7 Places to Visit When in Tacloban City
Tacloban City was one of the cities and municipalities that were severely damaged by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) back in 2013. But despite the tragedy, the City was rebuilt with the help of non-government organisations, the international community and with the Philippine government. Tacloban City is rising again and ready for local and foreign tourists. Here are 7 places to visit when you are in Tacloban City, Leyte.
1. San Juanico Bridge
This bridge connects the islands of Leyte and Samar. It is 2.16 kilometers long. Formerly called the Marcos bridge in honor of the late dictator Pres. Ferdinand Marcos. The San Juanico Bridge is the longest bridge in the Philippines. The bridge is also said to be a gift of the late president to his wife who was a resident of Tacloban city during her youth. If you plan to walk the bridge, best time is before 8am or after 4pm due to the temperature. You will surely feel the vibration every time a vehicle passes by. The bridge has side walks on both sides for walkers and joggers. The bridge is also guarded by soldiers. There are instances when tourist in cars would stop in the middle of the bridge and soldiers would tell them to get off the bridge. From downtown Tacloban, you’ll need to ride a jeepney or a multicab north bound. Public vehicles in route to Basey, Sta. Rita, and San Juanico and multicab bound to Peerless are sample vehicles you can use to reach the bridge.
2. Sto. Niño Church of Tacloban City
Santo Niño Church also known as the “Church of Liberation” is located at the corner of Real and Zamora Streets. Basically the church occupies an entire block. It houses the image of Santo Niño, patron saint of Leyte, knowns as “El Capitan”, which was lost at sea on its way to Manila in 1889 and was recovered almost six months later by fishermen from Semirara Island.
3. Sto. Niño Shrine Tacloban City
The Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum in Tacloban City was built in the late 1970’s in the dying days of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ two-decade reign. It is located along Real Street. It looks like just an ordinary mansion, but inside, it houses a chapel for the Leyte’s Patron Sto. Niño, several rooms with their own motifs, a grand ballroom, beautifully crafted furniture, and priceless artifacts, such as paintings, ivory sculptures, antique collections and religious relics. There is an entrance fee of Php 200.00 per person.
4. McArthur Landing Memorial Park
The park is 6.78 hectares wide, near the coast in Barangay Candahug Palo, Leyte. The center of interest in the park are the seven double-life-sized bronze statues of little depth man-made pool portraying the historic A-Day landing as captured in the iconic photo by Gaetano Faillace. You can have pictures taken with the statues in the pool. One of the bronze statue was knocked down during Yolanda’s passing. Down the road from McArthur park into the center of the government circle, you’ll see a statue of a boy scout running, holding a flag and a plant. It is said that the statue is in honor of the boy (who last we heard is still alive but old) who used flags to signal general McArthur’s ships.
5. Korean Veteran Memorial Park
Korean Veteran Memorial Park or Araw Memorial Park is situated at Barangay Candahug, Palo, Leyte. This is to honor the friendship between the Koreans and the Filipino people. The Philippines aided South Korean in the Korean War way back 1950s and the Koreans aided in the rehabilitation during the aftermath of Yolanda and was one of the most noticeable presence during this time. The Korean Veteran Memorial Park opened in December 5, 2014. There are rock formations and statues in the site.
6. Yolanda Memorial Monument
The Yolanda Memorial Monument is situated in Sagkahan District, Tacloban City beside Tacloban City Convention center, also known as “Astrodome”. This marker was unveiled on the 2nd year anniversary of the Super Typhoon Yolanda. The astrodome was an evacuation area of approximately 8 thousand people during Yolanda’s rampage.Luckily, people sheltered there survived. As of now, the area around the monument is under construction. The city is building a play ground.
7. M/V Eva Jocelyn Yolanda Memorial Marker
This is one of the 8 cargo ships that were swept in land by the storm surge caused by Super Typhoon Yolanda. After the storm, people found M/V Eva Jocelyn situated in the middle of the road 10s of meters from the coast line in Anibong District, Tacloban City. The company that owned the ship started to turn it’s rear facing the sea, but people started to rebuild their houses near the coast line. The company (or the city) then started to tear the ship apart. Considering the damage the ship got and the cost it would take to tear it apart and rebuild, we assume the company decided to leave it and donate it to the city instead leaving on the bow of the ship in tact. The Sangguniang panglungsod of Tacloban City decided to make it a memorial marker in honor of the victims of Yolanda. If you visit this marker, you can go to the Bow of the ship and take a pictures.
