Heritage Tours – What Is It?

Heritage Tours, as opposed to a study tour, sightseeing or battlefield tours that this island vacations enthusiast have had already undergone,  are travels to experience the  historical places like the Rizal Shrine declared as a national shrine and  national historical landmark in the Philippines, cultural and natural landmarks and other heritage sites as well as the activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present.

Heritage Tours – Why I Visited The  Rizal Shrine in Dapitan?

My life has been greatly influenced by the life, works and writings of Dr. Jose P. Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. I started reading with  great enthusiasm the comics version of his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo in my elementary days and read the full version of such novels and other Rizal writings in high school. Modesty aside, I got an excellent mark in the college-day Rizal subject for fully digesting that the 64-chapters Noli is a romantic novel, a work of the heart, a book of feeling as it has freshness, color, humor, lightness, and wit while the 38-chapters Fili is a political novel, a work of the head and a book of the thought which contains bitterness, hatred, pain, violence, and sorrow. Nowadays, I hold the record  of holding a number of volumes of Rizaliana books in our island town of Socorro in Bucas Grande Island, Surigao del Norte, Philippines.

When I was still a child, I dreamed of joining in heritage tours and visit the places prominently mentioned in the diaries of Rizal. It was only in 1998 that I was able to accomplish the first leg of my heritage tours by visiting the Rizal Shrine in Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila where he was incarcerated by the Spaniards before being shot to death on December 30, 1896 at the Bagumbayan Field, now the Luneta Park in Manila. In the year 1999, I made the second leg of my heritage tours by travelling to the Rizal Shrine in Calamba, Laguna where the Philippine national hero was born. The next heritage tours destination was supposed to be the Rizal Shrine in Dapitan City where he was banished for a period of four years due to his subversive views against the abusive Spanish government officials and hypocritical friars and for being critical to the more than 300 years of Spanish rule of the Philippines.

Due to my hectic schedules, my heritage tours to the Rizal Shrine in Dapitan was relegated to the background. It  was only when I learned from Ivan Henares that Rizal and Travel was chosen as theme for the June 2011 Blog Carnival to honor Dr. Jose Rizal on his 150th Birth Anniversary come June 19 that my interest to pursue with my unfinished heritage tours was resurrected. Ecstatic to submit my maiden entry to the blog carnival as I became a member of the Pinoy Travel Bloggers only recently, I decided to visit Dapitan.

From Surigao City, Philippines, I chose to travel by land all the way to Mukas Port in Kolambogan, Lanao del Norte, took the barge for Ozamiz City, travelled again by land to Barangay Lorenzo Tan, Tangub City, Misamis Occidental and chose to stay overnight at the head office of Lorenzo Tan Multi-Pupose Cooperative (LTMPC), one of the largest cooperatives operating  in Mindano Island, Philippines under the abbotship of my good friend Ben Canama. From Tangub City, I travelled by private car for more than three hours making short stops at various tourist destinations of the province until I reached Dapitan, a small but progressive city in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, northwestern part of Mindanao Island, Philippines.

The sprawling, recently-inaugurated, Dapitan City Hall strategically located at the city's entry point.

While traversing the national highway adjacent to the shorelines of Dapitan City, I signalled the driver to stop as my eyes were glued at this attraction . . .

Punto del Desembarco de Rizal (Rizal’s Landing Point). This is the site where Rizal landed in Dapitan on board a row boat from the steamer Cebu at around 7:00 o’clock in the evening of July 17, 1892. Rizal was holding his hat and to his right was the Captain of the steamship Cebu while the other three are artillery men.

While standing still in front of the bronze statues, a pretty lady named Jenylen Hontiveros approached me and introduced herself as the tour guide assigned by the city government to entertain heritage tours  visitors making a stop in such  a national historical landmark. Jen had provided me substantial bits of information which reinforced my knowledge about Rizal’s travel in Dapitan.

After exchanging pleasantries with the tour giuide, I travelled on foot tracing the route of Rizal and company until I reached this place . . .

The Casa Real Marker situated at Fr. Sanchez St., Dapitan Plaza. The building was inadvertently demolished to give way for the construction of the old Dapitan Hospital. The old Municipal Hall situated on the opposite side of Dapitan Plaza which looked exactly the same as Casa Real except that the latter had front and side balconies.

The Casa Real was the official residence and administration building of Don Ricardo Carnicero, the Politico-Military Governor of the District whereJose Rizal lived as an exile from July 17, 1892 to March, 1893.

I felt excited upon seeing the entry point leading to the Map of Mindanao built by Rizal with its corresponding marker. . .

The entry point in the Dapitan Plaza leading to the Relief Map of Mindanao Island built by Rizal The Marker of the Relief Map of Mindanao at the Dapitan Plaza

Truly, I felt nostalgic when I saw the marker inside the St. James Parish Church where Rizal used to stand while attending church mass to evade from the watchful eyes of the priest who always delivered invective sermons against him for his thoughts on religious freedom. Moreover, I found interest in taking a close-up photo of the  Rizal monument at the heart of the Dapitan Plaza as it resembles that of the monument of the national hero in my island town of Socorro . . .

The interior of the St. James Church with the black marker on lower left side showing the spot where Rizal used to stand while hearing mass. A close-up photo of Dr. Jose P. Rizal monument located at the heart of the Dapitan Plaza.

I then told the driver to proceed to our next heritage tours destination- the Rizal Shrine in Barangay Talisay. After an approximately two kilometres ride, we reached the 16 hectares estate of Dr. Jose P. Rizal which he purchased out  of a portion of his winnings of the Manila Lottery. The gate signage and the Rizal Museum were the first sights captured by my keen eyes in the shrine. . .

The comely signage welcoming visitors to the Rizal Shrine The Rizaliana Museum housing rich collections of Rizal memorabilla

Being an avid collector of Rizaliana items, savoring the  exhibits inside the Rizaliana Museum is for me, more than hitting a gold mine. Candidly, there was an unexplainable feeling deep inside me while looking at Rizal’s original clothing carefully preserved in glass caskets, the blackboard and desk he used in his boys’ school, reproduction of his sculptures  (Triumph of Science Over Death, A Dapitan Girl and Prometeus Bound), paintings, and select manuscripts (Himno A Talisay, Mi Retiro – A Mi Madre and A Josefina).

Afterwards, I proceeded to the next heritage tours destination- the Casa Residencia,  replica of the house of Rizal…

The Casa Residencia. Reconstructed in 1960, this rectangular house sheltered Jose Rizal from March 1893 until he left Dapitan on July 31, 1896. It has a bedroom and features a veranda on three of its four walls and a comfort room accessible through a bridge at the rear. On various occasions, the house also sheltered Rizal's mother Teodora, his sisters Trinidad, Maria and Narcisa, some nephews, his niece Angelica and his loved one Josephine Bracken (NHI Marker).

Pushed by curiosity, I strolled around the shrine and took pictures of the Water System and the Casa Cuadrada. . .

Talisay Water System (Rizal's Dam and Aqueduct). Constructed by Rizal in 1895 with the help of the pupils, the water system provided adequate water supply for Rizal's farm and household needs (NHI Marker). Casa Cuadrada (Replica of the Pupils' Dormitory and Workshop). Rizal effected the construction of the house to accomodate the growing number of pupils in his Talisay School. The area underneath the hut served as workshop of his pupils (NHI Marker).

And also the Rizal Kitchen and Casa Redonda . . .

Replica of Rizal's Kitchen. Reconstructed at te same time and with similar materials as the main house, the kitchen has a dimension of approximately 14 feet by 10 feet and is open on all sides from waist up to facilitate airflow and prevent smoke from being trapped inside (NHI Marker). Casa Redonda (Replica of the Octagonal Clinic of Rizal). The octagonal hut served as Rizal's clinic and as dormitory of some of his pupils. Reconstructed with similar materials as the main house, it now stands as a reminder of the numerous medications performed by Dr. Jose P. Rizal during his exile in Dapitan (NHI Marker).

As I strolled further in other parts of the Rizal Shrine, I was attracted by a a rock which occupied a prominent space in the shrine only to know that it was the Mi Retiro Rock prominently mentioned in Rizal’s memoirs . . .

Mi Retiro Rock (Retreat Rock of Rizal). The rock got its name from the poem of Dr. Jose P. Rizal titled Mi retiro as it was while sitting on it that he wrote the first few stanzas of the poem (NHI Marker). It is also known as Lovers' Rock since Dr. Jose P. Rizal and Josephine Bracken has spent many romantic moments on it while savoring the scenic beauty of the Daptan Bay.

Heritage Tours – Final Thoughts

My heritage tours to the historic Dapitan to savor and experience  Rizal Shrine, which is a national shrine and national historical landmark,  and observe the diligent lifestyle led by the Philippine National Hero through the rebuilt structures of his nipa hut residence, dam and waterworks, hospital and dormitory was worth the money, time and efforts. Keeping an eye on, and having first hand information  of,  the fruits of Rizal’s four productive years  in the field of medicine, agriculture, entrepreneurship, education, science, engineering, architecture, poetry and arts in that frontier town done to ease his solitude and improve the Dapitanon’s lives while in exile are priceless pursuits that a history buff and heritage tours aficionado like you  should not miss doing yourself in the near future.

_______________________________________________________________________

This Heritage Tours blog post is my maiden entry to the Blog Carnival of the Pinoy Travel Bloggers in honor of Dr. Jose P. Rizal’s 150th Birthday with the theme Rizal and Travel hosted by Ivan Henares  of Ivan About Town.

Battlefield Tours – The Mile Long Barracks And Vicinities

Our battlefield tours were about to end as our tour bus, the tranvia, was heading to another military baracks ruins en route to the remaining portions of our Corregidor Tour destinations. While on board the vehicle, our expert tour guide gaily informed us that Corregidor Island is inhabited by a few hundred people most of whom are employees of the Sun Cruises, Inc. (SCI) which is a tour agency and major leisure provider granted lease by the Corregidor Foundation, Inc. (CFI) to assist in making the place as the leading island vacations and historical destination in the country.
A few minutes later, we witnessed the ruins of the world’s longest military barracks, the Topside Barracks which is popularly known as Mile Long Baracks due to its entire length of 1,250 feet or 463.41 meters.

The first span of the three-storey hurricane-proof reinforced concrete structure which once stood elegantly of its tile roof, pedimented façade porches, verandas and capiz shell sliding windows.

As I was walking through these ruins, I cannot help but imagine the happy faces of the American soldiers enjoying the amenities of the barracks: the gymnasium, billiard rooms, bowling alley, swimming pool and barbershop, to name a few.

Another span of the Mile Long Barracks which housed, aside from the artillery barracks, the Post Exchange, offices, kitchen, mess hall and bath rooms.

The United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) headquarters moved to the Topside Barracks on December 24, 1941 only five days before it was rained by bombs and destroyed by the Japanese invaders.

Battlefield Tours – The Rock Force

I couldn’t help but waxed nostalgic when we stopped at this tiny go-point area where 3,000 paratroopers belonging to the 503rd Parachute Regimental Combat Team (PRCT) aptly called “The Rock Force” floated down from C-47 troop carriers on the surprised Japanese defenders at sunrise of February 16, 1945.

The Philippine and American Flags vibrantly flew at the paratroopers’ landing site with the “Rock Force” memorial proudly standing in between their poles.

Standing in front of “The Rock Force” memorial, I really felt sorry on the casualties of the 10-day campaign to recapture the island: 507 of the combined US paratroopers and amphibious forces demised; 734 were wounded and another 210 were injured as they missed their drop zones and landed on rocky ground or tumbled into the sea. But counting on the figures of the Japanese casualties had really sent shivers down my spine: out of the 6,700 Japanese on the island when the 503rd PRCT and 34th Infantry landed, only 50 survived and another 19 were taken prisoner.

Battlefield Tours – The Pacific War Memorial And Vicinities

The Pacific War Memorial was our next Corregidor Tour stop. As I stood in front of this statue, I couldn’t help but admire the gallantry of our American and Filipino soldiers . . .

A statue of the Filipino and American soldiers holding on to each other in times of adversities . .

Our Corregidor Tour next stop was the Pacific War Memorial Museum . . .

The museum outdoors . . .

We went inside and see for ourselves the precious war relics and memorabilla . . .

The museum's indoors . . .

We proceeded to this dome hosting a marble tablet in honor of the fallen soldiers . . .

The Pacific War Memorial Dome . . .

I was really awe-inspired upon witnessing the Eternal Flame of Freedom . . . after which, we proceeded to the Spanish-Built Light House . . .

The towering Eternal Flame of Freedom

The sprawling Spanish-built Lighthouse

Finally, we stood in front of the Corregidor Flagpole, which dates back to the Spanish-American war, circa 1898. It was the mast of a vanquished Spanish Warship.

The Corregidor Flagpole

It is the same flagstaff from which Gen. MacArthur raised the U.S. flag after Corregidor’s liberation on March 7, 1945. As I gazed upon the flagstaff, upon which the Philippine colors is proudly hoisted since the United States turned over Corregidor Island to the Philippine Government on October 12,1947, the words of General Douglas MacArthur reverberated in my mind: “I see the old flag pole still stands. Have your troops hoist the colors to its peak and let no enemy ever haul them down.”

We then proceeded to the wharf and boarded back to the Sun Cruises II for our trip back to Manila.

As I reclined and relaxed on my seat at the ferry, the words of Archivald Mcleish carved in granite at the Harvard University corridors and brought home to us Filipinos by the martyr and hero Ninoy Aquino, came to my mind…”How can freedom be defended? By arms when it is attacked by arms, by truth when it is attacked by lies, by democratic faith when it is attacked by authoritarian dogma. Always and in the final act, by faith and determination.” I then murmured to myself . . .judging from the lessons I had learned from the recently concluded battlefield tours, freedom is not entirely free !

My  eyes glittered upon hearing our guide  telling us on board  the Tranvia 1 that our next stop was the Japanese Memorial Garden of Peace. My mind then flew to the Japanese-made caves we had passed a while ago. I was hoping that I would be enlightened  on the details of the fast-moving boats hiding on those caves while while on a lull of their suicide missions.  Upon arrival, I proceeded directly to the small pavilion to satisfy my desire for information on the Japanese side of the same war story. My eyes were glued at the pictures hung on the wall… and with the use of my Nikon D7000 DSLR Camera, I took close up shots on the first picture I want to see in the Japanese Memorial . . . the  suicide boat “Shinyou-Tai”- with the front compartment colored green marked as “BOMB COMPARTMENT.”

I then figured out how  these one-man driven, 30-knot speed “ocean shaker” motorboats  had wrought havoc to US Naval Forces particularly the crippling of a  warship as well as the sinking of a submarine chaser  and Large Landing Craft Supports (LCS) in various parts of the Philippine archipelago.

The caption of the wall picture reads. . . Philippine Shin You -Tai fallen soldiers 1,144 out of 1,700. Total Shin You Tai 114 Forces, fallen soldiers were 2,557. So, Philippine Shinyou-Tai had 45% died of total overall  Shin You-Tai.”

Glancing at this Japanese suicide note, I cannot help but be fascinated by the Japanese “Bushido”- a warrior code of dying for the emperor rather than surrendering alive to the enemy.

Many believe that this comely 10-ft Goddess of Mercy statue  referred to as  Jibo-Kannon  Buddha by the Japanese is a “Goddess of Fertility,”  wherein each and every woman visitor who long to have a baby needs to touch it. Located opposite the Shinto Shrine, this statue adds more value to the breathtaking seascape on the background.  The “Peace And Love” inscription on the wishing bowl  fronting the stone  statue is simply nostalgic.

On my way towards the waiting tranvia, I passed by this this marker erected near the relics of Japanese anti-aircraft artilleries that had  caught my attention…

It reads : “TRIBUTE TO THE BRAVE. In Remembrance of the 4,500 Fallen Comrades In Arms Of The Japanese Defense Batallaion . . . And Tribute To The Gallantry Of The Filipinos, Americans And Japanese Soldiers Who Fought And Died For A Cause On This Island. MAY THEIR SOUL REST IN ETERNAL PEACE.”

As our tranvia was moving away from the place towards our next battlefield tours destination, my mind was figuring out on the real characters of the Japanese who were tagged as  “the most belligerent”  among the foes of the Allied Forces in the Pacific War. Their war time brutality  might have been displayed in other parts of the Pacific War zones but their humane nature surfaced in Bucas Grande Island, Surigao del Norte, Philippines.  My father had told me that the Japanese warships converged within the Sohoton Cove vicinity in the western part of the island more than a month before proceeding to their  final rendezvous with the American Navy Forces- the Battle of Leyte and Surigao Strait considered as the greatest naval battle in history.  But remarkably, during their stint in Bucas Grande, the Japanese never hurt anybody, had befriended the locals and carried the children on their laps and shoulders. Others contended, though jokingly, that they behaved that way because the island was destined to be the final resting place of the last remaining tranches of the “Yamashita Treasures”  on board their warships which allegedly were hurriedly unloaded and buried in the locality with the help of the local men, one of whom, an uncle of mine who once admitted to me the veracity of the story and acknowledged that he knew the exact location of the  ”gold burial ground” but brought the information on its exact whereabouts to his grave.