Hi! It’s actually my first time to post here, I’m Florencio but you can call me F for short. I’m from Manila, Philippines and just discovering this community from some notifications that I got. I don’t know if there has been so many post about Manila but since I want to make my first post about my city, let me share to you one of the places in Manila, and will share more soon.
OK, for the first feature I have is the national park of the Philippines and the base reference point or kilometer zero of the country, Rizal Park. Named after the national hero of the Philippines, Dr. Jose Rizal, this is the biggest public park in the country which is also called Luneta because of its “crescent shape”. This park is also where the National Museum of the Philippines is located, particularly the National Museum of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, and National Museum of Art (formerly the Philippine Senate).
The main landmark is the Rizal monument which also houses the remains of the national hero. The farthest side facing Manila bay is the Manila Ocean Park and the Quirino Grandstand. This is where national gatherings like Independence day parade, and the feast of the Black Nazarene is held. There were also international events held here like the Papal visits in 1995 and 2015, the closing ceremony of the 2005 SEA Games to name a few.
It is also where the highest flagpole in the country is seen, any traveler to Manila should have a selfie at this park. Plus there is also many activities held in special areas of the park like the Chinese Garden, Japanese Garden, The Orchidarium, and the Open Air Auditorium. The park is filled with a lot of people wanting to have that feel of freedom from the concrete metropolis. It’s also a few step from the historical district of Intramuros, but let’s talk about that next time.
And to end the tour is the far end of the park connected to Taft Avenue where you can also see the relief map of the Philippines complete with the islands and mountains of the country. Note that these were taken before the quarantine and I never get tired to admiring the things yo can do with this park. And that’s just one of the many things you can do in Manila.
I hope once the pandemic is over, and if you ever come here, I can tour you around and experience the beauty and fun chaos of the city of Manila!