By MA. GLAIZA LEE
The ‘Imeldific’ San Juanico Bridge (Photo by PINGGOT ZULUETA)
MANILA, Philippines -- "Oh, I’ve been to Nice and the isle of Greece, while I sipped champagne on a yacht…”
… I’ve been to paradise but I’ve never been to… LEYTE!
Unfortunately, for us, we never had the chance to explore this Southern province. Yes, we had passed by Tacloban City on our way to Basey, Samar for the launch of the Sohoton Eco-Adventure Tour way back in 2009. But that was the only encounter we ever had with Leyte.
And we asked ourselves: what do we really know about Leyte? Except for that lecture in history class with hyperactive pupils who didn’t listen to the discussion about MacArthur’s promise (“I Shall Return”) that happened in Palo, most people hardly know about the place. Zero. Zilch. Nada.
And it wasn’t just us who had that dilemma. Even Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) president Cesar Cruz shares the same sentiment. “Region 8, composed mostly of Samar and Leyte, has been out of the tourism loop for the longest time. We don’t have tour packages centering on the province that we can present to our clients,” he says.
Thoughts on setting things right filled our minds. It was about time to rectify that error and have a new perspective on Leyte aside from being a hotbed for rebel atrocities and a hot spot for calamities such as storms and landslides. Perhaps, a trip down South would allow us to know the province on a much personal level.
Touchdown At Tacloban
“Kung ikaw adunay nakita, ipahibalo ang imong nakita” read the sign which greeted us as we were waiting for our luggage at the Tacloban Airport.
Being the center of commerce, as well as social and cultural activities, Tacloban is the entry point from which one has to pass if he wants to explore the whole of Leyte. From its beginning, Tacloban has been the premier city in Eastern Visayas, gateway of the region to other provinces down South, and the center of trade, commerce, culture and tourism.
The city was formerly known as Kankabatok, named after the first settler Kabatok who used to occupy the area where the present day Sto. Niño Church is located.
Because Tacloban is situated along the coastline, other settlers such as Gumoda, Haranging and Huraw came and inhabited various areas around the city. The early settlers lived on fishing. Using a taklub, a bamboo contraption, they would catch crabs, shrimps, fish, and other marine species for their daily consumption. When the Spaniards came in 1813, they changed the name to Tarakluban, and later it evolved into its present day name, Tacloban.
Tacloban, or Leyte in general, has always been associated with two things: the patron saint Sto. Niño and the former First Lady, Rep. Imelda Marcos. All things Taclobanon revolve around the two, with much emphasis on the most intriguing and controversial woman who ever lived in Malacañang Palace.
One Leyte landmark associated with the “Rose of Tacloban” is the San Juanico Bridge. The 2.16-kilometer bridge connecting the islands of Leyte and Samar is believed to be a gift, a declaration of love by President Ferdinand Marcos to his First Lady who is a native of Leyte.
The bridge, whose longest length is a steel girder viaduct built on reinforced concrete piers and its main span is an arch-shaped truss design, offers some of the most picturesque views, including the San Juanico Strait which is considered to be the narrowest strait in the world but with a thousand whirlpools, as well as several lush islets.
Simply Imeldific
Being a staunch devotee of the Holy Child, Imelda Marcos had built an astonishing landmark in Tacloban, the Sto. Nino Shrine and Heritage Museum.
Often mistaken for the church which is also named after the patron saint, the shrine and heritage museum stands on the area where the Romualdez nipa hut used to be. Designed by Jorge Ramos, the sprawling two-story museum resembles a 19th century bahay na bato, a conventional house during the Spanish era.
While the museum was built like a house, nobody ever stayed in it. It was built merely to put all of Mrs. Marcos’ collections, which she had amassed from her various travels around the world while she was the country’s First Lady. She did this so that those who couldn’t go abroad would have a chance to see items and souvenirs from various places.
A Sto. Nino image crafted using ivory from Rome, encased in a glass and surrounded by diamond-patterned lights, welcomes the tourists. A small chapel, featuring the images of Sts. Remedios and Vincent, as well as a remarkable mosaic of the Sacred Heart, dominates the ground floor.
Still on the ground floor, there are 13 guest rooms tastefully designed with different motifs representing the various regions of the Philippines. All rooms have dioramas that depict the life history of the Marcoses as well as mirrors from Austria.
The second floor houses the seven Marcos rooms, one for each member of the family. President Marcos’ room has Italian leather for the wall, the bed from Spain, with chandeliers from Austria and a carpet made of animal skins from Argentina.
The queen’s room, Imelda’s room, is a marvel on its own. The walls are made from hand-painted embroidered pineapple fiber or jusi, while the bathroom is as grand as the First Lady with black mirrors and a huge bathtub at the center.
The museum is home to all things beautiful and grand: paintings and sculptures from famous artists such as Malang, Amorsolo and Manalad, Chinese jars, porcelain, pillows, and dividers, a statue of Limahong given by Mao Zedong himself, a grandfather clock from France, a 1901 piano from Spain, and rugs and draperies from Belgium, among others. Each item is history by itself.
‘You Shall Return’
If the museum is an introduction to history, Leyte is several chapters of history books. This province was a site of the uprising against the Spaniards, as well as the famous landing of the US Forces during World War II.
Leyteños take pride in knowing that their forebears were among the first Filipinos who welcomed the Spaniards, but were also the first to resist their invasion. History has it that Leyte was one of the provinces that took arms against the Spanish invaders.
In 1521, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan reached the shore of the Homonhon Island in Samar; but after several days, he sailed to Limasawa Island in Leyte which was believed to be the site of the First Mass in the Philippines.
Leyte is also home to brave and valiant heroes such as Bancao, a datu of Carigara, Leyte, who led a religious uprising against the Spanish colonial rule in the late 16th century.
Although he had warmly welcomed Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and was baptized Catholic in his youth, he abandoned his faith in later years and built a temple for a diwata with the help of a babaylan, Pagali as a protest against the Spaniards. Together with his son, three followers, and a babaylan, Bancao was later executed. His severed head was impaled on a bamboo stake and was publicly displayed as a warning.
Leyte was again placed on the world map when on October 20, 1944, Gen. Douglas MacArthur who headed the largest US fleet, landed on Palo, Leyte and made true his promise to reclaim the Philippines from the Japanese forces. MacArthur’s “I Shall Return” scene is immortalized with larger than life bronze statues depicting the liberators.
Then, there is Baybay City. While it is an exceptionally beautiful place with lush mountains, verdant forests and rich marine ecosystem, Baybay is known for its ancestral houses and old churches, including the 18th century Immaculate Concepcion Church. In Brgy. Punta, one can see one of the oldest churches in the Philippines; while Brgy. Pomponan is frequented by devotees of the miraculous St. Anthony de Padua. The town is also home to the Visayas State University, a renowned agricultural university, not only in the Philippines, but also in Asia.
Infinite Possibilities
More than the historical significance of Leyte, the province is a treasure trove of all things majestic. Each town has its own surprises for all types of tourists.
Ormoc City has Lake Danao Natural Park, which is believed to be the home of a giant eel. The lake’s placid water is ideal for kayaking and boating, while the surrounding flora and fauna is perfect for trekking and camping. Of course, don’t forget the sweet and home-grown Queen Pineapple.
The capital of Southern Leyte, Maasin City, is a pilgrim’s paradise because it has several shrines and churches such as the 253-step Our Lady of Assumption Shrine, the mountaintop Manmade Forest Park and Monte Cueva with its larger-than-life Stations of the Cross, and the 18th century Maasin Cathedral.
For a relaxing day of sand, sun and sea, Palompon has one of the best white-sand beaches in the Philippines, maybe even the world, the Kalanggaman Island. A shifting sand bar, the island is a strip of land with an area of less than 10 hectares, situated approximately 12 kilometers from the shoreline of the mainland. The island’s name is coined from the word langgam, which means bird in Visayas. From an aerial view, the island looks like a soaring bird, with its wings spread out.
Another must-visit is the Tabuk Marine Reserve. Here, people can learn about the mangrove ecosystem, the marine animals and plants, and aquaculture.
Leyte is home to some of the most spectacular coral reefs in the world, often forming walls of color or perhaps small patches on sandy slopes waiting to be explored. Padre Burgos is a good jump off point of the diving sites because it is within the Sogod Bay, which is home to a huge diversity of creatures ranging from the pygmy seahorses and colourful fish species. For whale sharks sightings, head to Pintuyan.
Leyte, as well as the rest of the region, certainly has infinite possibilities that could be explored.
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