Group 3 Rph Local History.docx

Garcia, Sofia Isabelle G. CE-1/B2

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 CE-1/B2

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. CE-1/B2

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 CE-1/B2

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

CE-1/B2

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.