Fort Santiago Voyage: A Trip to the Past

 

It’s my wanderlust in Manila that keeps me in awe every time I get to roam the streets of it. I can’t help but marvel and be amazed by the scenery, no matter how heavy the traffic is or how crowded it gets. I think it mirrors our Filipino-ness, our culture and all that. It makes me reflect on our great history way back in the 1800s, because every building, every corner, is a reminder of what used to be the old Manila. The foundation, the place where everything had started.

I’m so in love with Manila (flaws and all) that I promised myself that I’ll go to every place my feet will drag me. So one day I packed my stuff in my bag and headed to one of the historic places of this city, Fort Santiago.

As I entered the gates, excitement overcame me. I paid the P50 entrance fee and started my afternoon walk at the park.

I went straight inside Intramuros, the great wall that served as a defense fortress built by Spaniard Miguel Lopez de Legaspi. You will be greeted by a monument of national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, which stands erect right in the middle of the grassy grounds of Plaza de Armas.

 

To the plaza’s left is the Dambana ni Rizal, or the Rizal Shrine, a mini-museum containing artifacts and relics significant to Rizal’s life, from the place where he was sentenced, the room where he stayed, and even the stamps and money he was put into.

 

The thing that interested me most was Rizal’s Mi Ultimo Adios, which he had written at the exact same location. Also there are exhibits which feature the notable moments leading to his execution. 

 

The room where Rizal was executed

 

 

Some of Rizal’s wood carvings

 

Philippine money with Rizal

 

The other side of this park is the golden steps of Rizal embedded in honor of the hero’s last minutes. This freedom trail where he passed on his way to Bagumbayan from his cell in Fort Santiago memorializes his brave path to martyrdom and symbolizes the birth of the Filipino nation. The steps shone under the sunlight, just like Rizal’s love for this country and fellowmen.

 

These Spanish military barracks has been turned into a seldom-used open-air theater. Rizal spent his last night in a cellblock at one end of these barracks.

 

The cool air around the vicinity made this trip a relaxed yet fun-filled one, filling myself with this site’s rich history plus admiring such beauty from nature’s past, grown into what we see it as today.

If your feet are tired with all the strolling, there is a picnic area where you can enjoy the company of those shady trees and relax for the rest of your visit. Also, if you want to experience the old-style way of transportation, there are kalesas available for tourists to ride on.

So there! I hope that this tour will encourage you to take the jeepney and head on to this wonderful park. I’m sure that a history-buff or not, anyone’s nationalism will be perked up deep inside. And while summer’s still rolling, take advantage and see the astounding splendor of Fort Santiago

Read more at http://www.wheninmanila.com/fort-santiago-voyage-trip-to-past/#o4eZSt1yA7pEthdh.99

 

 

Rizal Park
Locally known by its previous name Luneta Park or just Luneta.



Rizal Park is like an oasis for relaxation and fun in the midst of Manila and situated next to Intramuros. Rizal Park has gardens, historical markers, plazas, a grand stadium, an observatory, an open-air concert hall, an artists' sanctuary, a light-and-sound theatre, restaurants, food kiosks and playgrounds, and dozens of fountains.
Rizal Park is in the heart of Manila's thriving financial, commercial, industrial and institutional centers, overlooking the famous and picturesque Manila Bay.

The park was a tribute to the Philippine's national hero, Jose Rizal, a doctor and novelist who was shot by firing squad at this site on December 30, 1896 on charges of fomenting local rebellion against the Spanish government.
However the Philippines declared its freedom from Spain on June 12, 1898 but the American forces quickly replaced the Spanish colonizers. The US granted the Philippines its freedom on July 4, 1946 , after the defeat of Japanese forces in the country.
 Jose Rizal, the Philippine national hero.

At the center of it all is the 1913 bronze Rizal's monument situated a few meters away from the marker indicating the actual execution site.

An honor guard is on duty 24 hours a day. Behind the monument, the original Spanish version of the poem "Mi Ultimo Adios" is engraved, along with translations in other languages. Rizal wrote this poem while imprisoned in his cell in Fort Santiago from November 3, 1896 to December 29, 1896.

Many national dedication days are held in front of the Rizal monument.
It is also where foreign leaders attend wreath-laying ceremonies during state visits.

The park is divided into three sections beginning with the 16-hectare Agrifina Circle adjoining Taft Avenue, where the Department of Tourism and the National Museum of the Filipino People (formerly the Department of Finance) are located; followed by the 22-hectare park proper that extends down to Roxas Boulevard; and terminating at a 10-hectare open field across Roxas Boulevard fronting Quirino Grandstand along the Manila Bay.

The 31-meter Philippine flagpole is called kilometer zero, because it is where the distance of the country's towns and cities is measured from. Just beside the flagpole is Rizal monument, where foreign leaders attend wreath-laying ceremonies during state visits.

It is also where Manuel Roxas, first President of the Republic, was sworn in on July 4, 1946.From the Rizal monument, one can see the Quirino Grandstand, the Manila Bay , Manila Hotel, Army Navy Club, the Gallery of National Heroes, and San Lorenzo Ruiz Plaza , in honor of Lorenzo Ruiz who is considered by the Catholic Church as the first Filipino saint.

On the northern side of the park is the Lights and Sounds of Rizal - an audio-visual and three-dimensional diorama of Rizal's execution, consisting of life-size sculptures by Eduardo Castrillo.
The Martyrdom of Dr. Jose Rizal, a Light and Sound Sculptural Tableau is a "living" memorial honoring the Philippine's national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.
The tableau is an open-air theater presentation, featuring a 30-minute dramatization of the most poignant moments of Rizal's final hours, through 8 monumental sculptural clusters in an interplay of light and sound.

SCHEDULE OF PRESENTATIONS:
Wednesday-Sunday Evenings
7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (Tagalog version)
8:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. (English Version)

Entrance Fees:
P50.00 - General Public
50% discount applies to students with valid IDs, escorts (parents/guardian)
All faculty members with the group are free of charge

SCHEDULE FOR GUIDED DAY TOUR
Wednesday-Sunday (9:00 a.m - 5:00 p.m.)
Fees:
P10.00 - General Public
50% discount applies to students with valid IDs, escorts (parents/guardian)

BALLET AT THE PARK
A project of the National Parks Development Committee and Ballet Manila
Special Saturday presentations
Venue: Rizal Park Open-Air Auditorium, Manila
Time: 5:00 p.m./6:00 p.m.
Featured group: Ballet Manila
Ms. Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, artistic director

November 13        “BALLET FILIPINO”
Sari’t Bahag, with choreography by Jojo Lucila and Original Pilipino Music  Suite as choreographed by Tony Fabella 

December 4         “EXCERPTS FROM “THE NUTCRACKER”

Also near are the Light and Sound Complex, which consists of Rizal's mural; the Gomburza marker, in honor of three Filipino priests who were executed by Spanish authorities for rebellion; and the Rizal fountain.

Just a short walk from Rizal fountain are the Artists' Haven, an environmental art gallery; National Historical Institute, the repository of the country's historical artifacts; and the National Library, which includes in its shelves rare books and documents.

From here, one can proceed to the Central Lagoon, Chinese Garden , Open-Air Auditorium, Planetarium, Rizal Park Library, MassCom Library, ChessPlaza , the Flower Clock, Japanese Garden and a 27-foot cascade.

The next stop is the Orchidarium and Butterfly Pavilion, a one-hectare theme park  that showcases a rich collection of orchids, bromeliads, mums, poinsettias, roses and other colorful flowers. Originally focused on orchids, the Orchidarium now hosts a variety of blooms, scents and greens. It is said that most of the beautiful orchid hybrids around the world owe their beauty to the genes of Philippine orchids, notably the rare waling-waling from the Philippine rain forest.
Aside from its flora collection, the Orchidarium mesmerizes the visitors with its well-designed mystic lagoon, crystalline waterfalls, a climbing wall, a replica of a man-made rainforest, and a butterfly paradise.

The twin buildings of the Department of Tourism and the Department of Finance (now the National Museum of the Filipino People), which were built inclassic Greek architecture, are favorite sites for photo opportunity. It is also recommended that the visitor obtain a brochure from the tourism desk, in order to have a guided tour of the sprawling park.

From here, the visitor can proceed to the National Museum and pass by the Skating Rink, Plaza Olivia Salamanca in honor of the first woman physician in the country, Children's Playground, Relief Map and Halamanang Pilipino, which contains a selection of local flora.

A tour of the park on horse-drawn carriages is available to tourists. For those who want to enjoy the sunset from the sea, tickets for the cruise are available at the Golden Horizon Restaurant & Cruise Services near the Army-Navy Club.

 

Read more at: http://www.manila.ph/manila/info/rizal-park.html