Melo Villareal
4 Philippine Heritage Towns And Cities You Should Visit Next Summer
The Philippines is famous for its natural attractions, but it is also becoming increasingly popular abroad for its heritage landmarks left from its colonial past. The capital of Manila, itself, has a lot of old buildings left over from the Spanish and American times.
Here are four other cities outside the capital you should consider visiting next summer for their heritage landmarks:
Vigan, Ilocos Sur
No list of Philippine heritage towns is ever complete without Vigan. This UNESCO World Heritage Center was a major economic center in northern Luzon during the Spanish era as exhibited by the gorgeous old houses on Mena Crisologo, which used to house Filipino-Chinese traders during the peak of the transactions with China.
Also Read: Top 10 Hotels in Vigan
Heritage lovers would also be delighted by the Archbishop’s Palace, the St. Paul’s Cathedral, the City Hall along with the Provincial Capitol in Plaza Salcedo.
Carcar, Cebu
Cebu is one big heritage island but Carcar is one special city for heritage enthusiasts as it is full of houses preserved from the Spanish and American eras. While more famous for its shoes, lechon, ampao (rice sweets) and chicharon, it is also known for the Carcar Rotunda and the Saint Catherine of Alexandria Parish Church. The Rizal Monument and Carcar dispensary are also must-gos.
Taal, Batangas
Named due to its proximity to nearby Taal Lake and Taal Volcano, the town is considered a heritage landmark by the National Historical Institute for its rows of centurys-old bahay na bato ancestral stone houses which recalls Castillan architecture.
One of the town’s main attractions is the Basilica of St. Martins of Tours, considered the biggest Catholic church in Asia. It is also the church with the only silver-plated tabernacles in the country. There is also the Escuela Pia, which once served as the primary education center of the town’s principalia. You can also visit the Marcela Agoncillo Museum, famous for being the house where the first Philippine flag was sown.
Jimenez, Misamis Occidental
Just a few hours of travel from Iligan, Jimenez is not only noted for its balikbayan culture. It is also becoming increasingly prominent as a heritage town in the southern side of the archipelago. There are at least 70 heritage structures within its borders, 30 of which are identified as such by the municipal government while the others are only listed as heritage structures as identified by the National Heritage Law of 2009.
Visit the Old Bacarro Printing Press for a peek at some Japanese-era bills. This structure served as the home of the Aldrec Tac-An Nacion family before it was used as a printing press for emergency money during the occupation. The San Juan Bautista Church is also a good site as it is one of the oldest churches in the country.
