REGION VII CENTRAL VISAYAS PLACES OF INTEREST IN CENTRAL VISAYAS Magellan's Cross Magellan's Cross is a Christian cross planted

d by Portuguese, and Spanish explorers as ordered by Ferdinand Magellan upon arriving in Cebu in the Philippines on (depending on source) April 14 or 21, 1521.This cross is housed in a chapel next to the Basilica Minore del Santo Nio on Magallanes Street (Magallanes being the Spanish name of Magellan), just in front of the city center of Cebu City. A sign below the cross describes the original cross is encased inside the wooden cross that is found in the center of the chapel. This is to protect the original cross from people who chipped away parts of the cross for souvenir purposes or in the belief that the cross possesses miraculous powers. Magellan shrine

The Magellan shrine is a large memorial tower erected in honor of the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. The spot is believed to be the area were Magellan was killed in the Battle of Mactan on 1521, Philippines. The monument measures 30 metres high and it is located in the place of Punta Engao, Mactan Island, Cebu. Lapu-Lapu shrine

The Lapu-Lapu shrine is a 20 metres (66 ft) bronze statue in Punta Engao, City of Lapu-Lapu, Cebu, Philippines, erected in honor of Datu Lapu-Lapu, a native leader who defeated Spanish soldiers and where the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was killed in the midst of the Battle of Mactan on 1521.

Sandugo Monument The Sandugo Monument, or the Bohol Blood Compact Site is 15-20 minutes away from the port of Tagbilaran City, Bohol in the Philippines. It is in the modern area of Loay. The site is located near the beach where the Spaniards landed on 1565. It is a replica of what happened during the Sandugo. Sandugo is a combination of the Filipino words Isang Dugo or One Blood. When the Spanish arrived in Bohol, the people were hostile in welcoming them as they thought they were Portugese. But Legazpi convinced them that they were Spaniards and they come in good will. The Blood Compact was performed on March 16, 1565 between Miguel Lopez de Legazpi a Spanish Explorer and Datu Sikatuna the chieftain of Bohol to seal their comradeship. Blood Compact is considered as a tribal tradition and is the first treaty of friendship between the Filipinos and the Spaniards. Chocolate Hills The Chocolate Hills is a geological formation in Bohol Province, Philippines.[1] There are at least 1,260 hills but there may be as many as 1,776 hills spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometres (20 sq mi).[2] They are covered in green grass that turns brown (like chocolate) during the dry season, hence the name. The Chocolate Hills is a famous tourist attraction of Bohol. They are featured in the provincial flag and seal to symbolize the abundance of natural attractions in the province.[3] They are in the Philippine Tourism Authority's list of tourist destinations in the Philippines;[4] they have been declared the country's third National Geological Monument and proposed for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Siquijor/Isla Del Fuego Siquijor is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. Its capital is the municipality also named Siquijor. Siquijor is the third smallest province in the country, in terms of population as well as land area (after Camiguin and Batanes). For a time it was part of Negros Oriental.During the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines, the Spaniards called the island as Island of Fire (Spanish: Isla del Fuego). Siquijor is commonly associated with mystic traditions that the island's growing tourism industry capitalizes on.

Cambuganay Falls Cambugahay Falls is the most famous waterfalls in Siquijor Island. See its several levels of waterfalls and enjoy its cool and refreshing waters. Secluded and relatively unexplored, the waterfalls surely invite trekkers for a refreshing dip. Cambugahay Falls is located in the town of Lazi in Siquijor. It is approximately a five minute motorcycle ride and another five minute inland trek to Cambugahay Falls from Lazi Church and Convent. Capilay Spring

One of the main tourist attractions in Siquijor is the Capilay Spring Park located in the town of San Juan. This natural spring pool is situated at the very heart of the town park. San Juan is located at the southwestern portion of Siquijor province. Capilay Spring Park has a pool with three chambers. The upper pool where the springs are located, the second one is where the swimming pool is, and the third one is the laundry pool, also known as the "river" which is located by the road. This park is accented with big trees which could give cool shades to its visitors. Kiosks are also found by the pool side for convenience. Cantabon Cave Cantabon Cave is about 300 meters long and 10 meters wide, with a cathedral ceiling and flooring glimmering with stalactites and stalagmites of different shapes and sizes. The cave has since been the subject of studies by scientists. Prof. Leonel Chiong, a geologist from Silliman University in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, said the mineral deposits inside the Cantabon Cave are important to geologists and other savants in tracing the geological history of the Philippines. Since word spread about the cave, thousands of local and foreign visitors have come to experience the Aladdin-like atmosphere amidst the jewel-like crystalline stalactites and stalagmites. In the middle of the cave is a small natural pool with crystal-clear cool water, while water cascades from invisible springs all around.

Silliman University Silliman University (also referred to as Silliman or SU) is a private research university in Dumaguete, Philippines.[9] Established in 1901 as Silliman Institute by the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, it is the first American private university in the country.[10] The university is named after Dr. Horace Brinsmade Silliman, a retired businessman and philanthropist from Cohoes, New York who gave the initial sum of $10,000 to start the school. Starting as an elementary school for boys, the school expanded to become a college in 1910, acquiring university status in 1938. For the first half of the 20th century, Silliman was run and operated by Americans. After the Second World War Filipinos began to assume more important positions, culminating in the appointment of Silliman's first Filipino president in 1952. REGION VIII EASTERN VISAYAS PLACES OF INTEREST OF EASTERN VISAYAS

Balangiga Church

The best known feature of Balangiga Church is not found in town but in two US military bases in mainland United States and in Korea. These are the churchs three bells looted as war booty after the orgy of killing and destruction ordered by Brig Gen. Jacob Smith. Leyte Landing Monument

The Leyte Landing Memorial is a memorial to the landing of General Douglas MacArthur and his men at Red Beach. It is located in Candahug, a barangay of the municipality of Palo in the province of Leyte, part of the Visayas. Also known as the MacArthur Landing Memorial Park, the memorial consists of larger-than-life bronze statues of the general with other men, including then Philippine president Sergio Osmea, Jr., standing in a manmade pool. The memorial was erected in tribute to MacArthurs fulfillment of his promise to return to the Philippines after it was occupied by the Japanese during World War II in the Philippines. The Japanese Occupation of the Philippines ended soon after

MacArthur landed at Red Beach on October 20, 1944 with 225,000 troops and 600 ships. The anniversary of this event is commemorated annually at the park with a reenactment of the famous landing, attended by local and foreign dignitaries. Santo Nio Shrine and Heritage Museum

The Santo Nio Shrine, one of the 29 presidential rest houses that the late Pres. Ferdinand Marcos had built. There is an Olympic sized swimming pool the behind the building. The entrance to the Santo Nio Shrine. The Santo Nio is at the far end of the entrance. On both sides are a number of guest rooms with various themes. Santo Nio, a representation of the infant Jesus Christ, is the patron saint of Leyte. It is located in Real Street, Tacloban City. Paintings of the 14 stations of the Cross done by Filipino artists, wooden bas-relief of the legend of the First Filipino man-woman (Si Malakas at si Maganda); tastefully decorated guestrooms of varied Filipino motifs; image of the Holy Child; a collection of original paintings by Fernando Amorsolo; spacious ballroom; priceless. collector's. San Juanico Bridge

The San Juanico Bridge, part of the Pan-Philippine Highway, stretches from Samar to Leyte across the San Juanico Strait in the Philippines. Its longest length is a steel girder viaduct built on reinforced concrete piers, and its main span is of an archshaped truss design. With a total length of 2.16 kilometers (1.34 mi),[1] it is the longest bridge in the Philippines spanning a body of seawater. It is considered one of the most beautifully designed bridges in Philippines.[2] The bridge has 43 spans and medium size boats can pass beneath its large main arch the top of which rises 41 meters above the sea.[1] Construction commenced in 1969 over San Juanico Strait from Cabalawan, Tacloban City to the municipality of Santa Rita, Samar, with completion in 1973.

REGION IX ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA PLACES OF INTEREST IN ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA Pasonanca Park

Located about seven kilometers from the city center, Pasonanca Park is the premier outdoor recreation site in Zamboanga City. The park, whose construction started in 1912, is home to various species of trees, flowers, ferns, shrubs, and orchids. It is also known as the Little Baguio of the South. Pasonanca Park has three swimming pools, an amphitheater, a convention center, and a campsite. Dapitan The City of Dapitan (Subanen: Gembagel G'benwa Dapitan/Bagbenwa Dapitan, Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Dapitan, Spanish/Chavacano: Ciudad de Dapitan) is a 6th class city in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 77,441 inhabitants. It is historically significant as being the place where the national hero, Jose Rizal was exiled by the Spaniards and is known as the "Shrine City in the Philippines." The city also boasts of Fantasyland, the first amusement park in the Visayas-Mindanao region. Dapitan is notoriously known as the principal base of the infamous Jalosjos political clan. Rizal Shrine

Rizal Shrine (Zamboanga del Norte) located in Dapitan City, it is where our Dr. Jose P. Rizal spent his last four years in exile. The shrine itself is a house there were several structures in the area that was used by Rizal, and at the present it was restored to its original state. Within the compound is a rocky promontory where Dr Rizal composed the famous poem, Mi Retiro. That spot is labeled as the Mi Retiro rock overlooking the sea.

Fort Pilar

The Royal Fort of Our Virgin Lady of the Pillar of Zaragoza (commonly known as Fort Pilar) is a 17th century military defense fortress built by the Spanish colonial government in Zamboanga City, Philippines. The fort, which is now a regional museum of the National Museum of the Philippines, is the major landmark of Zamboanga City and a symbol of the city's cultural heritage. Outside the eastern wall is a Marian shrine dedicated to Our Lady of the Pillar, the patroness of the city.