Fort Santiago - Manila's Principal Tourist Destination (Manila, Philippines)

Fort Santiago was a formidable fortress standing on a portion of the 64-hectare walled city of Intamuros, guarding the entrance of the Pasig River. When Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, the first governor-general of the Philippines under the Spanish rule, envisioned and founded Intramuros in 1571, this arose from what was once the Muslim settlement of Raja Sulayman. The original fortification was a palisaded structure of logs and earth.

Notorious Chinese pirate Limahong (Lin Feng) invaded and succeeded to destroy the wooden fortress in 1574 but wasn't able to drive away the Spanish forces. Limahong was driven away from China by Emperor Ming so his forces sought refuge in Ilocos Sur where plans of attacking Spanish-held Manila came to a fruition. That time, China had a "no-war" policy with its neighbors, a far-cry from the very arrogant and disruptive stance of the present mainland Chinese leaders who, though they haven't wage physical war, have began claiming lands and shores that are not theirs, bullying the territory's sovereign owners.

Fort Santiago was eventually rebuilt between 1589 and 1592, this time made of stone. Earthquake tore down the fortress. For 2 years, between 1762 and 1764, British occupation army took residence here. But what isn't clear to me was where the whereabouts of the Spaniards at that time. Fort Santiago was occupied by the Japanese military in 1942 where hundreds of civilians and guerrillas were imprisoned, tortured and executed. Thousands of women were made into "comfort women", sex slaves and/or killed. The fort was destroyed in the Battle of Manila in 1945.

It was declared a shrine of freedom in 1950. Restoration work started in 1951.

Its most famous habitue was the Philippines' National Hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal (left), who was imprisoned here on the days before his execution in Luneta in 1896. Here, he wrote his poem, "Mi Ultimo Adios" (The Last Farewell) which was smuggled out of the fortress inside a lamp. These days, the original copy is "entombed" in a small corner that has become a Rizal Shrine which houses other memorabilia.

Fort Santiago, aside from its historical significance, provides scenic views of Manila's riverside promenade and the Pasig River. It is also Manila's number one tourist attraction. If there's only one place to visit in this mostly-transit city (for most foreign visitors at least), this would be it.

Entrance is PhP65 ($1.50). The fortress is open between 8AM and 6 PM, but the Rizal Shrine inside closes at 5PM. I would advise against getting one of those horse-drawn carriages. They charge PhP300 to PhP350 ($6.80-$8) by the hour and some even up the ante at PhP500 ($11.50) even if you've pretty much shook hands on a much lower price. Intramuros is safe; has guards dressed in Katipunero garbs; and there are particular places to check out other than Fort Santiago which is just a corner of the walled city of Intramuros.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Plaza Armas

Above the ramparts

Wouldn't you want a spot here to bask in the sun and watch boats pass by?

Pasig River

Those holes-on-the-floor on the ramparts lead down to prison cells.

Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal is a physician specializing in ophthalmology, not an optometrist. He operated on his mother's cataract.

This leads to the prison cells.

Manuel L. Quezon was the President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines serving between 1935 and 1944.

Intramuros and the Ramparts of a Walled City (Manila, Philippines)

The day before a foreign guest comes for a visit, I decided to check out Intramuros, Old Manila's famed wall city. I've been to Intramuros several times before, but only to Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church to attend weddings and to sing songs for a couple of friends and a relative. I haven't done anything touristy, thus most of what the Lonely Planet mentions, I am a blank. This was why I decided to see the area. Otherwise, how can I be a guide if I haven't partaken the role of a tourist myself.

My destination wasn't the cathedral so I had to take the entrance that leads to the walls of Intramuros; the one near Manila City Hall. I of course was clueless. I didn't read up or google away. I decided I could wing it, like I sometimes do on a foreign land. I walked through one of the entrances near the golf course and found my way to a bevy of esquinitas. There was a school, Lyceum, then the walkways that lead to several ramparts (broad elevations serving as bulwark or defense) on top of the walls.

These ramparts weren't narrow crests but wide open spaces that mainly function these days as a park or a square with nothing  else but cannons and cobbled open spaces. The gates and walls span 4.5 kilometers so there's a lot to cover all the way to Fort Santiago.

Lonely Planet describes thee ramparts as "weedy and seedy". I am not exactly sure for the latter description. The area is after all part of old Manila and thus must cover a bit of urban decay. There are schools nearby. Young people - and lovers - populate the surroundings. There are guards that roam the towers, all decked in katipunero garbs which reminds one that this is still considered a tourist area, though most of the tourists concentrate their meanderings from the side of Fort Santiago. This area is mostly ignored by them.

Elsewhere, there are derelict buildings and horse-drawn carts. There are heritage restaurants and shops near San Agustin Church along General Luna and well preserved establishments along Anda Street. Likewise, there are several museums in the vicinity.

Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi chose to build this fortress where remnants of an Islamic settlement was - by the banks of the Pasig River. It was 1571. Can you imagine what life was like in those incipient epochal years of colonization? Intramuros' cloistered sprawled on an area of 64 hectares. There must have been thousands of untold, albeit colorful tales from hundreds of years spanning its history. The area itself was constantly invaded by Chinese pirates, Dutch forces, British troops, American regimen, Japanese colonizers, etc. Intramuros stood strong and proud until the Battle of Manila.

I was glad to have given this area a visit. Intramuros includes Fort Santiago, Manila Cathedral, Chinese Filipino Museum (Bahay Tsinoy), the shops along the streets of Anda and General Luna, and San Agustin Church. Do they even constitute half of the 64 hectares?

This is the Eye in the Sky!

The way to one of the ramparts.

This is what's above those walls - the ramparts.

Cannons surround the ramparts.

National Hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal

Manila City Hall

A kalesa, horse-drawn cart.