Roselle May Advincula

 10 Historical Places in the Philippines The Philippines may be known for its natural attractions like beaches and mountains, but its history paints a different color of beauty. Colonized by numerous countries, the Philippines is a mix of different cultures that are evident in its traditions and architectures. The whole archipelago boasts of landmarks graced by significant historical events and discoveries. Today, let’s take a trip to some of the country’s historical places. Vigan Established in the 16th century, the city of Vigan is a melting pot of Asian and European architectures. The streets made of cobbled stones, lined with ancestral houses that are still preserved up to this day are like gateways to the country’s colorful past. It is a picture of a planned colonial Spanish town that has no comparison anywhere in Asia. In 1999, it was recognized as a UNESCO Heritage sites. The most famed area in the city is Calle Crisologo. Surrounded by a history of its own, the 500-meter long Calle Crisologo once served as a commercial center for Northern Luzon. Upon Juan de Salcedo’s discovery of Vigan in 1572, the now tourist-famous street was called Calle Escolta de Vigan. It was also dubbed as “Kasanglayan”, meaning “place of the Chinese” because it was a trading area for migrant businessmen, especially the Chinese. In the late 1890’s, during the American colonial period, its name was changed into Washington Street. Sometime after the death of Vigan governor Marcelino Crisologo, Ilocos Sur’s first governor and a literary writer, the name of the street was changed, again, to Mena Crisologo until it evolved to its name at present—Calle Crisologo. Rizal Memorial Park Present times have stamped Rizal Park as either a place for family bonding and romantic dates every Sunday or a perilous, dark place you wouldn’t want to be in at night. But people have to remember that in this park stands the very monument that marks the spot where our national hero, Jose Rizal, was executed more than one hundred years ago. Intramuros The Spaniards have long left the Philippines, but Intramuros is a drop of that bygone, colonial period that lasted for four hundred years. Known as the oldest district in Manila, Intramuros is a “walled city” built in 1521 by the Spanish colonizers. It was to serve as a military and political base of Spain in Asia, hence the strategic location between Manila bay and Pasig River. Intramuros housed a number of administrative institutions and functional establishments, one of which is the oldest church in the Philippines: San Agustin Church. Fort Santiago, another famous historical landmark in the country, is also inside the walled district. Palawan Tabon Cave On May 28, 1962, while leading an archeological exploration in Tabon Cave, Palawan, an American and anthropologist of the Philippine National Museum, Robert B. Fox, discovered a skull cap that would later be recognized as one of the oldest known remains in the country. Carbon dating results say that the skull is approximately 16,500 years old. Along with the skull cap, a tibia, which is a bone in the lower leg area, that dates back to 47,000 years was also found. Tabon Cave, therefore, was dubbed as “The Cradle of Philippine Civilization”. Corregidor Island The ruins of Corregidor is a living testament of the devastation the Philippines had to endure during the World War II. Standing at the entrance of Manila Bay, the island was used as a coastal artillery and a geographically strategic defense against the Japanese during the war. The island features what is now known as “the mile-long barracks”, a 1,520 feet long structure that was once a home to about 8,000 soldiers, American and Filipino. The barracks, during its prime also offered amenities like shops and a pool for its soldiers. It even had a cinema where soldiers can watch films ahead of its release in Manila. The last film that was showed in the now ruined architecture was a re-run of Gone With the Wind. People nowadays go to the island for leisure and for social media-worthy photos, but its barracks are reminders of the courage and bravery our fellow Filipinos bore during the World War II. Because of its grim history, there are a lot horror stories and gossips about the island. Some people believe that it’s one of the most haunted places in the Philippines. In Corregidor’s case, what looks like an ancient war ruin in the morning, looks eerily creepy at night. The Ifugao Rice Terraces Local and foreign tourists alike are astounded by the breathtaking views and rich historical backdrop of the Ifugao Rice Terraces. Built 2,000 years ago by the Ifugao tribe, the cultural and agricultural site is a national treasure in the Philippines. Approximately 12,500 miles in length—almost half of the Earth’s circumference—these man-made, breathtaking terraces of rice paddies, that look like stairs in bird’s eye view is the first cultural site in the country to be recognized by UNESCO. It is important to note, however, that there are about 48 clusters within the Ifugao Rice Terraces, with Banawe Rice Terraces being the most popular, and only five are recognized as a UNESCO Heritage site—Nagacadan Terraces, hungduan terraces, Central Mayoyao Terraces, Bangaan Terraces and Batad Terraces. McArthur Landing Memorial National Park “I shall return!” On October 20, 1944, this famous promise by General Douglas McArthur was fulfilled in the exact spot of the now McArthur Landing Memorial National Park in Leyte. The general’s historic return is now honored and represented by seven huge bronze statues, one of which is McArthur’s. The statues stand on a shallow man-made pool, depicting McArthur’s arrival in Leyte Gulf. It’s a must in the bucket list of any history junkies! Basilica de Santo Nino Basilica del Santo Nino is another historical footprint left by our Spanish ancestors. It was founded by Father Andres de Urdaneta on April 28, 1565. Fr. Urdaneta was commissioned by King Philip II of Spain in November 1564 to do an expedition in the Philippines. He was joined by Spanish explorer, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and four other Augustinian priests. Upon their arrival in Cebu on April 22, 1565, they were greeted by the skeptical natives led by Rajah Tupas, but no war ensued. However, on April 28, just a few days after their landing, Legazpi ordered an attack, burning the natives’ shelters and forcing them to flee to the mountains. On that same day, in one of the nipa huts that they burned, they found the image of a Sto. Nino, the one that Magellan brought when he came to the Philippines. The area where the Basilica and the Augustinian Convent of Cebu stand now is where they found the said relic. The Ruins The demise of what was originally called as The Nutsberry Garden was probably as tragic as the love story behind it. Don Mariano Lacson, a sugar baron in Talisay, Bacolod lost his wife and their child in her womb in 1911 due to a slipping accident. Filled with grief and remorse, the baron decided to build a mansion in memory of his wife in a 440-hectare sugar plantation. The mansion was designed by an Italian architect and was finished in 1920. In 1942, during the World War II, the mansion was burned down by American forces and Filipino guerillas to prevent the Japanese from utilizing it. Even in its present ruined and skeletal state, The Ruins has become one of the most visited places in Bacolod since it was opened to tourists in 2008. Sheik Karimol Makdum Mosque Built in 1380, Sheik Karimol Makdum Mosque stands as the oldest mosque in the Philippines. Located in Simunol,Tawi-Tawi and named after the Arab missionary Sheik Makdum Karim, this historical house of prayer was declared as a National Historical landmark by the National Historical Comission of the Philippines and a National Treasure by the National Museum. It is believed earlier that the mosque retained it’s four original pillars, dating back to 14th century. However, recent studies suggest that the pillars are reconstructions that were made in the 17th century. Regardless, this mosque still holds a historical significance, especially the country’s Islamic population.