During World War II, Fort Santiago was captured by the Japanese Imperial Army, and used its prisons and dungeons including the storage cells and gunpowder magazines for hundreds of prisoners who were killed near the end of the war. The fort sustained heavy damage from American and Filipino military mortar shells during the Battle of Manila in February 1945. Also, approximately 600 American prisoners of war died of suffocation or hunger after being held in extremely tight quarters in the dungeons at Fort Santiago. -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Santiago
I went to the reconstructed main gate of Fort Santiago. It was nice there. I felt happy because I saw there and it made me inspired. I'm just imaging I was crying, hurt, scared and escaped when the World War 2 came here and they fought. I hope the war will be stopped. *peace of Philippines.
These are the famous GOMBURZA – martyr priests Gomez, Burgos and Zamora.
Gomburza or GOMBURZA is an acronym denoting the surnames of the priests Mariano Gomez, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, three Filipino priests who were executed on 17 February 1872 at Luneta Park in Bagumbayan, Philippines by Spanish colonial authorities on charges of subversion arising from the 1872 Cavite mutiny. Their execution had a profound effect on many Filipinos; José Rizal, the national hero, would dedicate his novel El filibusterismo to their memory.
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gomburza
As shown, Jose Rizal before his final hours. Jose Rizal’s last foot prints in Fort Santiago started here (in this cell)
Rizal Shrine inside Fort Santiago has a museum.
(June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896, Bagumbayan), was a Filipino polymath, patriot and the most prominent advocate for reform in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is regarded as the foremost Filipino patriot and is listed as one of the national heroes of the Philippines by National Heroes Committee.[2] His execution by the Spanish in 1896, a date marked annually as Rizal Day, a Philippine national holiday, was one of the causes of the Philippine Revolution. SOURCE: Wikipedia("Jose_Rizal")
(June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896, Bagumbayan), was a Filipino polymath, patriot and the most prominent advocate for reform in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is regarded as the foremost Filipino patriot and is listed as one of the national heroes of the Philippines by National Heroes Committee.[2] His execution by the Spanish in 1896, a date marked annually as Rizal Day, a Philippine national holiday, was one of the causes of the Philippine Revolution. SOURCE: Wikipedia("Jose_Rizal")
These are inside the Fort Santiago. I saw old pictures, clothes, writing, o'clock and old houses. They are really nice. I wish I will be living to past life and seeing everything and what happened to them. I will learn about it so we can share to other filipino people to be aware and know the history of this.
Philippines Heroes :) |
Located inside the walled city of Intramuros in Manila lies Fort Santiago, the oldest Spanish fortress in the Philippines. Strategically located near the mouth of the Pasig River just off Manila Bay, Fort Santiago was built in 1571. Originally the site of a Muslim kingdom headed by Rajah Sulaiman the area was destroyed by Spaniards and the fort was built and soon became the main defense fortress during the spice trade with the Americas. - http://www.thetravellingfool.com/fort-santiago-manila-philippines/