Cemeteries and memorials to visit Philippines

Opposite City Hall. This famous tree was planted by Magellan on April 4, 1521, to mark the spot where the first Christian Filipinos, Rajah Humabon and Queen Juana, were baptized by Brother Pedro Valderama. Some 400 of their descendants followed in their footsteps. The cross is protected by a basilica dating from 1565, which some believe to be the first Christian church in the Philippines. All Southern jeepneys, direction Banawa, Guadalupe, Basak, Labangon, Pardo, etc., lead to the Santo Niño church and the Magellan cross.

Located in the northern part of Binondo's Chinatown, the cemetery was founded in the ^mid-19th century by Lim Ong and Tan Quien Sien (Don Carlos Palanca) in order to facilitate the burial of a large number of Chinese who were not allowed to be buried in the Spanish Catholic cemeteries by the Spanish colonists. The cemetery is very picturesque and covers an area of 54 hectares. Respect for the ancestors and the dead is very important in Chinese communities. Thus, far from being an ordinary cemetery, a little austere, dedicated to death and meditation, this one is a real village in the city where the graves are houses, sometimes equipped with all the necessary comfort (refrigerator, air conditioner, cooking plates, bathroom) so that the families of the deceased are well installed when they come to visit their dead. It is even estimated that about 6,000 people live here, in the mausoleums, waiting for better days. Every Saturday, the cemetery resounds with the presence of its visitors who liven up the place: singing, smells of fake money and burning incense. Its streets are made up of mausoleums richly decorated with marble, wrought iron and stained glass, many even in Art Deco style. A monument houses the ashes of the cremated on two floors and, on the third, the bones of those who will return to their native land, China. The poorest are buried on the left side of the Buddhist temple. An amazing visit!

It is a huge park of 27 hectares, the largest of all Quezon City. It forms a kind of enormous roundabout encircled by the road. In the middle of the park stands the Quezon Memorial, a 66-meter high statue erected in honor of Manuel L. Quezon, the first president of the Philippines in the period of independence under the Commonwealth in 1934. The park is very popular with Filipinos who call it the Circle and come to play sports, picnic or simply to meet and rest.

Located next to the American Cemetery in the Fort Bonifacio area, the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes' Cemetery) is an important place of remembrance for the more than 33,000 Filipino soldiers who died in Bataan, Corregidor and other places during World War II. The cemetery also houses the graves of the Unknown Soldier, Filipino presidents including Fidel Ramos who died in 2022, Filipino artists and other prominent figures.

Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, also known as the Virgin of Antipolo is a wooden image of the Virgin Mary very famous in the Philippines. It is kept in the church of Antipolo, which every year sees thousands of pilgrims flock to admire the icon in summer. The story goes that this miraculous icon has traveled eight times between Manila and Acapulco and has saved many people by warning them of coming disasters.

This memorial was erected to commemorate the celebration of the first mass held in the Philippines in 1521. For the record, there has been a long-running debate (which resumed in 2021 to mark the 500th anniversary of the Christianization of the Philippines) as to where the first mass was held For Magallanes and Butuan, no doubt, it's here, but for Limasawa, south of Leyte, it's on its territory... In any case, in 1521, Ferdinand Magellan landed in the Philippines and celebrated the first mass on March 31, 1521.

It is an important place of remembrance and history and quite overwhelming in its grandeur. It is the cemetery where the majority of American soldiers who lost their sight during World War II, either during the operation in New Guinea or in the Philippines, are buried. In total, there are over 16,000 graves of American soldiers and 500 of Filipino soldiers. The graves are arranged in several arcs. Maps and panels of the war are engraved on the walls recalling the facts, as well as the names of the thousands of missing American soldiers.

Marked by a huge white cross floating on a pontoon, this is one of the island's most popular tourist sites. It is visible from the surface at low tide. It was an earthquake in 1871 that submerged this cemetery, where it is now possible to dive, accompanied by a guide. The nearby church was buried by ash from the eruption of the Daan volcano, which means "old volcano". Only the bell tower and water tower were not completely covered.

Located in the municipality of Palo, ten kilometers south of Tacloban, this memorial commemorates General MacArthur's landing on Leyte, the first island to be liberated from Japanese occupation, on October 20, 1944. This historic event was the largest naval battle in the world. A famous photograph served as the model for this enormous statuary, depicting American soldiers landing on the beach, knee-deep in water.