The Philippines is rich in history, dating back hundreds of years ago even before the famous explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, landed on the shores of Leyte’s Limasawa Island.
Corregidor is a small rocky island in the Philippines, about 48 kilometers west of Manila, which is advantageously positioned at the entrance of Manila Bay. This island fortress stands as a monument to the courage, valor, and heroism of Filipino and American defenders who valiantly held their ground against the great number of invading Japanese forces during World War II. Also known as “the Rock,” it was a key bastion of the Allies during the Second World War. When the Japanese invaded the Philippines in December 1941, the military force under the command of Gen. Douglas MacArthur carried out a delaying action at Bataan. Corregidor became the headquarters of the Allied forces and the seat of the Philippine Commonwealth government.
The Luneta Park
The Luneta Park, also known as the Rizal Park, is one of the country’s leading attractions, being its most famous park. Its former name is Bagumbayan (new town), wherein the Philippine’s national hero Jose Rizal was executed in 1896. Luneta is a place of full of history. It was here that the Gomburza execution of 1872 took place; here, too was where the official proclamation of the country being a fully independent republic in 1946 made. The Luneta Park includes in its environs the Quirino Grandstand, the Chinese and Japanese Gardens, the main office of the Department of Tourism, the National Museum, the National Library, the Orchidarium, the Planetarium, the Butterfly Pavilion, an open-air auditorium, and a chess plaza.
The Malacañang Palace
The Malacañang Palace is the official residence of the President of the Republic of the Philippines. The palace is located along the north bank of the Pasig River in Manila. The official etymology from the 1930′s says that the name comes from a Tagalog phrase May lakan diyan, which means “there is a rich man there”. It was once the home of a wealthy Spanish merchant before it hosted the nation’s chief executive, although the Spanish themselves said the name came from “Mamalakaya,” or the fishermen who once laid out their catch on the bend of the river where the Palace now stands.
Intramuros is located along the southern bank of the Pasig River. It was built by the Spaniards in the 16th century and is the oldest district of the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Its name, in Spanish, literally means “within the walls”, meaning within the wall enclosure of the city/fortress. During the Spanish colonial period, Intramuros was considered Manila itself. The site of Intramuros was originally a large Malayan-Islamic settlement named “Maynilad”, ruled by three chieftains, namely, Rajah Sulayman, Lakan Dula, and Rajah Matanda.
The EDSA Shrine is located at the crossroads of Epifanio de los Santos (EDSA) Avenue and Ortigas Avenue in Quezon City. It is formally known as the Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA). It is dedicated to Our Lady who miraculously interceded to oust the Marcos dictatorship in a peaceful and bloodless uprising that is now world-renowned as the People Power Revolution of 1986.
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