Revisiting Luneta

It was two decades ago when I last set foot in Luneta for a stroll.  In the 80s, going to Luneta was the best place to be for kids.  That was the in thing at that time. For adults and political matters, Luneta was the best venue to convene.  I remember my family used to go to Luneta park to celebrate our birthdays until the youngest came in.  As far as I can remember, balloons, vendors, photographers, and a lot of people were everywhere in Luneta park.  And it seems there was always festivity on that part of Manila.  

I also enjoyed stargazing while sitting or lying on the grass across Quirino Grandstand, playing in the sand at the playground behind or I think at the side of the grandstand.  I never went abroad, its just that I never had the time or the company to stop and revisit one of  Manila's tourist spots for I was very busy with family, school, friends and work.

Last November 2010, after more than two decades, I finally had a chance to revisit the historical park of Luneta, this time with my own family.

With a fine weather, my family and I went out of our house for a brief tour of Luneta.  We parked near Quirino Grandstand and saw some tourist buses parked in front of it.  Too bad, what the kids remembered about the grandstand was the awful hostage crisis that happened there recently.  So we had to remind them of some historical and significant events that occurred in Quirino Grandstand like the oathtaking of the elected Philippine presidents, concerts, shows, political rallies and even religious conventions.

On our way to Luneta, I had anticipated a lot of changes based on news and word of mouth about its development.  I know what is new to me may not be new to others and possibly been there for years.  But let me remind you that its been decades since I set foot in this historical park.

So after getting off the car, we saw the grandstand and then proceeded to the spot where the statue of a carabao - the country's national animal - is situated.  On our way we discovered the statue of San Lorenzo Ruiz, the Filipino saint.  Soon we found another "new" in the area, the Centennial Clock which bears a marker with a note from our first Philippine president Emilio Aguinaldo.  This is also the location of the so-called Kilometer Zero.

Then we crossed the street using ped xing (pedestrian lane) and learned that there are stanchions or colonnade across the street where the Independence Flagpole and Jose Rizal's monument are located.  The colonnade and stanchions in the area provided security for a historical site as well as discipline and order for tourists and pedestrians.   

We had our photos taken near Rizal's monument which is continuously guarded by ceremonial soldiers.  We also visited the site where our national hero Jose Rizal was executed.  There you will find a huge memorial plaque of Rizal's last letter or poem titled "Mi Ultimo Adios" translated in Pilipino, English and other languages.

A few feet away is the site intended to honor the martyrdom of Filipino priests Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora known as GOMBURZA.  They were charged with subversion and their execution in 1872 left a profound effect on Filipinos including Jose Rizal who dedicated his novel El Filibusterismo to their memory.

Strolling down the park, we came across a number of famous heads in Philippines history lined up on the sides of an on-going construction (this is probably the new and developed fountain area).  Among the historical heads we met were Francisco Dagohoy, Diego Silang, Graciano Lopez-Jaena, Apolinario Mabini, Jose Maria Panganiban, Sultan Kudarat, Gregorio Aglipay, Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Rajah Sulayman, Lapu-Lapu and others.

And speaking of Lapu-Lapu, his shrine at the Luneta is a breathtaking view.  One could see the statue from afar and once you get closer to the shrine, it is an overwhelming site, a recognition due to the Datu of Mactan a very long time ago.  

The Japanese and Chinese gardens were still there and remain to be interesting site for families, group of friends and lovers as well.  Nipa huts which serve as stores has helped eradicate food vendors in the park.

A "new" site called The Orchidarium, unfortunately, was closed for viewing.

With the changes and development I encountered in Luneta Park, it is obvious that more and more people are becoming concerned of this historical landmark.  Plus, the idea of presenting other Filipino heroes will surely help everyone to recognize and be familiar with our ancestors who risked their lives to keep our freedom and democracy.

All in all, I can say the visit was worth it. It brought  back some of my childhood days and at the same time makes me appreciate the changes and development we encountered at the Luneta Park.  Since some of the areas were closed when we visited the park, we'll surely find time to go back to Luneta. #