AGUINALDO SHRINE

(Kawit, Cavite)

Background:

The Aguinaldo Shrine is a National Shrine of the Philippines located in Kawit,

Cavite in the Philippines, where the Philippine Declaration of Independence from Spain was
declared on June 12, 1898. To commemorate the event, now known as Araw ng
Kalayaan or Independence Day, a national holiday, the Philippine flag is raised here by top
government officials on June 12 each year. The house is now a museum.

The shrine is the ancestral home of Emilio Aguinaldo, officially the first President of

the Philippines, the only president of the First Philippine Republic. The house was built in 1845
made from wood and thatch and reconstructed in 1849. Here Aguinaldo was born on March 22,
1869.

The property which is adjacent to a river, was expanded to include Aguinaldo Park, a

park in front of the house created for the Philippine Centennial celebration of 1998. The park
with a long promenade and two long pools. Previously the house was fronted by a busy street.
In the park is a bronze statue of Aguinaldo on horseback.

Aguinaldo's house is a mansion over 14,000 square feet (1,300 m2) in floor area
designed by Aguinaldo himself.[1] The house features secret passages and hiding places for
documents and weapons and is filled with antique furniture and decorated throughout with
motifs of the Philippine flag and other national symbols. The building is divided into three
sections: the main house on the west side of the building, the family wing on the east, and the
tower located in between. The middle section is a five-story tower with a spire at the very top.
The mezzanine level on the second floor is sometimes counted as an extra floor. The ground
floor of the house was previously unwalled which is typical of the houses during the era. Today,
it houses a museum of Aguinaldo's memorabilia and other historical artifacts. A 

CAPAS NATIONAL SHRINE

(Capas, Tarlac)
Background:

The Capas National Shrine (Tagalog: Pambansang Dambana ng Capas)

in barangay Cristo Rey, Capas, Tarlac, Philippines was built by the Philippine government as a
memorial to Allied soldiers who died at Camp O'Donnell at the end of the Bataan Death
March during the Second World War.

The site is a focus for commemorations on Araw ng Kagitingan (Valour Day), an

annual observance held on 9 April—the anniversary of the surrender of US and Philippine
forces to the Imperial Japan in 1942. There is also a memorial to the Czechs and
some Slovaks who died fighting alongside the Filipinos and US soldiers.

The area where the Bataan Death March ended was proclaimed as "Capas National
Shrine" by President Corazon Aquinoon 7 December 1991. The shrine encompasses 54 hectares
of parkland, 35 hectares of which have been planted with rows of trees to represent each of the
dead.

On 9 April 2003, a 70-metre obelisk and new memorial wall were unveiled on the

grounds of the former internment camp. The obelisk is surrounded by a three-segmented, black
marble wall engraved with the names of the Filipinos known to have died during the Death
March. There are also statistics about the total numbers of prisoners and deaths, together with
poems for peace.

Nearby, there are three smaller memorials to the countries whose nationals died at the
camp: the Philippines, the United States, and the Czech Republic (then Czechoslovakia). A
small museum and monument is also on the site, built by an American group called the
"Battling Bastards of Bataan".

A few hundred meters from the Obelisk is a garden separated from the rest of the shrine
by a creek that can be crossed via a hanging bridge. The relics of an old train and railings are
also located in the shrine complex.

CASA SANTA MUSEUM SHRINE

(Antipulo, Rizal)
Background:

One of the most famous attractionseast of Metro Manila, located in the hills
of Antipolo, just 30 minutes away from Ortigas is the CASA SANTA @ Jardin de Miramar.
The Casa Santa houses an internationally recognized collection of Santa Claus items
ranging from life size, singing santas to Turkish inspired bronze plaques of Santa Claus. At
present, it is probably the most extensive private collection of Santa Claus items in the world
with over 3,700++ santas. And unlike traditional museums, the Casa Santa is a fun museum in
that the visitors are free to inspect the items closely, or in some cases, play with it.
Casa Santa started out as a small personal collection and it grew in size until it needed a
house where the Santas could “live.” The Casa Santa was converted from a family resthouse
into a museum of Santa Claus collection in 1995. The house was remodeled by folk architect
Rosario Encarnacion Tan and the lighting design inside the museum was crafted by
international Japanese light designer Shoko Matsumoto.
In December 2004, it was the cover of Starweek’s Christmas and in Christmas 2008
appeared in the front page of the Philippine Inquirer. It has appeared in over 50 T.V. and movie
productions -- Rated K, Wish Ko Lang, Unang Hirit, Magandang Umagang Bayan, US
Girls, Boy and Kris. On international television, it was covered by two news
agencies, Reuters and Associated Press.
Addition to the collection is a room full of miniature Christmas villages. A starter
collection in the loft was displayed in 2010. After acquiring a significant number of mini-
houses this year, it was given a room of its own. The village was designed by Bamboo
Tonogbanua of Bacolod, himself a Christmas village collector.

MARCELO H. DEL PILAR SHRINE

(Bulakan, Bulacan)
Background:

The Marcelo H. del Pilar Shrine is a declared national shrine by the National Historical

Commission of the Philippines in honor of Filipino lawyer, poet and propagandist Marcelo H.
del Pilar. Located at Sitio Cupang, Brgy. San Nicolas, Bulacan, Bulacan, the shrine is the
former site of the house of the del Pilar clan. Currently, the shrine is under the management of
the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

The development of the site as a shrine (including a bronze statue purportedly to be

done by National Artists Guillermo Tolentino) was not completed, however. In August 30,
1982, a ten-foot tall statue of del Pilar was erected at the center of the birth site. The monument
was done by renowned Maloleno sculptor Apolinario P. Bulaong using cement mixed with
crushed bronze. Afterwards, the 4,027 square meter birth site was donated to the Bulacan
Provincial Government by the family of Plaridel’s youngest daughter, Anita del Pilar-Marasigan
through Atty. Benita Marasigan-Santos. On August 30, 1983, the site was turned over to the
National Historical Institute (now the National Historical Commission of the Philippines) and
was from that point on, known as the Marcelo H. del Pilar Historical Landmark. 

Upon the celebration of the del Pilar’s centennial death anniversary, on July 4, 1996
former President Fidel V. Ramos ordered allocation of funds for the erection of a museum-
library at the back of the site. The construction was undertaken by the municipal government of
Bulakan, Bulacan and was inaugurated on August 30, 1998. The administration of the museum-
library was handed over to the NHI on February 15, 2000. Contrary to local rumors, the
museum-library was not patterned after the original bahay-na-bato house of Marcelo del Pilar.

MOUNT SAMAT NATIONAL SHRINE

(Pilar, Bataan)
Background:

Mount Samat National Shrine (Tagalog pronunciation: [samat]) or Dambana ng

Kagitingan (Shrine of Valour) is a historical shrine located near the summit of Mount Samat in
the town of Pilár, Province of Bataan, in the Republic of the Philippines. The memorial shrine
complex was built to honor and remember the gallantry of Filipino and American soldiers who
fought during World War II.
Consisting of a Colonnade and the large Memorial Cross, the park was commissioned
in 1966 by then-President Ferdinand Marcos, for the 25th Anniversary of World War II. The
white Memorial Cross stands as a remembrance to the soldiers who fought and lost their lives in
the Battle of Bataan. The shrine complex also includes a war museum with a wide array of
collections from paintings of the Philippine heroes, to armaments used by the Filipino,
American and Japanese forces during the battle.
From the colonnade and the cross, there is a panoramic view of Bataan, Corregidor Island and
on a clear day, the city of Manilasituated about 50 km (31 mi) across Manila Bay.
Along with the fortified island of Corregidor, Mount Samat was the site of the most
vicious battle against the Japanese Imperial Army in 1942 during the Battle of Bataan. Suffering
heavy losses against the Japanese all over Luzon, Filipino and American soldiers retreated
to Bataan Peninsula to regroup for a last valiant but futile stand. This retreat to Bataan is part of
a United States strategy known as War Plan Orange.
Bataan fell after three months of fighting when 78,000 exhausted, sick and starving men
under Major General [[Mark Macoy Metran ]] surrendered to the Japanese on 9 April 1942. It is
the single largest surrender of U.S. soldiers in history. Together with the Philippine soldiers,
they were then led on the Bataan Death March.
The scene of their last stronghold is Mount Samat, the site of Dambana ng Kagitingan.
The shrine was conceived as a fitting memorial to the heroic struggle and sacrifices of the
soldiers who fought and died in that historic bastion of freedom.
The memorial shrine complex was started with the laying of the cornerstone by
President Marcos on April 14, 1966. Due to lack of funds, construction was unfinished for the
25th anniversary of the Fall of Bataan in 1967.[1] The shrine was completed and inaugurated in
1970, in time for the 25th Anniversary of the end of World War II.

RIZAL SHRINE
(Calamba, Laguna)
Background:

The Rizal Shrine is a reproduction of the original two-story, Spanish-Colonial style

house in Calamba, Laguna where José Rizalwas born on June 19, 1861. Rizal is regarded as one
of the greatest national heroes of the Philippines. The house is designated as a National Shrine
(Level 1) by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. It is located along Mercado
Street and Rizal Street in Calamba's Poblacion 5 and is in close proximity to St. John the Baptist
Parish Church and the City College of Calamba.
The Rizal Shrine is a typical rectangular Bahay na Bato, reminiscent of upper-class
Filipino homes built during the Spanish Colonial era. The lower portion is made of adobe stone
and brick, while the upper portion consists of hardwood. The original interior flooring of the
house was discovered during reconstruction and utilized. It has sliding windows made of capiz
shells, the exterior walls are painted green (originally white) and the roof is constructed of red
ceramic tile. In June 2009, the National Historical Institute (now National Historical
Commission of the Philippines) ordered the shrine's repainting to highlight the meaning of
Rizal's surname.
The ground floor of the house historically served as a stable for horses and carriages. It
contains several exhibits on Rizal's childhood, including exact copies of Rizal's writings,
drawings and original baptismal certificate. The upper floor served as the family's living
quarters and consisted of: the living room, dining area, bathroom and library. Containing more
than 1000 books, a caida serves as Francisco Mercado's library, the largest private library in
Calamba at that time. Adjacent to the library is the family's formal dining room, where Rizal's
parents hosted guests and other prominent members of the society. The caida is connected to
a sala, which leads to three bedrooms: the boys' room (for Jose and Paciano), the girls' room for
his 9 sisters and the master bedroom. The biggest among all the rooms, the master bedroom
contains the four-poster bed where Rizal was born. Going beyond the sala is an informal dining
room or comedor. Prominent in this room is the punkah, a large rectangular Indian fan. Next to
the comedor and the azotea is an old well, one of the only surviving features of the original
house.

RIZAL SHRINE
(Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte)
Background:

The protected landscape area contains the Rizal National Shrine, declared in 1973
through Presidential Decree No. 105. It is a collection of five reconstructed houses of bamboo
and nipa originally built by José Rizal, as well as other auxillary structures

Casa Residencia. The main house and also the biggest. It served as Rizal's residence where his
mother and sisters also stayed during their visit. It has one bedroom and a
surrounding veranda with views of the Dapitan Bay.

Casa Redonda. The Round House. An octagonal stilt house that served as the quarters of
Rizal's students and a clinic.

Casa Cuadrada. The Square House. Located at the base of a hill, it served as a workshop and
secondary dormitory for Rizal's students.

Casitas de Salud. The Health Houses. Two small huts perched atop a low hill, one for males
and the other for females, which provided lodgings for Rizal's out-of-town patients.

Cocina. An outdoor kitchen with thatched roofing and open walls for ventilation, it features a
traditional banggerahan (scullery) and kalan(firewood-fueled clay stove).

Casa Redonda Pequena. A hexagonal shed which was used as a henhouse.

Other structures found in the park include a dam constructed by Rizal, an aqueduct, a
water reservoir, an amphitheater and a museum. The Rizaliana Museum built in 1971 contains
the hero's memorabilia including the blackboard and table he used for teaching. It is located
near the park's entrance which also houses the office of the shrine curator. A large rock in the
middle of the park known as Mi Retiro Rock marks the spot where Rizal wrote his poems Mi
Retiro (My Retreat) and Himno a Talisay (Hymn to Talisay) about his life in exile in Dapitan.

The protected landscape and memorial is located some 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) north of
the Dipolog Airport. It is accessible via the Dipolog–Oroquieta National Road and Jose Rizal
Avenue in Dapitan which also leads to the Dakak Park and Beach Resort in Taguilon.

RIZAL SHRINE
(Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte)
Background:

The Rizal Shrine is a reproduction of the original two-story, Spanish-Colonial style

house in Calamba, Laguna where José Rizalwas born on June 19, 1861. Rizal is regarded as one
of the greatest national heroes of the Philippines. The house is designated as a National Shrine
(Level 1) by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. It is located along Mercado
Street and Rizal Street in Calamba's Poblacion 5 and is in close proximity to St. John the Baptist
Parish Church and the City College of Calamba.
The Rizal Shrine is a typical rectangular Bahay na Bato, reminiscent of upper-class
Filipino homes built during the Spanish Colonial era. The lower portion is made of adobe stone
and brick, while the upper portion consists of hardwood. The original interior flooring of the
house was discovered during reconstruction and utilized. It has sliding windows made of capiz
shells, the exterior walls are painted green (originally white) and the roof is constructed of red
ceramic tile. In June 2009, the National Historical Institute (now National Historical
Commission of the Philippines) ordered the shrine's repainting to highlight the meaning of
Rizal's surname.
The ground floor of the house historically served as a stable for horses and carriages. It
contains several exhibits on Rizal's childhood, including exact copies of Rizal's writings,
drawings and original baptismal certificate. The upper floor served as the family's living
quarters and consisted of: the living room, dining area, bathroom and library. Containing more
than 1000 books, a caida serves as Francisco Mercado's library, the largest private library in
Calamba at that time. Adjacent to the library is the family's formal dining room, where Rizal's
parents hosted guests and other prominent members of the society. The caida is connected to
a sala, which leads to three bedrooms: the boys' room (for Jose and Paciano), the girls' room
for his 9 sisters and the master bedroom. The biggest among all the rooms, the master
bedroom contains the four-poster bed where Rizal was born. Going beyond the sala is an
informal dining room or comedor. Prominent in this room is the punkah, a large rectangular
Indian fan. Next to the comedor and the azotea is an old well, one of the only surviving
features of the original house.