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Revisiting
The Past With The Future Generation – A Virtual History
Lesson
Guest Traveler: Tonette Consuelo
It was summer time once again. Schools were
out and to parents like me this meant getting creative with
ideas on how to keep the little ones busy (read as not bored)
at home.
For this year, my husband and I decided to
go local on our vacation plans. Yes we wanted to cut on cost
but did not want to compromise on the richness of our two sons'
summer experience. So, we decided on a theme for our summer
destinations - A Historic Summer. This was fitting as my seven-year
old grade schooler was just developing a fascination with Jose
Rizal. And so it came to past and last summer, we explored local
sceneries to introduce Filipino history and heritage to our
kids, with focus on the life and heroism of our national hero,
Jose Rizal.
It was a trip that I highly recommend to families!
For my kids, it was a virtual history lesson,
fun learning outside school. And for me, it was an excellent
time to bond and play teacher to my children (got to review
my history too!) - a great chance to inculcate sense of national
pride and patriotism in their young minds. It is never too early
to start them on these, you know!
Some of our destinations are enumerated below.
I would also like to share with you some historical trivia/facts
that we picked up along the way.
INTRAMUROS
Our first destination was Intramuros. We went to the Fort Santiago
where my boys got close and a little personal with our national
hero Dr. Jose Rizal. We were lucky enough to chance upon an
exhibit, which showcased the Rizal family's furniture and memorabilia.
To their young eyes, most fascinating was seeing some of Rizal's
personal effects such as his clothes, medical instruments and
even his bed as a young boy in Calamba. On the foreground of
the Fort, my two boys got a kick re-tracing Rizal's footsteps
from his dungeon to his execution place in Bagumbayan.
Then we headed to the Casa Manila-- an old
Spanish house that was turned into a museum. The furniture and
furnishing were representations of how Manilans lived during
the Spaniard colonial era. The boys learned about the courtyard,
entrasuelo, oratorio and others.
Right across Casa Manila was the San Agustin
Church-- the oldest stone church in the Philippines. We also
viewed its very rich museum, which showcased religious relics
and artwork. It was also here were the remains of notable church
patrons such as Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, Juan Luna and Pedro
Taverna lie.
LUNETA
My son who idolizes Dr. Jose Rizal was just so excited to see
the Rizal Monument at the Luneta Park. Can you imagine the look
on his face when he found out that beneath the grand marker
lies the hero’s remains no less. Ah priceless! Just across
the monument was the actual site of Rizal’s execution.
We learned that his "firing squad" was made up of
in fact eight Filipino shooters all serving under the Spanish
army. Rizal Park was called Luneta in the early American occupation
time, but was initially known as Bagumbayan (New Town) during
the Spanish colonialization era.
CALAMBA
Off we went to Calamba (Laguna), the birthplace of Dr. Jose
Rizal. The streets in this town were surprisingly busy but remain
very “provincial”. Peddlers on the side of the streets
selling all sorts of goodies you can imagine --steamed corn,
lanzones, shing-a-ling, banana cue, sago, and more! Traffic
was a free-for-all, vehicles of all types on the roads merged
with groups of people (yes, they seem to walk in groups in Calamba-
laughing and talking animatedly unmindful of the traffic). I
tell you my kids enjoyed this part of the trip- their faces
remained stuck on the car windows learning and absorbing the
unfamiliarity of such new scene.
And of course, we went to the house-turned-museum
where the Rizal family lived, and where the young "Pepe"
spent his growing up years. He was just like any other kid -he
loved to play especially with his sisters in the "bahay
kubo" in the yard. And he had a pet dog too! He also loved
to do art work- and we enjoyed peering through his drawings
and pottery on display.
Tonette is a proud and happy mom whose
passion for traveling ranks up there with family.
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