CRITICAL EVALUATION OF

ORAL, LOCAL HISTORY

AND HISTORICAL SITES
TOPIC V
Hundreds of sites all over the Philippines
became part of our history and culture. Many of
these sites as well as landmarks are recognized
by the National Historical Commission of the
Philippines (NHCP).
 As stated in Republic Act No. 10886,
the NHCP is responsible for the conservation
and preservation of the country’s historical
legacies. Its major thrusts encompass an
ambitious cultural program on historical studies,
curatorial works, architectural conservation,
Philippine heraldry, historical information
dissemination activities, restoration and
preservation of relics and memorabilia of
heroes and other renowned Filipinos.
Aside from these historical landmarks and
shrines, other places that can be visited to
broaden our knowledge of the Philippine history
and culture include government- and private run
museums:
The National Museum Complex is composed
of:

a. the National Museum of Fine Arts (Old

Legislative Building)
b. the National Museum of Anthropology (Old
Finance Building)
c. the National Museum of Natural History (Old
Agriculture and Commerce Building)
• Private museums and other institutions
also have their share of contributing to
the preservation of our heritage.
• Many of these places are limited to
special collections but are themselves a
significant part of history and in the study
of it. Some examples of these museums
are as follows:
a. UST Museum of Arts and Sciences located at
the University of Santo Tomas campus
b. Ayala Museum located in Makati
c. The Lopez Museum and Library located at the
Benpres Building, Ortigas Complex in
Mandaluyong
d. The Kaisa Angelo King Heritage Center located
in Intramuros which highlights our Tsinoy or
Chinese-Filipino heritage
e. The Museo Iloilo in Iloilo City which focuses on
cultural and historical artifacts not only from Iloilo but
also from Panay Island
f. The Juan D. Nepomuceno Center for Kapampangan
Studies, which focuses on the study of Kapampangan
language, history, and culture, located in the campus of
the Holy Angel University in Angeles City, Pampanga
g. The Cultural Center of the Philippines, though
recognized as a performance venue, which houses art
galleries for exhibits and a collection of artworks by
recognized Filipino artists including those by the
National Artists of the Philippines
The continuous growth of awareness of the
remnants of our historical and cultural past has
made Filipinos places a large value on
preserving the old buildings and districts around
the country.
• This eventually led to the passage of the
National Cultural Heritage Act (Republic
Act No. 10066) which created the
Philippine Registry of Cultural Property and
the rules and regulations to preserve
historic buildings that are over 50 years.
• It was signed into law on March 25, 2009.
• There were earlier attempts to preserve the
artifacts of history and culture.
• The first district that was declared a
National Heritage site was the Intramuros
district which was the former Walled City of
Manila.
• This was followed by Vigan City in Ilocos
Sur and later by Silay in Negros Occidental.
 These areas follow heritage laws formulated
to preserve their historic buildings, open
spaces, and local traditions while at the same
time blending with the modern surroundings.
• Historic buildings that date back to the
Spanish and American colonial periods that
survived the Second World War have also
been preserved by either the government or
private institutions.
EXAMPLES:
1. buildings of the campuses of the University of
Santo Tomas
2. the Philippine General Hospital
3. the capitol building of the different provinces
such as Leyte and Pangasinan
4. private houses and buildings like the Gota de
Leche Building in Sampaloc, Manila.
5. Spanish colonial churches that can be found in
towns and cities all over the country
• Monuments that date back to the colonial
eras are also being preserved.
• Many of these monuments are found in
plazas and parks in different towns and
cities in Manila and the urban areas of
provinces.
• These monuments are important not only
because they commemorate places,
people, and historic events but also
because they are markers of our past.
Examples of these monuments in Manila
are:

1. The Carriedo Fountain;

2. King Carlos IV Monument;
3. The Legazpi Urdaneta Monument;
4. the Queen Isabel II of Spain; and
5. the Simon de Anda Monument
• Other significant places are concrete pieces
of evidence of our pre-colonial past. These
are the archaeological sites that are mostly
found in the provinces.
• Some of these sites are already open to
public although travelling entails long hikes
since many of them are in the mountainous
areas or in islands.
Examples:

1. Ifugao Rice Terraces

2. the Kabayan Mummy Burial Caves
3. the Neolithic Shell Midden Sites in Lal-lo
4. Gattaran Municipalities
5. the Paleolithic Archaeological Sites in
Cagayan Valley where the bones of what
is believed to be the oldest human being
in the Philippines―Callao Man―was
HISTORICAL SITES AND
LANDMARKS
PAOAY CHURCH, PAOAY, ILOCOS NORTE
• Paoay Church, also known as San Agustin Church,
is one of the top tourist destinations in the province.
• Tourists that visit the church showcased different
spectacular view from all angles.
• The mentioned church was founded by Augustinian
missionaries in 1593, and was a labor of love over time
and in the face of earthquakes and other disasters.
• Its scars made it beautiful and worth-visiting. The bell
tower was intended to be constructed at a distance
from the church to minimize damage should it fall.
TRIVIA: During the Philippine Revolution, the
bell tower of the church served as observatory
post for Filipinos.

According to historians, the bell tower also had

socio-economic significance. During the
wedding of a prominent and affluent clan, the
bell would ring loudly and more often than the
wedding of the underprivileged.
BARASOAIN CHURCH
• Barasoain Church's history began when the
town of Barasoain, along with the town of Santa
Isabel, was split from the town of Malolos in
1859.
• The said chapel was built by Augustinian
missionaries in 1859 with Fr. Fray F. Arriola as
the first parish priest.
• According to some people who relate
Barasoain in revolution, the word Barasoain
came from the term "Baras ng Suwail" which
TRIVIA: The first Constitution of the
Philippines was created at Barasoain
Church, therefore, the first Philippine
Republic was established in January 23,
1899.
PAMINTUAN HOUSE
• This structure was built in 1880’s by a patriarch
who earned great fortune on his vast
agricultural lands named Don Florentino Torres
Pamintuan who live in 1868-1925.
• It was the biggest and most beautiful house in
Angeles City. This house was sold in 1959 to
Pedro Tablante but it was not utilized by the
owner and in 1964 it was leased to the
government which now becomes the city hall.
TRIVIA: It was the seat of the Philippine
Republic in May, 1899.

-During World War II, it served as station

occupied by Japanese Kamikaze pilots.
Kamikaze is a Japanese aircraft filled with
explosives intended to make suicidal crash.
INTERIOR PAMINTUAN HOUSE
• Pamintuan mansion is the place that shows the
results of all our colonial experiences and
influence coming from them that showcase
how diverse our culture is.
• Many visitors appreciate how it exhibits
different aspects of our social history even
before it was inaguarated.
• It is also a place where we can see how our
local heritage has developed over time.
ANOTHER INTERIOR OF PAMINTUAN HOUSE
• This museum has a lot of this to offer, it
highlights how Filipinos live their lives in a
daily basis expressed in an artwork.
• This sets contrast with the other museums that
showcase heroes of the country and narrates
political and religious events.
• Even Angeles, the place where it was located
targets to upgrade their whole area that
features the diverse sides of the Filipino
heritage.
• In this museum, there are nine galleries to be
found that will make the guests explore how the
HOLY PARISH CHURCH
• Through the initiative of Don Mariano V.
Henson, the early foundation of the building of
Holy Parish Church was established by one of
the early settlers of what is now Angeles City
on October 18, 1877.
• The said church is an iconic landmark among
the natives and patrons. To the locals, the Holy
Rosary Parish Church is affectionately called
the “Pisambang Maragul,” which is a literal
phrase of the Kapampangan for “Big Church”.
TRIVIA: The church was constructed from 1877
to 1896 by the Polo y Servicio labor system.
Filipinos (called as Indios) were forced to do
unpaid labors for 40 days each year under the
Spanish colonial government.

- The church’s backyard became the execution

grounds from 1896-1898 in shooting down
Filipino rebels by the Spaniard
AGUINALDO SHRINE, KAWIT, CAVITE
• The shrine is the ancestral home of the first
President of the Philippines, the only
president of the First Philippine Republic
named Emilio Aguinaldo.
• This house will give knowledge about
about the Philippine Independence and
History.
• The shrine is open from 8am to 5pm and
there is no entrance fee.
TRIVIA: The house was featured twice in
Philippine peso bill. It appeared on the
two-peso and five-peso bills. -Originally, there
was no balcony in 1898.

The Philippine flag was waved from a window

in a living room. The balcony was added
in1919.
CANNON ON CORREGIDOR ISLAND
• This World War II gun was the largest
defensive gun on the Island of Corregidor
during the 1942 battles.
• There is cannon known as The Battery that
served as the weapon on WW2. Cannon,
big gun, howitzer were distinguished from
a musket, rifle, or other small arm. The
island of Corregidor served as the witness
to the heavy bombardment, thousands of
lives lost, and also the moment of victory
when the Filipino and American forces
TRIVIA: Corregidor comes from the Spanish
word “corregir” which means “to correct”.
Since all ships entering Manila bay would be
inspected and corrected, it was once named
“the island of corrector”.

-Col. Leroy M. Edwards burned $20,000,000 on

Corregidor in 1942 and hid millions in silver
from the Japanese which still hasn’t been
MALINTA TUNNEL, CORREGIDOR ISLAND
• Over a ten year period from 1922, Malinta
Tunnel was built. It is essentially a massive
tunnel bored through a mountainside with
several smaller tunnel systems spanning off
of its length. It has seen as the great deal of
death for it has been served as a military
storage hub, bomb shelter, quarter and living
space as well as a 1000 bed hospital.
• Many tourists and visitors came outside the
tunnel having unexplainable phenomena,
people believed that the energy left there from
MIDDLESIDE BARRACKS, CORREGIDOR ISLAND
• This was the most photographed ruin in
Corregidor Island where the barracks served
as the quarters of the 65th Coast Artillery
anti-aircraft regiment US Regular Army, and
the 91th Coast Artillery Philippine Scouts,
until it was bombed during the World War II.
• The barracks comprise of two three-storey
buildings with high ceilings and capiz shell
windows that depict tropical design
sensibilities.
MARKER OF TEJERES CONVENTION, GENERAL TRIAS, CAVITE
• This serves as landmark of the site of Tejeros
convention where the two councils settle their
dispute on what type of government to be
installed during that time.
• Both factions convened for the election of its
officers held at the friar estate in Tejeros, a
barrio of San Francisco de Malabon that pave
way to the formation of Philippine
Revolutionary Government and the founding
of the Philippine Revolutionary army.
SITE OF TEJEROS CONVENTION, GENRAL TRIAS, CAVITE
• Filipino Revolutionaries had their 115th
convention on March 22, 1897 and approved
the establishment of a Revolutionary
Government headed by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo
held at this site.
• The Tejeros Convention was the meeting
between the Magdiwang and Magdalo factions
of the Katipunan at San Francisco de Malabon
–now General Trias.
TRIVIA: Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo was elected
absentia during the convention.
PROVINCIAL CAPITOL OF NEGROS, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL
• Gatuslao St., Bacolod, Philippines was the
place where that Provincial Capitol of Negros
Occidental was erected, within its complex is
the Capitol Park and Lagoon but before that
the provincial government of Negros
Occidental was in the house donated by Jose
Ruiz de Luzuriaga, who was part of the
Philippine Commission established by the
Americans in 1901.
• It is throught the initiative of Governor Jose
Locsin that the provincial capitol building will
TRIVIA: The building was used by the
Japanese during the Second World War as
their headquarters.

-The Provincial Capitol was originally the old

residence of Luzuriaga Family and was
donated by Jose Ruiz de Luzuriaga.
BASILICA DE SANTO NIÑO, CEBU
TRIVIA: It was founded on April 28, 1565, the
same day when the Legazpi-Urdaneta
expedition arrived in Cebu Island.

-The church was supposed to be made of

bricks. However, the humid weather of Cebu
was not suitable for a brick-church.
• This church that was established in 1565 was
the first church in the Philippines it is known
for it is the Cebu's holiest church houses a
revered Flemish statuette of the Christ child
(Santo Niño) that dates to Magellan's time.
• Three earlier structures were destroyed by
fire, before the existing baroque structure was
built in 1737. Its facade and belfry were badly
damaged by the 2013 earthquake but have
been restored.
• Every year, the image is the centrepiece of
MARKER OF BASILICA DE SANTO NINO
• This serves to be the marker of the Basilica
that was founded by Fray Andres de
Urdaneta, O.S.A. on April 28, 1565, the day
when the image of the Holy Child was found
partially burned hut.
• More than a week passed after the
rediscovery of the image of Santo Nino, on
May 8, 1565. The church was finished
around 1739.
BAHAY NAKPIL, QUIAPO, MANILA
• The picture showed the facade of the Bahay
Nakpil in Quiapo, Manila. This hides many
treasures in plain sight and called A.
Bautista Street which was named after a
Filipino Doctor who studied in Madrid in the
late 1880's.
• Nakpil's house design represents the
traditional urban Filipino style popular at
that time. Ground floor made of brick walls
and a second storey made of wood; sliding
windows with ventanillas which was still
TRIVIA: One of the most important features of
this house is the mirror propped on the ceiling
near the wooden guide to see if there’s
someone standing outside, similar to the
modern-day CCTV cameras. -One of the
key-figures who became occupants of the
house is Dr. Ariston Bautista, one of the first
professors in the University of the Philippines
College of Medicine. He invented a medicine to
combat cholera.

-The church was supposed to be made of

ARCH OF THE CENTURY, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS,
MANILA
• This Arch of the century UST Manila was
declared a National Cultural Treasure in
January 25, 2010. The original Arch faces the
Main Building that serves as the main doorway
to the university building before it was
destroyed during World War II when it was at
Intramuros.
• At present, the newer arch faced España
Boulevard. Life of Saint Thomas Aquinas, the
patron saint of the university and of all Catholic
educational institutions was placed on panels
TRIVIA: The arch was formerly the original
entrance to the university when the
campus was still in Intramuros

-It was carried piece-by-piece and was

re-erected at the Plaza Intramuros
UST CENTRAL SEMINARY, UST CAMPUS, ESPANA, MANILA
• The University of Santo Tomas Central
Seminary Building currently houses the
Santisimo Rosario Parish, the Central
Seminary, and the Faculties of Ecclesiastical
Studies of the Pontifical and Royal
University of Santo Tomas in Manila.
• The building was designed by Ar, Fernando
H. Hizon, Sr.. It was built on 1930’s. The new
Colegio originally offered only those
courses which are required as preparation
TRIVIA: During the Japanese Occupation,
UST Intramuros campus was bombed while
UST Espana campus became internment
camp.

-Pope Francis is the third pope to visit UST.

The first was Pope Paul VI in 1970, followed
by Pope John Paul in 1981 and 1995.
UST MAIN BUILDING AND OPEN FIELD
• This 93-year old building was designed by
Fr. Roque Ruaño, O.P., and considered as
the first earthquake-resistant building in the
Philippines. It incorporates a seismic design
and adopted the engineering standards of
Japan. Moreover, the building is divided into
40 units with four or six piers strongly tied
together, with seismic gaps of an inch filled
with loose cement, to accommodate any
movement in case of earthquakes.
• Moreover, the Department of Public Works
and Highways (DPWH) planned to build a
retarding basin beneath a National Cultural
Treasure inside the University of Santo
Tomas (UST) that will minimize flooding in
the open field but the school administrators
opposed the offer for it will cause threat to
the old buildings and structures.
TRIVIA: Doctrina Christiana, the first
printed book in the Philippines, was
produced in 1593 by the present UST
Publishing House.