HISTORICAL SHRINES

•Historical shrines are small areas or monuments dedicated to someone.

•A place known as the site of a historical event.
• A place or structure esteemed for its importance or centrality as history or the arts; a place or structure designed as a
monument to someone or something.
•A location where an important event in the life of a person, or nation happened.
Selected Historical Shrines in the Philippines
1.The Rizal Monument
• memorial to Dr. Jose Rizal, the country’s national hero, located at the Luneta Park in Manila, is considered as the
leading historical shrine in the country.
•The monument has a standing bronze sculpture of Rizal, with an obelisk made of unpolished granite set on a stone base.
•It was designed by Richard Kissling, a French artist. It’s original title was Motto Stella which means “guiding star in
Latin.
•It is a mausoleum type of granite structure, 12.7 or 42 feet in height. Its construction started in 1908, was completed in
1913, and was opened to the public on December 30, 1913.
•Earlier, on December 30, 1912 on the occasion of Rizal's 16th death anniversary, a solemn procession from the
Ayuntamiento to the Rizal monument was done. One hundred years after, on December 30, 2012, the Knights of Rizal re-
enacted the transfer of Rizal’s remains to the Luneta monument .
• the pedestal of the monument is a plaque which reads: “To the memory of Jose Rizal, patriot and martyr, executed at
Bagumbayan Field, December Thirtieth 1896.”
>The History behind the Rizal Monument
• On September 28, 1901, the Phlippine Commission Act was passed, authorizing the construction of the Rizal monument.
•Stipulated in the Act was the allocation of a land in the Luneta to build a memorial near the area where Rizal fell when he
was executed by the Spaniards on December 30, 1896.
•The monument to be constructed was to have the statue of Rizal and to serve as the hero’s resting place.
•In order to finance the building of the monument, a Rizal commit tasked to raise funds through public solicitations was
set up.
• In 1905, the Committee had raised enough funds to announced the holding of an art competition, inviting both local and
foreign artists to participate.
•1907 was set as the deadline for the submission of a scale model for the Rizal monument. The grand prize winner would
receive a cash prize of P5,000.00 and P100,000.00 contract to build the monument.
•There were fourty artists who submitted their Scale models for the monument Among the entries, ten were selected as
finalists. Some of the titles of the scale models were: Noli Me Tangere
-Motto Stella 1906, -Al Martir de Bagumbayan, -Eripitur Persona Manet Res, -F.F, -Victoria, -Maria Clara.
•The scale models of the finalists were exhibited at the Marble Hall of the Ayuntamento in Intramuros Frank Smith, then
American Governor of the Philippines headed the board of judges.
•The grand prize was awarded to boseto No. 21, Al Martr de Bagumbayan, by Carlo Nicoli of Carara, ltaly.
•Boseto No. 9 designed by Richard Kissling entitled Motto de Stella got the second prize. He received a cash prize of P2,
000.00.
>Why did the contract to build the Rizal monument not given to Nicoli who was awarded the first prize?
•First, Nicoli’s design was so intricate that it would cost more than P100, 000.00 the amount of the budget for the
monument. Because of the intricacy of the Nicoli design, the intricate parts would have to be installed outside of the
Philippines.
• Second, that for the design to be faithfully executed, Carara marble must be used which would be in violation of what
was stipulated in the contract, i.e, the use of local materials.
• Third, Nicoli failed to post the P20, 000.00 bond required as assurance that the project would be finished

2.Fort Santiago.
•It is one of the most important historical sites in Metro Manila. Located within the once-upon-a-time Walled City or
Intramuros as a defense fortress.
•It was named after Spain’s patron saint, St., James (Santiago in Spanish).
•Fort Santiago is located at the mouth of the Pasig River with a perimeter of 2,030 feet and is nearly triangular in form.
•This bastioned fort was originally designed by Architect Gomez Perez Dasmarinas while the design of the renovated fort
was done by Architect Fernando aldes y Tamon.
• was constructed in 1590, was completed in 1593, and underwent renovation n 1733.
•Fort Santiago was once a palisaded fort of Rajah Matanda. It was destroyed by Martin de Goite in 1570 during the fights
with the Muslim natives when they captured Manila.
•They started building it after the establishment of the City of Manila under the Spanish rule on June 2, 1571.
•The first fort built by the Spaniards was of palm logs and earth structure which was destroyed by the Chinese pirates
when they invaded Manila under the leadership of Limahong.
•After the Chinese had been driven out of the archipelago, the Spaniards started rebuilding the tort using hard stone. Its
ornate gate was constructed in 1714. The front edifice of the fort was destroyed by the strong earthquake in 1880.
•In 1762, the British under the leadership of Brigadier General William Draper and Rear Admiral Samuel Cornish invaded
and captured Manila. The Royal Navy utilized the fort as its base of operations until April 1764 when a ceasefire between
the British and the Spaniards was agreed.
•It was In Fort Santiago where the American flag was raised on August 13, 1898 to signify the American occupation of
the Philippine islands and the start of American rule.
•During the Battle of Manila in February 1945, 600 American prisoners of war died of suffocation and hunger in the
dungeons of the fort.
•In 1950, it was declared as a Shrine of Freedom. Now a historical park. Today. The Intramuros Administration manages
its reconstruction, maintenance and management.
3.The Aguinaldo Shrine
•Is the center of the country’s Independence Day commemoration every June 12.
•Built in 1845, this ancestral mansion of Emilio Aguinaldo underwent renovations in 1849 and 1919.
•An American era Filipino colonial bahay na bato, it It has a floor area of 1,324 Sq. meters and was formerly made of
wood and thatch. It was in this house where Aguinaldo was born on March 22, 1869
• It is a very historic house. It was from its front window where the Philippine Independence on Spain was proclaimed on
June 12, 1898 and the Philippine flag designed by Aguinaldo was mally unfurled. On the grounds of this house, the San
Francisco de Malabon band played the Philippine National Anthem.
•The renovated mansion was designed by Aguinaldo himself. It has secret passages and places for documents and
weapons.
•Behind the house is a marble tomb where lie the remains of Aguinaldo.
•The mansion was declared a national shrine on June 18, 1964, the year when Aguinaldo died at the age of 94.
•The declaration was through RA No. 4039 Signed oy Tormer President Diosdado Macapagal
4.Corregidor
•It is a tadpole-shaped isle which in the past was a simple fishing village with a lighthouse and Signal station for all ships
entering and leaving Manila Bay.
•The lighthouse on Topside, built in 1853, IS one of the oldest landmarks in Corregidor. This lighthouse was damaged
during the siege or Corregidor.
•It was reconstructed in the 1950s with a different design when the Americans occupied the Philippines, realizing the
strategic location of the island as a defense against enemies.
• The fall of Corregidor to the hands of Japanese Imperial Army ended the Japanese campaign for the occupation of the
Philippines. During this battle, the Japanese Imperial Army with its strong 75,000 troops engaged the 13,000 U.S. and
Filipino troops which the latter fought courageously despite the monstrous strength of the Japanese Imperial Army.
•The battle resulted to 8,000 deaths, 1,000 wounded, and 11,000 POWs on the part of the U.S.-Filipino troops and 9,000
killed and 1,200 wounded on the part of the Japanese Imperial Army.
•On the highest part of island, the Corregidor Topside stands the Pacific War Memona a tribute to the thousands of gallant
American and Flipino soldiers who fought and tried to save the complete fall of the Phiippine Commonwealth to the
hands of the Japanese Imperial Army during the Battle of Corregidor fought on May 5-6, 1942.
•This Memorial was built by the Unted States Government at the cost of three million dollars and was completed in 1968.
•At he back of the Pacific War Memorial is the Etemal Flame of Freedom, a 40-feet steel structure done by Aristides
Demetrios.
•At the tail-end of the island is the 6,000 square meter complex designed by Francisco Manosa, with fourteen murals
depicting the heroic battles fought by Filipinos from the 15h century of the present and a Filipino guerrilla statue done by
Manuel Casas.