The Langot Files

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Rizal Park - Most Popular Filipino Tourist Attraction

Manila is one of the most famous tourist destinations for visitors from across the globe. The city has a rich historic legacy which has been well conserved by the people and the government alike. The main attractions in the Manila City can be listed as follows:

Rizal Park: is spread on a 58-hectare (143-acre) area and is one of the largest parks in South-East Asia. Its local significance can be gauged by the fact that it is named after Dr Jose Rizal, the great Philippine anti-colonial fighter and thinker.

Intramuros: This is the oldest part of Manila. The original city was founded in 1571 by the Spanish. Intramuros, located on the southern bank of the Pasig River was the location of most major conflicts and invasions to befall the pre-independence Philippines, culminating in the devastating Battle for Manila between the Japanese and Americans in 1945, in which over 100,000 locals died.

Honor Guard, Rizal Monument, Manila

Located at the western end of Rizal Park is the Rizal Monument which contains the mortal remains of Dr José Rizal, the Philippine national hero, who was executed near here by the Spanish colonial authorities on December 30, 1896.

The Rizal Monument is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, by honor guard sentries standing stiffly at attention. A 31-meter flagpole soars high above the monument. On one side of the Rizal Monument is a marble plaque marking the exact spot where the hero met his death by firing squad.

Nearby are a plaque with the words of Rizal's final poem, Mi ultimo adios (My Last Farewell); and a stone fountain from Ulm, Germany, where Rizal studied as a student.

San Agustin Church, Manila

San Agustin Church, in Intramuros, Manila, was originally built on its present site by the Augustinian monks in 1571, and it is the mother church of the Augustian order in the Philippines.

After being twice destroyed by fire, the present...