Historical Site Visitation
I. Background of the Historical Site
Rizal Park is situated in the heart of the city of Manila, Philippines. It is at the northern end of Roxas Boulevard, overlooking Manila Bay.
Rizal Park's history began in the early 1800s during the Spanish rule. While Manila's social and business activities were confined within Intramuros, a small area just south of the walls was cleared to prevent sneak attacks from the patriotic natives. The area was shaped like a small moon (lunette) and thus was named Luneta. The Park was also called Bagumbayan (English: New Town) in Spanish colonial era, and later known as Luneta.
Luneta has been the site of some of the most significant moments in Philippine history . Among them are the execution of Dr. José Rizal on December 30, 1896, whose martyred death made him a hero of the Philippine Revolution. (It was officially renamed Rizal Park in tribute to him.); the Declaration of Philippine Independence from American rule on June 4, 1946; and the political rallies of Ferdinand Marcos and Corazon Aquino in 1986.
The monument also serves as the point of origin or Kilometre Zero to all other cities in the Philippines.
The historical FORT SANTIAGO was built by the Spaniards in 1571 on the site of the settlement of Filipino Tribe Ruler Raja Soliman. It was one the oldest fort in the Philippines situated in the present Maynilad or Manila City. The original Fort was fenced with a structure of logs and earth during it’s early construction but Chinese pirate Limahong attacked and destroyed the Fort sometime in 1574. Between 1589 and 1592 the Fort was re-constructed and reinforced with the use of carved stones and mud cement. In 1645 a great earthquake destroyed most of the edifice but the Spaniards again repaired and restored the Fort in 1658 to 1663. During the British occupation of the country in 1762 to 1764, FORT SANTIAGO was used as their Headquarters. When the Americans conquered the City in 1778 they renovated Fort Santiago where it was converted as the U.S. Army Philippine Division COMMAND CENTER. When Japan occupied the Philippines in 1942 during World War 2, the Japanese Military used the Fort as their base where they imprisoned, tortured and executed hundreds of Filipino civilians and guerillas. The U.S. Liberation Forces came to Manila in 1945 and battled the Japanese, damaging the Fort severely. Later, it was used as a depot of the U.S. Transportation Corps. In 1946 the U.S. Military turned over Fort Santiago to the Philippine Government. Then the Philippine government formally declared the entire structure as a Shrine of Freedom in 1950. The commissioned National Park Development Committee restored the Fort in 1951. Finally, in 1992 the National Park Development Committee effected turn over of the Fort to the newly established Intramuros Administration.
Intramuros
Sometimes referred to as “The Walled City”, Intramuros is the oldest district and core of Manila. It was the seat of the government during the Spanish colonial period. Its name in Latin literally means “Within the walls.” The city is located along Manila Bay and south of the Pasig River.
Before the Spanish colonization, Intramuros was called Manila itself. It was a large Malayan-Islamic resettlement named Maynilad (ruled by 3 chieftings – Raja Matanda, Lakan Dula, and lastly, Raja Sulayman). Its strategic location made it ideal for Tagalog traders to trade with other Asian civilization such as Chinese and Islamic merchants.
II. Reaction Paper
I am amazed when I visited the historical places here in City of Manila like Fort Santiago , Intramuros and Luneta Park or Rizal Park. People who often forgotten our history may come and reminisce the way we are we see the historical site. I only know Rizal , as our national hero.
Rizal made a lot of contributions to us like discovering a new species of frog (Rhacophorus Rizalli) a beetle ( Apogonia Rizalli) and a flying lizard (Draco Rizalli).
Behaving a good attitude toward visiting the site and good impressions on how I saw the pictures that remains and being preserved by. As a student I learned all the things that Rizal had contributed to our country on how he fought against Spanish friars and showing what’s really happening in our daily lives. Rizal motivated me to study hard and to finish my goals and someday the quotation that Rizal said , “ The youth is the hope of our future” will be my inspiration to study and work hard as Rizal did .
III. Photostory
