rizal shrine

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SPANISH PERIODLuneta, alternately called Bagumbayan (in Tagalog new town") was an ancient Tagal town set

upon marshy land and located 1.5 kilometer south of Manila. Roughly it confines

cover what is now Roxas Blvd. Extension in front of old Luneta, P. Burgos St. to Pasig Riverdown to San Luis St. (now T.M. Kalaw), to the beach which is now Roxas Blvd.

It was overlooked by the Spanish conquistadores in favor of Rajah Sulaymanslarge barangaysettlement until its strategic importance was discovered. In 1574, Chinese army led by LimAh Hong attacked Maynila, and Bagumbayan provided a natural barrier for the defense ofthe palisaded city.

In 1601, Bagumbayan was mentioned in the records of the Supreme Court of Spain under theSpanish appellation, Nuevo barrio. The name was later change to Luneta, which in Spain

means a detached, crescent-shaped fort.No piece of land is probably as sacred and hallowed. Between 1823 and 1897, 158 patriots and

martyrs were felled on the square by Spanish infantrymen, including the three priests;Fathers Gomez, Burgos and Zamora. The morning of December 30, 1896 was considered amost memorable day. It was the time when Dr. Jose P. Rizal was executed by the Spanishfriars. It is said that the blood they shed served as a spiritual fertilizer which invigoratedthe Filipino peoples yearning for liberty.


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AMERICAN PERIODIn 1902, during the American occupation of the island, Daniel Burnham, architect and

city planner, chose the Bagumbayan field as the site of the proposed AmericanGovernment center. Spanish Luneta was lengthened towards San Louis St. and

westward towards Manila Bay.

Burnham designed a U-shape composition of buildings but only three were actually

erected-the Congress, Finance and Agriculture (now housing the Department of

Tourism) buildings.

Then the Americans set about building a memorial to honor Dr. Jose P. Rizal, the

national hero. The monument was built with money raised by popular subscription

and with the cooperation of Governor-General William Howard Taft. The memorial

is the work of Swiss sculptor Richard Kissling who cast the bronze figure in

Switzerland. It was completed in 1913, fully 17 years after the hero's execution.

Today, it remains the most revered of the numerous monuments honoring Rizal.

Here, his entered remains are guarded night and day.


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The park area east of the Rizal Monument was renamed Wallance Field. The area

where the memorial stood was called Old Luneta and the part reclaimed from

the sea, where the Quirino Grandstand and New Luneta are now, was known as

Burnham Green.

Wallace Field had an athletic field, often used for rodeo events and as militaryparade grounds. For years, it was leased as the site of the gay Philippine

Carnivals, the countrys much awaited social event. In 1953, Wallace Field was

the site of thefirst Philippine International Fair(image below). After the event,

the site was abandoned and the whole area generally neglected.


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FIRST LADY EVA MACAPAGAL PERIOD

The idea to develop Luneta into a

national park was started when Mrs.

Eva Macapagal, my mom, was still the

First Lady in Malacanang. A

committee headed by her was formedand started to plan out and develop

the park.


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TEODORO F.

VALENCIA PERIOD

Valencia announced publicly that he would try to give themonument and the surrounding area facelift, The originalplan was to clean the monument itself, put it in a few flower

pots to give it some respectability, he said, But and moneystarted flowing in. it was totally unexpected. In one weekstime, P30,000 was easily collected from the civic-spirited.

Valencia and a handful of fellow sympathizers were struck. Theyhad to go ahead and spend the amount accumulated. Theapproach to the monument was cemented, lights were

installed and a few trees were planted. Valencia got thePhilippine Armys approval to put an honor guard.

Then came official support. National Parks DevelopmentCommittee was organized and there was no more stoppingfor the mobilization of the project. First came thebeautification of the sea wall. Then the grandstand wasimproved and completed. The development of the raised

portion facing the grandstand was rushed.


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FIRST LADY IMELDA R.

MARCOS PERIOD

When the First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos took over as chairman of thecommittee (Valencia was designated as vice-chairman), the heart of theproject was in earnest. The area behind the Rizal Monument started toshape up. It was as if the last few pieces had been found to complete the

beautiful giant jigsaw puzzle.By 1966, the pace of the work was fever pitch. Some half a million pesos was

being eaten up by the project every month. News about whatever littleimprovement being done spread quickly until the whole nation stirredwith the desire to see the park improved. Cash donations continued topour in until it finally, P60 million had been spent for the beautification ofthe entire park.

I want it to be


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The money that went into the development of RizalPark came from government corporations, privatebusiness houses, individual donors, taxi drivers,

cocheros, students and plain citizens.What was apparently obvious was that an empty,

dusty wasteland had metamorphosed into abeautiful park. But the sweeter success was the factthat Mrs. Marcos and Valencia had rekindled adormant bayanihan spirit. The spirit which holds uprural life was successfully transplanted to the city.Rizal Park dispelled beliefs that the city folks wereselfish urbanities.

Many professionals and businessmen continued tovolunteer their free services and privatecontributors continued to chip in. The park washelped by budgetary appropriations from the

National Government. The City Government ofManila shouldered the electric bills, provided a 42-men security detail and helped with themaintenance costs. Various sector were stillgalvanized into one and the spirit of civic concernhad not flickered.


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SO WHAT

HAPPENED

TO IT NOW?


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GUESS WHAT!?SOMEONE IS

BUILDING A CONDO

BEHIND ME!!!


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FOR REAL???


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THATS NO BIGGY

BOYS

JUST FIND A

GOOD ANGLE


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SEE THE PHILIPPINES IN A NEW

PERSPECTIVE


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EXPERIENCE THE OLD WAY OF GOING

AROUND


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CAPTURE THE MARTYRDOM OF DR. JOSE

RIZAL

Schedule:

Wed-Sun

8:00 a.m.5:00 p.m.

Guided Tour7:00-7:30 p.m.

Evening Presentation in Filipino

8:00-8:30 p.m.

Evening Presentation in English

Entrance Fees:P 10.00 General Public

(50% discount for students)Guided TourP 50.00 General Public

(50% discount for students)Evening Presentation

The Martyrdom of Dr. Jose Rizal: A Light & Sound Presentation is a

project of the NATIONAL PARKS DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE,

under Executive Director Juliet H. Villegas.


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BE MESMERIZED BY THE NIGHT LIGHTS


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BE REJUVINATED BY

THE LUSH

COLLECTION OFFLORA IN THE HEART

OF THE CITY


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ONLY @

LUNETA BEYONDMONUMENT

rizal shrine

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