Five years ago was when I first set foot on Manila. But it was only this year that I was able to visit that part of Manila which is very rich in history. I'm talking about Intramuros: the walled city of Manila. This post is particularly dedicated to Fort Santiago.
Fort Santiago is a defense fortress which was created way back during the time when the Philippines was under the power of Spain. Jose Rizal, our national hero, was imprisoned here in Fort Santiago before he was executed. During the American regime in 1900's, Fort Santiago has also become the training ground for American troops, it served as the headquarters of the U. S. Army. Later on, Fort Santiago was attacked by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II.
The fort has mostly been restored and it has become a tourist destination. A lot of improvements have also been constructed in place. There are also several vintage canons displayed at Fort Santiago. Some of these canons were from Cebu.
Catholicism was introduced by the Spaniards during the colonization. That time, there are four kinds of priests in the Philippines: the Dominican, Augustine, Jesuit, and Franciscan. The great influence of the church has remained until today.
This is kalesa: the Filipino's vintage way of transportation. It is a carriage pulled by a horse. The person who guides the horse is called a kutchero. You can hire a kalesa to tour you around for a fee of 50 pesos.
Here I am posing with my friends from Thailand.
Although our guided tour was done in a hurry because of time constraints, I was glad that I visited Fort Santiago. Our guided tour cost us P500. Entrance fees to the Fort Santiago is P75 for an adult and P50 for students.
If you're hungry after touring Fort Santiago, I recommend going to Ilustrado Restaurant in Intramuros and taste heritage Filipino cuisine.
Is that P500/pax or as a group already? How long is the tour?
ReplyDeleteIt was P500 for our group. It was around 45 minutes and it was a "short version" of the tour since we were in a hurry that time. =)
ReplyDeleteFort Santiago is such a historical place to visit because there are lots of structure which was built during the Spanish era. More photos please =) and it is an ideal place for family and barkada bonding
ReplyDeleteI've been to Fort Santiago during our field trip in college and it was nice to appreciate history.
ReplyDeleteActually Fort Santiago is only like 15 minutes walk away from our house yet we've been there only thrice at max. Bakit kaya the nearer the place to you the more seldom you visit it? Sometimes siguro ganun talaga. Like some people prefer to go out of the country for vacation and touring rather than tour around in their own. :D
ReplyDelete