ACTIVITY 10

OLCA132A056_OCAMPO, ANGELICA H.
TASK 1: Give at least 5 museum/landmark/monument here in the Philippines and explain its
significance.
Rizal Shrine
Being one of the most frequented historical and tourist sites in Laguna, Jose Rizal Shrine in
Calamba has an average of 270,000 visitors annually. The museum is a replica of the
ancestral house where Jose Rizal was shaped and molded and who would later become the
finest expression of his race.
With the house destroyed during World War II, President Elpidio Quirino ordered the
reconstruction of the national hero’s home through the supervision of National Artist,
Architect Juan Nakpil. It was inaugurated in 1950. One of the known features of the Spanish-
Colonial house is a deep well that has become a “wishing well” for tourists and visitors. It is
home to various memorabilia, books, manuscripts and artworks that belonged to the
Philippine national hero.
Ayala Museum
Located at the heart of the country’s business district, Makati City, the Ayala Museum is one
of the most important and most visited private museums. It houses a large number of rare
and priceless cultural and historical items not found elsewhere in the country.
For over 40 years, its handcrafted dioramas of Philippine history scenes have impressed
visitors. But the Ayala Museum really has so much more to offer. The Maritime Vessels
Collection of finely crafted ship models paying tribute to ancient boats is worth every visit.
The museum’s fine arts collection, which includes paintings by Juan Luna, Fernando
Amorsolo, and Fernando Zobel, representing Philippine art from the late 19th to the 20th
century, is not one to be missed. It also holds a small collection of ethnographic artifacts of
Filipino minority communities that include tools, weapons, ritual objects, clothing, body
ornaments and musical instruments.
National Museum of the Philippines
The National Museum, officially the Museum of the Filipino People, in Rizal Park, Manila was
originally designed as a public library in 1918 before it was inaugurated on July 16, 1926. In
2003, renovations started to transform it into the National Art Gallery.
The National Museum is the premier institution and repository of the Filipino heritage.
Within its walls are National Art Gallery, Planetarium, and the regional museums. And, this
massive museum offers an enriching visual experience for its visitors with its extensive
archaeological, anthropological, botanical, geological and zoological artifacts and diverse
artworks by local artists.
Banaue Rice Terraces, Ifugao
The Banaue Rice Terraces are one of the most epic landmarks in the Philippines. Scratch
that, it’s absolutely the most epic landmark there. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995,
the rice terraces were once a genius agricultural invention. For more than 2000 years, the
knowledge behind their construction was handed down from one generation to the next,
leading to today’s incredible landscape of great beauty that epitomizes the harmony
between man and nature.
As weird as it sounds, the Banaue Rice Terraces are often overlooked by tourists. The
beaches are indeed the Philippines’ main tourist-magnet, but skipping this glorious marvel is
a tremendous mistake.
Chocolate Hills, Bohol
Undoubtedly one of the most famous and curious landmarks in the Philippines is the
Chocolate Hills. Varying in size from 30 to 120 meters, these 1,268 peculiarly shaped hills are
like nothing else in the world.
The other wordly view is best observed in the summer, when the usually lush mounds turn
brown, earning their ‘Chocolate’ name. Even though the exact way of their formation is not
clear, the locals have plenty of origin legends. My favorite one tells the story of a giant who
used to live in the area. He fell in love with a girl from the village, but the girl didn’t like him
back because he was too fat. The giant was heartbroken and started taking laxatives, thus
creating the Chocolate Hills.