants) outside the walls. 


Puerto de Isabel II, at Magallanes Drive, diagonally across the Bureau of Immigration, was built as a storage arsenal and was the last gate built by the Spaniards in Intramuros.  Opened in 1861 to ease the traffic between Intramuros and Binondo, flanking it are vaulted chambers which served as soldiers’ barracks and arsenals for storing munitions.  A bronze statue of Queen Isabel, which once stood in front of Malate Church, was unveiled in 1860 at Plaza Arroceros (now Liwasang Bonifacio) but was moved next to the restored gate for the 1975 state visit of Prince (and later King) Juan Carlos de Bourbon of Spain.  Today, its vaulted chambers house a series of seven restaurants and cafes: Aposento, Café Provencal, Capone Bistro, E-hive, Pancake House, Starbucks Café and Tamayo Café.  The open area outside are reserved for chairs and tables.
Puerto de Santa Lucia, built in the 18th century, has two side chambers.  One chamber has steps leading to a dungeon-like cell that served as a septic tank.  The gate led directly to Malecon Drive, a popular promenade ground, through an excavated and restored cobblestone bridge.

  
Intramuros had a total of 10 bulwarks or baluartes : six of which were in Intramuros proper (Dilao, San Andres, San Diego, San Gabriel, Sta. Lucia and Sto. Domingo) and the rest in Fort Santiago.  Three ravelins or revellins (Bagumbayan, Parian and Recoletos), four mini-bulwarks or baluartillos (San Eugenio, San Francisco, San Juan and San Jose) as well as two redoubts or  reductos (San Francisco and San Pedro), were added to strengthen weak areas and serve as outer defenses


Baluarte de San Gabriel, once Intramuros’ most important defense to the north, faced the settlements of San Gabriel and Parian, both heavily populated by Chinese merchants, traders and transients.  After the British invasion of 1762, its bulwarks were renovated by Spanish Engineer Miguel Antonio Gomez to strengthen its defense.


Baluarte de San Andres, formerly known as Baluarte de San Nicolas y Carranza, still has its original lookout tower (logarita), bombproof powder magazine (built in 1733, it contains military artifacts on display), stable house, drainage and foundation.  A reconstructed guardhouse overlooks the powder magazine.    Today, there are 3 commercial establishments within it: Mas y Mas Music Lounge (opened July 28, 2000) at the far end, Creole Café inside the powder magazine and Ciudad Fernandina (opened December 1999) at the site of the former stable house.

Baluarte de Dilao was also called at different times as San Lorenzo, San Francisco de Dila, San Fernando de Dilao or simply Dilao (after the Japanese suburb it faced across the moat).  Part of the original fortification of Intramuros in 1592, it was constructed to reinforce the intermediate space of the walls between Parian and Real called frente de tierra.  Reduced to rubble during World War II, its reconstruction in 1984 was based on the original 1773 plans of Engr. Dionisio O’Kelly.


Baluarte de San Diego was known as the Fundicion or foundry.  The noted blacksmith, Panday Pira (who built the six lantakas or bronze cannons of Sulayman’s bamboo-palisaded fort), forged cannons for the Spanish at the site.   It was the only bulwark facing the sea (although part of it has now been reclaimed and is now the Port Area) and was built and designed by Jesuit Fr. Antonio Sedeno from 1586 to 1587 as a circular fort called Nuestra Senora de Guia, the first stone fort of Manila.  It was renovated in 1593 to join the walls of the city.  The old fort was of poor quality and it soon fell into disrepair.  In 1979, high walls of three concentric circles were discovered and excavated, part of the original fort’s round tower.  In 1644, construction of the present baluartewas started and was completed between 1653 and 1663.  This subterranean arsenal storage also served as dungeons for the Spanish military’s prisoners.   Shaped like an ace of spades it was formerly covered with a big mound of earth. Its walls were breached by the British cannon fire in 1762.  After the British occupation, its walls were restored and strengthened.  It was again damaged during the 1863 earthquake and destroyed in 1945 during the liberation of Manila.  It was again restored from 1979-92 after the archaeological excavation of the old fort.
       
Both are now major attractions in Intramuros.  It being so, we all made a stopover here.  Preparations for a wedding were then in progress, with the ceremonies to be held at the left of the entry and the reception at the right.  The old fort was accessible via a spiral stone stairway.  From the bulwark, we had a bird’s eye view of the city as well as the 18-hole Club Intramuros golf course.  The old fort is close after 6 P.M. to discourage lovers’ trysts.  


Ravellin de Recoletoswas so named because of its proximity to the Agustinian Recollect Church.  It served as defense to fill the gap between Baluarte de San Andres and Baluarte de Dilao.  The original entrance was sealed off and a new one opened in 1941 to make way for new Victoria St..  It is now converted into the Aurora Gardens (named after the late wife of Commonwealth Pres. Manuel L. Quezon).

       
Revellin de Real de Bagumbayan, also built in 1663, was used as prison cells during the American period and was later converted into the Manila Aquarium just before World War II.  During the Japanese Occupation, it was used as barracks and was damaged during the liberation of Manila in 1945.  It was restored in 1969 and additional works were done in 1982. The Manila Aquarium was maintained until its closure in 1983.  It was reopened in 1990 with the name Acuario de Manila.  It has an impressive collection of Philippine fishes on display.  The moat that separated it from the gate is now a garden of tropical greens and coconut palms.  It serves as a venue for performing art presentations.   
     
Revellin del Parian, the defensive bastion or outwork of Puerto Parian, was named after the Parian de Arroceros across which lived the Chinese living outside across the moat. It was built in 1603 soon after the Chinese uprising (October 3, 1603, St. Francis Day) and its cannons were hereafter aimed at them. The ravelin was used as a defense line between the curtain walls of Baluarte de San Andresand the Parian Gate.  Its vaulted chambers were built in 1739 to house soldiers and military supplies.  The entire defense works were completed in 1782 and it was restored, after World War II damage, from 1967-82.       Archaeological excavations of the site yielded 17th century artifacts and Japanese Occupation mass graveyards.  Some of the gruesome World War II findings include finger bones clutching an unexploded grenade or clinging to a rusty bayonet.
       
Baluartillo de San Jose, known as “No. 1 Victoria Street”, served as Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s headquarters in 1941.  A tunnel-like passage built in with a drainage canal emptying out into the moat, its primary use was to transport ammunition to Reducto de San Pedro.

       
Reducto de San Pedrois an independent pentagonal structure built outside the walls.  A powder magazine during Spanish times, it had its own stockpile of cannon balls deposited in recessed ledges at the entrance.  A ramp on one side of the structure leading to the parapet made their transport easier.  Gun emplacements looked out.  During the pre-World War II period, it was an office of the USAFFE.        

During our tour, Grace and I could not help but notice the proliferation of fine-dining restaurants and cafes inside portions of the ancient walls, vaulted chambers and some fortifications, notably at Baluarte de San Andres and Puerta de Isabel II, all built in the name of “adaptive re-use,” a concept wherein the past is adapted to keep it as a living part of its newer environs.  Here, the argument between conservationists (notably the Heritage Conservation Society, an NGO) and the Intramuros Administration.  The first is  concerned by this commercial invasion of Intramuros’ past while the latter concerned with the task of preserving it by any and all means.      In these days of national budget deficits and cuts and the Asian financial crisis, economic imperatives have necessarily come into the picture.  A great deal of funding is needed in the restoration and preservation (and later, the operation) of historic sites such as Intramuros.  That is a given.   On one side of the coin, the IA is hoping that revenues earned from these restaurant and café endeavors would help in the economic revitalization of Intramuros by creating new jobs, promoting heritage tourism, increasing the area’s property value and, in the long run, attracting new investments.  In short, they are hoping that this economic base will eventually support Intramuros’ preservation.  “Revitalized” historical districts usually cited include Clarke Quay in Singapore, Covent Garden in London and the Cartagena de Indias Fortifications in Colombia.     On the other side of the coin, conservationists and moralists are concerned that these new constructions will violate the IA charter by debasing the structural integrity of the historic walls.  The IA charter states that “all walls, fortifications and gates are special zones subject to specific rules and regulations regarding allowable and prohibited uses, specific building requirements and architectural standards”.   They also contend that these restaurants and cafes endanger Intramuros’ unique historical atmosphere as well as damage the morals of students studying in the nearby schools and universities.     As architects, Grace and I are doubly concerned with how these new commercial developments may compromise Intramuros’ structural, as well as, aesthetic integrity.  Just the same, we are also pragmatists who believe, especially in these days of economic uncertainty, that these are viable ways of making restoration and preservation pay for itself.     However, it is our hope that, with proper monitoring of building regulations and violations, a compromise might be struck between the two sides.  

Revisiting Fort Santiago (Manila)

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After our lunch at Toho Restaurant in Chinatown, Grace, Jandy, Cheska, Dad, Mom and I drove to Intramuros and parked the car at Fort Santiago, just across the Manila Cathedral.  Being a weekend, there was a steady stream of visitors, including foreigners, all strolling leisurely. With Jandy, I planned to revisit the fort, our last visit being  way back March 1, 1993 when Jandy was just 6 years old.   

Upon entry, we were ushered into the well-kept Plaza Moriones, a public promenade that was fenced off by the Spanish military in 1864.   It now has beautiful landscaping, a flagpole and a fountain. To the right is the Almacenes Reales (Royal Warehouses) where goods brought in by the galleons were stored.  We passed by the Administrative Office, a refreshment kiosk and the picnic area (at its back is the archaeological excavation of the Artilleria de Maestranza, the foundry which cast cannons and ammunition during Spanish times) before reaching the moat and, across it, the fort’s main gate. 
       
The original gate was built in 1714, destroyed during the American liberation and was restored in 1983.  Its stone carvings were done by Zacarias Salonga.  Above the gate is a wooden equestrian relief carving of St. James (Santiago Matamoro, after whom the fort was named) slaying the Moors done by Wilfredo Layug (a distant relative?). Guarding its flanks are Baluarte de San Miguel (Manila Bay side) on the left and the Medio Baluarte de San Francisco (Pasig River side) on the right.
      
Immediately upon entry is Plaza Armas, the fort’s main square and probable site of the palisaded fort of Rajah Sulayman.  On its left are the ruins of the Spanish Barracks and the Rizal Shrine and on its right is the renowned Dulaang Rajah Sulayman, an outdoor theater built on the site of the old barracks.  It has a 3-dimensional stage built amidst the fort’s adobe walls.  Next to the theater is the Postigo de la Nuestra Senora del Soledad (Postern of Our Lady of Solitude) used as a passage to the Pasig River.
    
Fronting Plaza Armas, on the right, is the Casa del Castellano, site of the fort commander’s residence and now occupied by a terraced garden.  Below it is a dungeon/cellar where food supplies were kept.  On the left, is the Baluarte de Sta. Barbara, strategically located to overlook both the Pasig River and Manila Bay.  Started as a wooden platform in 1593, storage vaults and the bombproof powder magazine where added in 1599.

       
Almost destroyed in the fighting of 1945, Sta. Barbara has since been landscaped and now contains a memorial park known as the Shrine of Freedom. Its Memorial Cross marks the common grave of 600 World War II victims found there.   On its Pasig River side are the Falsabragas de Sta. Barbara and Media Naranja, 2 false walls which protected the main bulwark when heavily bombarded from the river.
On our way out we noticed the brass shoeprints (many of them now missing) installed during the 1998 centennial to trace the path of National Hero Jose Rizal when he walked from his cell to Bagumbayan for his execution (7:03 A.M., December 30).  After exiting the fort’s gate, it was back to Plaza Moriones and some more time travel.  Past the Wall of Martyrs, the American Barracks Ruins and the picnic grounds is the Baluartillo de San Francisco Javier. Built by Gov.-Gen. Sabiniano Manrique de Lara, it protected the old postern gate when the first Governor’s Palace was located inside the fort until 1654. It kept military supplies.  Its Reducto de San Francisco Javier, added in 1773, now houses the Shrine of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe.
       
Restored in 1985, the Baluartillo’s 10 chambers now house the Intramuros Visitors Center (IVC).  It consists of an information center, a photo gallery exhibiting the Walled City’s past and present, an audio-visual chamber (where “The Sanctuary of the Filipino Spirit”, an 18-min. video-documentary on Intramuros, is shown), a restaurant/coffee shop and souvenir shops.

Sunken Cemetery (Catarman, Camiguin)

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From Cotta Bato, we made a short drive to the Sunken Cemetery, site of the community cemetery which sank during the 1871 eruption.  After paying a PhP2 entrance fee, we proceeded down the hill to secluded, brown-sand Sabang Beach.  About 200 m. offshore is the huge concrete white cross which was built from 1997 to 1999 to replace another installed further offshore in 1982.  

Cross at Sunken Cemetery

Sunken Cemetery (6)

Connecting the cross with the shore is a nylon rope from which is tethered a boat for crossing.  We paid PhP10 each for the two-way trip.   According to the boatman, years ago, gravestones were still visible during low tide.  Now they can no longer be seen.  Every year, on May 1, a fluvial procession is held there.  The islanders row out to offer flowers and floating candles to the dead.

View from Sunken Cemetery

From our vantage poin at its terracet, we had a panoramic view of Mts. Vulcan Daan and Tres Marias. Scattered along Mt. Vulcan Daan’s northwestern slope is a winding trail with life-size, white-washed cement figures of the 14 Stations of the Cross depicting the passion death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Sunken Cemetery (12)

The last station is a sepulcher carved out of volcanic rock.  During Holy Week, a Panaad is held for religious retreat and penitence.  It features a 2-day, 64-km. trek around the island, from Brgy. Benoni to the Stations of the Cross.  The sun was just setting when we returned to shore and a well-deserved rest back at the resort.  

Sunken Cemetery (9)

Sunken Cemetery (4)

Sunken Cemetery: Brgy. Bonbon, Catarman, Camiguin