At Fort Santiago, Manila with My Friend Sir Ruben

We went to one of the government agencies in Intramuros area and visited that agency for something we have been doing for months now. After having stayed for awhile, Sir Ruben invited me to have a walk inside Intramuros of which I accepted right away. I took some shots but was not satisfied with it – there were many students! Then we decided to went back to his car and rode to Fort Santiago of which he also invited me to go there.

Sir Ruben, at the Fort Santiago Park, Fort Santiago, Manila

Me, at the Plaza Arma Park, Fort Santiago, Manila

Once there, we got tickets so that we may enter the Fort Santiago Park first. Adults – 75.00, children – 50.00. The park was neat and clean – and green.

Upon entering the park, you shall see this!

Fort Santiago Park, showing the domes of the Manila Cathedral

You will also see inside the park some of the canons used in World War I, and some of the Japanese bombs that were not able to detonate during the war. Wanna see these big toys? Here they are below:

Big stuff, huh!

Be careful with these toys!

Then, after having seen the park, we proceeded to the main entrance to Fort Santiago. I remember our fort there in Zamboanga City upon seeing this one. Almost its architecture and shape are identical to Fort del Pilar in mi ciudad de Zamboanga. The images below show the main entrance to the fort itself:

Entrance to Fort Santiago

Once you enter the main gate, you will be petrified by the park that is within the walls of Fort Santiago. This place is called PLAZA ARMAS. Here are the images of the main plaza of the fort:

We then went to Rizal shrine. This is a place where in some things of Jose Rizal were kept. Sir Ruben and I went inside and viewed the thinigs Rizal used during when he was still alive.

Marker to the Shrine

Painting of the Death of the National Hero, entrance of the Shrine

Me of course, with the painting.

After the main entrance we went inside a room which contains the things Rizal used, the first publications of the Novels, the original copy of the the novels, his calling cards and many more. Take a look at these images I took inside the room:

Some of the things Rizal used on display

An original copy of the El Filibuetrismo

An original copy of the Noli Me Tangere

Noli Me Tangere first publication

Moving inside the house, we reached the cell where our national hero was detained before we was taken to Bagumbayan (now Luneta). Here he wrote a letter that was placed inside a lamp for her mother. The images below is a marker of the historical place, and the actual place itself where he was detained before his execution.

Then we went to the second floor to see more of the hero’s things he used when he was still alive in Europe. These things are inside a room called, Silid ng Nalalabi (The Reliquary Room). Here are the pictures I took:

Then, we went outside of the house going to the dungeons, originally containment rooms for artillery and gunpowder. However, because of its close distance to the Pasig River, the dungeons are made into prison cells of the Spaniards.

I went to a part of the fort which was dedicated to the 600 plus Filipinos who were found dead by the Japanese. The historical marker tells us that there were Filipinos who died here in the hands of the Japnese invaders.This be the site:

I also took a picture of the place just below the site described above:

I had a look of the Plaza Armas park and took some shots, showing the back portion of Rizal’s statue and part of the dome of the Manila cathedral at the background facing exit.

After having visited some of the sites found in the fort, we headed to the exit (entrance of the fort). As we move towards exit, I noticed marked footprints on the concrete walkway inside the park (inside Fort Santiago which is Plaza Armas). I learned later on that these are the footprints of our National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, while he was being escorted to Luneta for execution. Here are the images of the footprints:

We went outside of the main Fort Santiago and straight ahead to the Fort Santiago park at the main entrance.Part of the center of the main Fort Santiago Park

One of the domes of the Manila Cathedral

Portion of the main Fort Santiago Park

Exit to the main Fort Santiago park, showing Palacio del Gobernador at far background

Fort Santiago is such a historical place where you will learn more about our National Hero, Jose Rizal, and all things that he used during when he was still alive, in the final hours of his life before he was executed at Luneta. I recommend, especially children, to visit this site. You shall feel an aura of having drawn back to the past and experience having in a  place where our national hero stayed before his death.

Fort Santiago. Such a nice place to visit, such a nice place to learn of the past.