SOUTH EAST ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, INC.

National Highway, Crossing Rubber, Tupi, South Cotabato

GENERAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

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LEARNING MODULE
FOR
GE 112: READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

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WEEK 17

GE 112: Readings in Philippine History

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 WEEK 17
Interacting with History through Historical Shrines and Museums

We have been discussing ways to study the past through variety of sources available to us.
While research is a valuable tool to learn more about the experiences of the nation and our
history, there exists venues where we can experience history, and these are through historical
shrines and museums.

These venues for living history provide us a certain level of authority and trustworthiness
that could impact the way we view the past. Through interacting with artifacts such as a World
War II rifle or the clothes of a Filipino hero, we can better imagine the past beyond the mere
letter and words we read and painstakingly memorize. These tangible objects are
reconstructions of the past; experiencing these artifacts directly is the next best thing to actually
being there when a particular event happened or a when a historical personality lived. These
firsthand experiences make historical events more real for us; and research shows that learning
by experiencing aids with retention of the learning later in life.

Historical shrines and museums serve as portals to the past. But one must also take note
that visiting a museum entails preparation. In the course of your study, you are bound to visit
one or two of these sites. Once you know what you will be visiting, it is essential to do a
background reading on the place you will visit so that you may know what to expect and you
can situate the importance of the place you will be visiting in the national historical narrative. For
example, a visit to the Rizal Shrine in Calamba, Laguna, will be more enriching if you are able to
do a little reading about Jose Rizal’s early life.

Upon arriving in the historical shrine or museum, one thing that you can do is to look for the
historical marker. These markers put up by the National Historical Commission of the
Philippines (NHCP, or formerly National Historical Institute or NHI) provide the basic details on
what makes a certain site historical. These markers ensue that the site where it is located is
indeed, of historical and cultural value to the nation.

The instructor or professor, who handles your course and who will organize your visit to the
shrine or museum, should provide you with a handout or a worksheet to accomplish while in the
site, and maybe, he may assign you to write a reflection paper that should represent your own
critical evaluation of the site. That is why it is important to spend time reading the captions/texts
accompanying the artifacts or exhibits on display. Some museums and shrines allow mobile
photography and may even encourage you to take “selfies” while in the site. Take the
opportunity to be able to retain more of the information being presented by these sites so that
you may be guided once you are to write the paper required by your instructor or professor.

Shrines and museums are a lot more interactive now, aided by the available technology.
Take the chance and participate in these interactive opportunities to experience history
firsthand. Watch the videos, listen to the sounds, and enjoy the experience. This is also a great
chance to analyze the artifacts since artifacts are also texts that are open for reading,
interpretation, criticism, and evaluation.

12 Famous Monuments and Shrines in the Philippines that you should Visit

The Philippines is not only an archipelago with

beautiful beaches, colorful festivals and hospitable
people but also a country that is rich in historical
heritage and landmarks. If you are travelling
across the islands of the Philippines, you will not
only be travelling through different places but also
through different historical points in time. Here are
12 famous monuments and shrines in the
Philippines that you can add to your travel bucket
list.

GE 112: Readings in Philippine History

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 1. Rizal Monument (Bantayog ni Jose Rizal)

Basic information:
Location: Rizal Park (Luneta), Manila
Designer: Richard Kissling
Date of inauguration: December 30 , 1913
Dedicated to: To the memory of José Rizal,
patriot and martyr.

Why you should visit it:

The monument of Rizal in Rizal Park (Luneta)
is considered by many as the most popular,
most visited and most photographed
monument in the Philippines. It housed the
remains of Jose Rizal, a Filipino nationalist,
novelist, poet, journalist, ophthalmologist, and
a national hero.

Rizal wrote the novels Noli Me Tangere and El

Filibusterismo to expose the cruelty and
injustice of the Spanish ruling government in
the Philippines during his time. Because of his
revolutionary writings, he was executed by a
firing squad in Luneta on December 30, 1896.

There are at least 118 Rizal monuments in the

Philippines and at least 10 in the other parts of
the world. There’s even a replica of the Rizal
monument in Luneta in Madrid, Spain.

2. Bonifacio Monument (Monumento)

Basic information:
Location: Grace Park, Caloocan City, Metro
Manila
Designer: Guillermo Tolentino
Date of inauguration: November 30, 1933
Dedicated to: To the memory of Andrés
Bonifacio, the founder and Supremo of the
Katipunan.
Why you should visit it:
Andres Bonifacio is popularly known as the
father of the Philippine Revolution, and the
founder and Supremo of the Katipunan or the
Samahang Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalang
Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK). He
is an icon of bravery and pride of the
Filipinos.
The monument is one of the most beautiful
works of art in the Philippines. It was
designed by national artist Guillermo
Tolentino, who also sculpted the famous
University of the Philippines’ Oblation statue.
An important historical and cultural landmark
in the Philippines, the monument has
twenty-three figures, including Emilio Jacinto (popularly known as the brains of the
Katipunan ) and the three martyred priests Mariano Gomez, Jose Apolonio Burgos and
Jacinto Zamora (well known by many Filipinos as the GOMBURZA).

GE 112: Readings in Philippine History

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 3. Lapu-Lapu Shrine

Basic information:
Location: Liberty Shrine, Punta Engaño,
Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu
Dedicated to: Lapu-Lapu, a native chieftain of
Mactan who defeated Magellan in the battle of
Mactan in 1521.
Date built: Sometime in 1969 through RA.
5695
Why you should visit it:
Lapu-Lapu is considered as the first Filipino
hero who successfully defended the
Philippines from the Spanish invasion. He’s a
symbol of courage and success in defeating
enemies. In fact, his image is the central
figure in the seal of the Philippine National
Police and the Bureau of Fire Protection.
He is best known as the hero of the Battle of
Mactan on April 27, 1521. The battle of
Mactan stopped the invasion of Magellan in
Cebu and delayed the Spanish occupation of
the islands by over forty years until the
expedition of Miguel López de Legazpi in
1564.
The monument of Lapu-Lapu is located in
Liberty Shrine (Mactan Shrine), where the
historic battle of Mactan took place at dawn
on April 27, 1521. The area is also the place
where Magellan Shrine and the marker of the
spot the Portuguese conquistador were killed
is located.
4. Magellan Shrine

Basic Information
Location: Liberty Shrine (Mactan Shrine), Punta
Engaño, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu
Dedicated to: Portuguese explorer Ferdinand
Magellan
Date built: 1866
Why you should visit it:
The monument of Magellan is the oldest in this list.
It was built in 1866 – that makes the monument
almost 150 years old now. The monument or
shrine of Magellan is just a few steps from the
statue of Lapu-Lapu. Both monuments and other
important markers of events that happened during
the historic battle of Mactan are found in Liberty
Shrine or Mactan Shrine.
Ferdinand Magellan may be remembered by
Filipinos as an enemy of the legendary hero
Lapu-Lapu but the Portuguese explorer is also
recognized by many as the man who brought
Christianity in the Philippines.
The Portuguese explorer is also recognized by the world as the one who organized the
Spanish expedition from 1519 to 1522 that resulted to the first circumnavigation of the
Earth. A few steps from the monument of Magellan is a marker on the exact spot where
the Portuguese explorer was killed during the Battle of Mactan.

GE 112: Readings in Philippine History

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 1. Leyte Landing Monument

Basic information:
Location: MacArthur Landing Memorial
Park, Palo, Leyte
Designer: Anastacio Caedo
Date of inauguration: October 20 1981
Dedicated to: General Douglas
MacArthur, his entourage, and all the
soldiers who fought and died in the
battles of Leyte during the World War II
Why you should visit it:
MacArthur Landing Memorial Park in
Palo beach was the site where the Allied
Forces led by General Douglas
MacArthur landed in Leyte on October
20, 1944. The monument also reminds
us the fulfillment of MacArthur’s iconic
words and promise “I shall return”. The
fulfillment of that promise was the start
of the Leyte invasion and his campaign
to liberate the Philippines from the
Japanese occupation during the World
War II.
This historic event also led to the naval
battle between the Japanese Imperial
Navy and the US Navy (with the help
from the Australian Royal Navy).
The Battles of Leyte Gulf is recognized
by many historians as the largest naval
battle in history.
The Leyte Landing monument is composed of seven double-life-sized bronze statues of
General Douglas MacArthur, Philippine President Sergio Osmeña, Lieutenant General Richard
Sutherland, Brigadier General Carlos P. Romulo, Major General Courtney Whitney, Sergeant
Francisco Salveron and CBS Radio correspondent William J. Dunn.
The monument also resembles the iconic photo of MacArthur and his entourage during the
historic A-Day Landing as captured by Gaetano Faillace.

2. Sandugo (Blood Compact) Shrine

Basic information:
Location: Barangay Bool, Tagbilaran City, Bohol
Designer: Napoleon Abueva
Dedicated to: The peace pact between Datu
Sikatuna and Miguel López de Legazpi in 1565
Why you should visit it:
The province of Bohol in Visayas is not only home
to the magnificent Chocolate Hills and clear water
beaches but also to rich historical sites. One of the
most famous landmarks and historical sites in the
Philippines is the site of the Blood Compact
(Sandugo) between Datu Sikatuna and Miguel
López de Legazpi in 1565 to insure the friendly
relations between the Spaniards and Filipinos.
Among the monuments in this list, the Blood Compact shrine commemorates friendship
rather than battles or wars.
The Blood Compact monument is one of the works of Napoleon Abueva, a Filipino
national artist and also called as the “Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture”.

GE 112: Readings in Philippine History

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 3. Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor)

Basic information:
Location: Mount Samat, Pilar, Bataan,
Philippines
Designer: Lorenzo del Castillo and Napoleon
Abueva
Date built: 1970
Dedicated to: The Soldiers who fought for
freedom in the Battle of Bataan.
Why you should visit it:
Mount Samat in Bataan was the site where
the Philippine and American soldiers took
their last stand against the invading
Japanese forces in the Battle of Bataan.
After a three-month battle, Bataan fell and
surrendered to the Japanese on April 9,
1942. This Japanese victory led to the
infamous Bataan Death March that involved
60,000–80,000 Filipino and American
prisoners of war. The march resulted to more
than 20,000 dead Filipino and American
prisoners of war.
The Shrine of Valor was built not only to
honor the gallantry of the Filipinos who
fought in the Battle of Bataan but to honor all
the brave soldiers who fought and died fighting for our freedom during the Japanese invasion.
To commemorate and honor the heroism and bravery of the soldiers who fought the Japanese
invaders in the Battle of Bataan, the Philippine government declared April 9 as a national
holiday. The day is known as Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor.

8. Sultan Kudarat Monument

Basic information:
Location: Isulan, Sultan Kudarat
Dedicated to: Sultan Kudarat, the Muslim brave
hero and Mindanao’s most powerful ruler.
Why you should visit it:
Sultan Muhammad Dipatuan Kudarat, popularly
known as Sultan Kudarat, is considered as the
greatest Sultan of Maguindanao and the most
powerful Sultan of Mindanao.
His monument located in front of the Provincial
Capitol building of Sultan Kudarat is a testament
of his bravery, ingenuity and relentlessness in
conquering Mindanao and other parts of the
Philippines from the authority of Spain.
The sultan of Maguindanao never allowed the
Spaniards to conquer his sultanate. That is the
reason why Spain failed to invade the whole of
Mindanao and convert the natives to Roman
Catholics.
The valiant ruler of Mindanao was declared a
national hero during the presidency of Ferdinand
Marcos.

GE 112: Readings in Philippine History

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 9. Pinaglabanan Shrine and the Spirit of Pinaglabanan

Basic information:
Location: N. Domingo corner Pinaglabanan Street,
San Juan, Metro Manila
Designer: Eduardo Castrillo (designer of the Spirit
of Pinaglabanan monument)
Date built: 1974
Dedicated to: The brave Katipuneros who fought
and died in that battlefield.
Why you should visit it:
Pinaglabanan Shrine commemorates the Battle of
San Juan del Monte, the first attempt of the
Katipuneros led by Andres Bonifacio and Emilio
Jacinto to fight the Spanish forces in late August of
1896.
Although the battle of San Juan del Monte was won
by the Spaniards, the Katipuneros, who were only
armed with bolos and homemade guns, did not lose
their spirits. The guts and bravery of the Filipinos
who fought during the battle sent a warning to
Spain that their colonization of the Philippines will
soon be over.
The five-hectare Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine
includes the Museo ng Katipunan, the Battle of
Pinaglabanan statue (statue of a woman supported
by two children, holding up a bolo), and the
monument of the Spirit of Pinaglabanan (the
shrine’s centerpiece which is a statue of elongated
figures created by Edgardo Castrillo).

10. Balangiga Encounter Monument

Location: Balangiga, Eastern Samar

Designer: Napoleon Abueva
Date built: September 28, 2003
Dedicated to: The heroism of the local freedom
fighters in Samar
Why you should visit it:
The Balangiga Encounter Monument reminds us that
Filipinos will not back down to fight for freedom
against any foreign invader – even against the
mighty American forces.
On September 28, 1901, the church bells of
Balangiga were rung to signal an attack by native
bolo fighters from Balangiga and the nearby villages
of Lawaan, Giporlos and Quinapondan that killed
more than 50 US soldiers. The encounter, popularly
known as the Balangiga masacre, was described as
the United States Army’s worst defeat during the
Philippine-American War.
The attack outraged Gen. Jacob Smith and
instructed his men to kill all Filipinos who were
capable of bearing arms, including boys over 10 years old. Thousands of locals were
killed and homes were burned under Smith’s order.
The historic bells of the church at Balangiga were taken by the Americans as war booty.
The bells have not yet returned to the town’s church even up to this day.

GE 112: Readings in Philippine History

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 11. Edsa Shrine

Basic information:
Location: Ortigas Center, EDSA corner Ortigas
Avenue, Ugong Norte, Quezon City
Designer: Various artists
Date built: 1989
Dedicated to: The peaceful outcome of the
People Power Revolution in 1986
Why you should visit it:
The EDSA Shrine was originally built to
commemorate the events during the People
Power Revolution and its peaceful outcome.
The People Power Revolution (also called the
EDSA Revolution or the Philippine Revolution
of 1986) was a series of nonviolent
demonstrations joined by over two million
Filipino civilians including several political,
military and religious personalities on February
22-25, 1986.
The people power revolution caused the
departure of the dictator President Ferdinand
Marcos and the restoration of the country’s democracy.
The Shrine includes the seven-meter bronze statue of Our Lady of Peace, sculpted by Virginia
Ty-Navarro . It has also two chapels – the San Lorenzo Ruiz Chapel and the Chapel of
Perpetual Adoration – where catholic devotees can offer a prayer.

12. People Power Monument

Basic information:
Location: Corner of EDSA and White Plains
Avenue in Barangay Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon
City
Designer: Eduardo Castrillo
Date built: 1993
Dedicated to: The brave Filipinos who marched on
the streets of EDSA during the People Power
Revolution in 1986
Why you should visit it:
The monument is about 0.89 kilometers from the
EDSA Shrine. I think it’s a great monument to
represent the People Power Revolution or EDSA
Revolution in 1986.
The Filipinos earned the respect of the world when
they successfully demonstrated the power of the
people without using violence to end dictatorship
and regain democracy in the Philippines.
Final thoughts
The historic monuments and shrines in the
Philippines should remind us about the bravery, struggles and sacrifices made by
Filipinos over hundreds of years to achieve the freedom that we enjoy today.
In the past, they took care of our independence. In this present time, can we take care of
our freedom?
Our heroes paid bloods and lives. Let us visit them, and repay them with respect and
honor.
So, how many of the monuments and shrines above have you visited already? What
other historical landmarks in the Philippines can you add to this list? Feel free to make a
comment below.

GE 112: Readings in Philippine History

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 ACTIVITY #17

Discussion Points and Exercise Questions

Direction: Read and understand this module. Provide what is being asked. Write your answer
in a long bond paper (Hand written) and attached to the last page of this module.

TASKS:
Visit a virtual museum; write a reflection documentary video.

Rubric:
Level Description
Outstanding Well written and very organized. Excellent grammar mechanics. Clear and
concise statements. Excellent effort and presentation with detail. Demonstrates a
thorough understanding of the topics.
Value: 18-20
Level Description
Good Writes fairly clear. Good grammar mechanics. Good presentation and
organization.
Sufficient effort and detail.
Value: 15-17
Level Description
Fair Minimal effort. Good grammar mechanics. Fair presentation. Few supporting
details.
Value: 10-14
Level: Description
Poor Somewhat unclear. Shows little effort. Poor grammar mechanics. Confusing and
incomplete sentences. No organization of thoughts.
Value: 5-9
Level: Description
Very Poor Lacking effort. Very poor grammar mechanic. Very unclear. Doesn’t address
topic. Limited attempt.
Value: 1-5
Level Description
Outstanding Student uses 3 or more sentences in their own words to describe clearly what the
main points are about.
Value: 45-50
Level Description
Good Student uses 3 or less sentences to describe the main points, but not all is in their
own words.
Value: 35-44
Level Description
Fair Student summarizes most of the main points accurately, but has some
misunderstanding and may need to reread or seek tutoring for understanding.
Value: 28-34
Level: Description
Poor Student has difficulty summarizing the main points and needs to see the teacher.
Value: 20-27

End of Seventeenth Week

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GE 112: Readings in Philippine History

SOUTH EAST ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, INC.
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