Garcia, Sofia Isabelle G.

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LOCAL HISTORY

1.Rizal Shrine, Calamba City

Laguna is the first province south of the National Capital Region. From the Ninoy
Aquino International Airport to the city of Calamba it takes approximately one and half (1
½) hours of travel time. The city of Calamba is the proud birthplace of the country’s
national hero namely, Dr Jose Rizal. The ancestral home declared as the Rizal Shrine
is located at J P Rizal Street.
It is a Spanish vintage house is being maintained as a national shrine by the National
Government. It houses the Rizalian memorabilia ranging from pictures of the late hero
and the women in his life, sculptures by Rizal, to laminated excerpts of some of his
written works. Museum hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 nn and 1:00 to 5:00p.m.,
every day except Monday.
2. Homma – Yamashita Shrine, Los Baños
In quick succession, the College of Agriculture becomes a Japanese camp for prisoners
of war, an internment camp for allied nationals, a target of Kempetai punitive measures,
and the headquarters of a secret organization of guerillas. After the dramatic rescue of
the Americans internees by Filipino guerillas and U.S. paratroopers on February 23,
1945, the entire campus was sacked by the Japanese and razed to the ground. Only
Baker Hall, the armory – gymnasium, remained standing amidst the rubble. Shortly after
the war, Generals Masaharu Homma and Tomoyuki Yamashita, the commanders at the
time of the Bataan Death March, were executed in April 1946. They were both tried for
their war crimes and executed near the Economic Garden.
Tan, Gem Roxxette
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LOCAL HISTORY

Valenzuela was named after Pio Valenzuela, a Filipino physician who was among the
leaders of the Katipunan and served as the towns first presidente municipal who was
appointed to serve as such.

Prior to its present name, Valenzuela was first called as Polo (island). That was
because the place was surrounded by rivers from the north and Tullahan River on the
south so early townsmen called

The place Pulo which later evolved into Polo due to hispanicization of the word.
The town was occupied by not only Spaniards and Americans but also by the British
armies during the Seven Year’s War and by the Japanese during the Second World
War. It was a terrible time for its people. One of the brutal incident that its people faced
was during December 10, 1944 when the Japanese massacred and tortured to death
100 males from Polo and neighboring town Obando as they were suspected of
rebellion. From 1:00am to the setting of the sun, the cries of those who were suffering
the brutal death were heard inside Polo’s municipal building. When the joined forces of
Filipino and American soldiers came, almost the whole town was burned when this
forces used flamethrowers to burn all the suspected places where the Japanese might
occupy, not excluding the 300-year old San Diego de Alcala church.
In 1960, President Diosdado Macapagal ordered the creation of the municipality of
Valenzuela carved from few territories of Polo and is independent from the provincial
government of Bulacan. However in 1963, another law was issued ordering the reversal
of the previous edict and reunifying the towns of Polo and Valenzuela under the single
name of Valenzuela. In 1975, Valenzuela was named as an independent municipality
from the government of Bulacan and incorporated under the administration of
Metropolitan Manila Authority. On 14 February 1998, President Fidel V. Ramos signed
Republic Act 8625, or the Valenzuela City Charter, which elevated the status of
Valenzuela as a highly urbanized, chartered city.
Population/ Language/ Area

Valenzuela City has a total land mass of 44.59 square kilometer with almost 600,000
population (August 2010 census), making it the 10th most populous city in the
Philippines. Its population is composed of 72% Tagalog people and 5% Bicolanos.
There is a small percentage of foreign nationals who live in the city.
The city is bordered by Meycauayan (Bulacan) in the north, Quezon City and northern
Caloocan in the east, Obando (Bulacan) in the west, Malabon. southern Caloocan and
Tullahan River in the south.
Its proximity to the equator tends to make its temperature to rise and fall into very small
range: from as low as 20 °C (68 °F) to as high as 35 °C (95 °F). The Köppen climate
system classifies Valenzuela climate as tropical monsoon (Am) due to its location and
precipitation characteristics. This means that the city has two pronounced seasons: dry
and wet seasons. The city’s driest months are from November to April where the city
receives less than 60 millimetres (2.4 in) of rainfall. On the other hand, maximum rain
period is from June to September where the city receives not more than 600 millimetres
(24 in) of rainfall. Hail and snow is not observed in the city.
Tourist Spots

Valenzuela City’s tourist attractions include:

Valenzuela Museum – one of the city’s main historical and cultural landmarks. The
museum houses a vast collection of artifacts and memorabilia that traces Valenzuela’s
history and progress.
National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima – this shrine was recently declared by the
Department of Tourism as a tourist site. Now this shrine serves as the pilgrimage site of
the Diocese of Malolos.
Licud, Jessam Nuel S.
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CAPAS NATIONAL SHRINE

Location
The historical place of Capas National Shrine is located in barangay O'Donnell,
Capas, Tarlac.

Short History
The Capas National Shrine was created to commemorate and reminisce the
infamous "Death March" of the Filipino and American Soldiers imprisoned by the
Japanese Occupation Forces of WWII.
 The Death March of Filipino and American Prisoners of War started in the two
towns of:
 Mariveles on April 10, 1942
 Bagac on April 11, 1942

The American and Filipino group marched day and night, under the sweltering sun
and the cold night sky. They were given a brief rest and some water from the city of
Balanga. When reaching the National Development Company Compound, the prisoners
were given little food and permission to rest.
The soldiers were already suffering from battle fatigue. They were afraid,
exhausted, and sick. The townspeople on the roadside risked their lives by slipping food
and upon arriving in the city of San Fernando, the Death March became a death ride on
a cargo train. Some of the prisoners were bundle so strongly into boxcars and die from
suffocation. Those who arrived alive in Capas still had to walk the last and most suffering
miles of the Death March which is 6 kilometers to Camp O'Donnell, one of the most hellish
concentration camps of World War II.

Lalaguna, Carl Angelo

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 LOCAL HISTORY

The province of Pangasinan is not just blessed with natural attractions. It is also
a home of historical places which will be treasured for a lifetime. The people from
Pangasinan aren't just part of history but places here had been a special part too of
what can be called a legend.

One of these Historical Places is the Lingayen Gulf near to the Provincial Capitol.
This had been one of the landing areas of the American Forces, way back January 9,
1945. This resulted then into Northen Luzon Liberation.

Lingayen Gulf in Pangasinan is arguably one of the country’s most historic bodies of
water, dating back to the legendary Princesa Urduja, the pre-Spanish amazon who
ruled over the vast Pangasinan kingdom.
 Then came the fabled Chinese pirate Lim Ah Hong, then the Japanese Imperial
Army Commander Gen. Masaharu Homma who landed his invasion troops during World
War 2, and then Gen. Douglas MacArthur with the Allied Forces to liberate Luzon.

But you need not be a history buff to enjoy its allure, with its sun-kissed shores
and interesting stuff in between which will entice you to stay and spend a little more time
in the area.

Hundred Islands National Park

The Hundred Islands National Park is a big tourist destination in the province of
Pangasinan. Located in the city of Alaminos, this natural wonder is made of around 120
islands, the number varying depending on the tide. The islands are said to be millions of
years old. Of all the islands, only Governor Island, Quezon Island, and Children's Island
have been developed for tourism.

Ilagan, Shaena Ellaine

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LOCAL HISTORY

Meet Daragang Magayon – Mayon Volcano

Mayon got her name from the famous legend The Legend of Daragang Magayon which
means beautiful lady. And what beauty Mayon Volcano really is!

Cliche as it may seem, you just got to see Mayon Volcano up close. Not doing so is like
a mortal sin for travelers! So how do you get close to Mayon? One way to do so is to
visit Cagsawa Ruins. Located in Daraga, Albay – just one jeepney ride away from
Legazpi City – the ruins of the old Cagsawa Church is one of the most photographed
places in Albay.

The place is very much accessible and the entrance fee is very minimal. You bask
yourself in its beauty, have pictures taken with the perfect volcano cone as background,
and buy some souvenirs sold around the area. But if you’re more adventurous and is up
to do something extreme, you can go for an ATV ride to get near to the foot of Mayon.
You can find more than a couple of companies offering ATV tour and adventure
services just to get you close to the volcano. The rate ranges from Php 499 to Php
9,000 depending on what type of ATV you want to use, the duration of the tour, and the
trail you want to take.

There’s totally nothing to be scared or worried about because they will give you an
orientation before you set off the trail. Guides would also be there the entire ride to
make sure you are safe.

Note: The mighty Mayon volcano last erupted in January 2018. The area is now (by the
time of publication in May 2018) safe to visit. As a precaution always check the news
and tourism information before booking your activities near the volcano.

2. St. John the Baptist Church

 Albay also has beautiful old churches, one of which is the St. John the Baptist
Church in Tabaco City, Albay. What’s specifically beautiful about this church is its dark
facade because it is built out of volcanic stones and sand.

You can also visit Nuestra Señora de la Porteria Parish also known as the Daraga
Church in Daraga, Albay. The place will give you utmost peace. Plus, you can see
Mayon Volcano; a perfect background if you want to take a photo of the church with
Mayon in view.

Other churches you can visit are the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Gregorio Magno
and St. Raphael the Archangel in Legazpi City, Our Lady of Salvation Church in Tiwi,
St. Dominic Guzman in Sto. Domingo, and Oas Church in Oas. These churches are a
monument to the area’s rich history and the architecture is worth seeing.