8/8/2016 10HeritagetownsinthePhilippinesthatyoushouldvisit

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10 heritage towns outside Metro Manila you should visit

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by estan in Places | 40 Comments | May 1, 2014

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Heritage towns in the Philippines are becoming rarer and rarer. With the apathy of most local governments
and Filipinos, much have fallen or disappeared. But there are just some towns and cities that have preserved
their own historical architecture, and with heritage awareness, these ten towns and cities enumerated here
are must visits.

Although many other places around the country should have been included, my objective is to give a more
balanced list of places that can be found in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. I intentionally omitted Metro
Manila, with interesting areas like Malabon and the old quarter of the city of Manila, these will be treated in a
separate post.

For now, the selection here are the best the regions have. Its just a pity that Bicol and the Cagayan Valley
doesnt have much except a sprinkling of old houses and old architecture in most major areas.

Map showing the location of the

heritage towns and cities

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Vigan City, is the Philippiness premier heritage district and UNESCO World Heritage Site

1 Vigan City, Ilocos Sur

Vigan City is the only locality in the country that has preserved much of its Spanish colonial era architecture, from houses, to buildings to religious
structures, thus earning it a listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Beautiful bahay-na-bato houses not only line Calle Crisologo, the main
thorough fare but surrounding streets as well.

Nearby are the old ecclesiastical architecture comprised of the Archibishops Palace, the Cathedral and Belfry. Two historic plazas are just a stones
throw away. Even the cemetery, with its brick perimeter fence and small church, Simbaan a bassit, is still intact.

How to get there: There are planes from Manila to Laoag. From Laoag, there are Manila/Vigan bound buses. Buses from Manila travel to Vigan and

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Laoag.

Malolos City in Bulacan is not only historic but it has lots of interesting ancestral houses and
old churches

2 Malolos City, Bulacan

Malolos City is not only historic, with important events happening especially during the transition from the 19th to the 20th century. It is also rich
in culture and heritage with many ancestral houses found within the town center.

It is also one of very few towns in the country with three Spanish colonial era churches (Barasoain, Malolos Cathedral and Sta. Isabel). The Historic
Town of Malolos is declared National Historical Landmark.

How to get there: There are several buses from Metro Manila, especially in Cubao like Baliuag Bus that travels to Malolos.

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The town center of Pila in Laguna has plenty of heritage houses and other structures

3 Pila, Laguna
Pila is just a beautiful heritage town! Around its spacious plaza are several interesting ancestral houses. The old church is built at one side and the
municipal hall opposite it. Around the town are other heritage structures built from the Spanish to the American colonial periods. The Historic
Town of Pila is declared National Historical Landmark.

How to get there: There are several buses bound for Sta. Cruz, Laguna that passes Pila from Manila in Buendia corner Taft Ave.

READ MORE: Pila: Heritage town, heritage architecture

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Just one of the many ancestral houses in the town of Taal, Batangas

4 Taal, Batangas
Taal town is known as having the biggest church edice in Asia with the Basilica of St. Martin of Tours dominating the town. Less than a kilometer
away is the Shrine of Our Lady of Caysasay and a miraculous well and chapel ruins, both built in the Spanish colonial period.

Around town are also historic and ancestral houses and mansions with some converted to museums or open to the public. The Historic Town of
Taal is declared National Historical Landmark.

How to get there: Buses from Manila to Lemery, then take a jeepney to Taal.

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The Montinola Mansion in Jaro District, Iloilo City

5 Iloilo City
Iloilo is one of the oldest cities in the Philippines and, with its faith, are several Spanish era churches scattered around its old districts. It was also
home of rich sugar barons and once the premier trading hub in the Visayas from the the 19th to the early 20th century.

In the districts of Jaro, Iloilo Downtown, Arevalo, Molo and La Paz, the wealth that was generated has translated into beautiful mansions with
architectural styles ranging from bahay-na-bato to art deco and more modern styles. A walk along Calle Real with many of its old buildings
anking both sides of the street is quite an experience!

How to get there: There are several ights from Manila, Cebu and Davao bound for this city. Passenger ships from Cebu, Manila and boats from
Bacolod also dock at the Iloilo City wharf. Buses also connect the city with Manila.

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The main road at the poblacion of Silay City

6 Silay City, Negros Occidental

Silay City, north of Bacolod City in Negros Occidental is a pretty town with a big plaza infront of a beautiful church. Around the town center are
heritage buildings and almost 30 ancestral houses of which, some have been converted into museums or opened to the public for a fee.

How to get there: Buses bound for San Carlos and the northeastern towns via the coast pass by Silay. There are also several jeepneys that ply the
Bacolod-Silay Route. Planes from Manila and Cebu land at the city airport.

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One of the so called Antillan style houses in the heritage town of Carcar in Cebu

7 Carcar, Cebu
Carcar is the only heritage town in Cebu City with many of its old architecture, ranging from the Spanish to the American colonial periods intact.
From the hill overlooking the town is the beautiful Sta. Catalina de Alexandria Church. Beside it is the old kumbento.

Near the church are American colonial period structures like the Carcar Dispensary, the Sta. Catalina school, the turn of the century public
elementary school. From here, down are several ancestral houses. The town centers rotunda with bandstand is old as well.

How to get there: Vans and jeepneys ply the Cebu City-Carcar route. Buses from the Cebu South Terminal bound for Oslob pass by Carcar.

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One of the old houses in the town of Balingasag, Misamis Oriental. Note the corners of the
house with a carving of men carrying the upper storey at its back.

8 Balingasag, Misamis Oriental

Mindanao has quite a few heritage towns. Most old town centers have a few share of old houses and architecture. However, in Balingasag, there are
several interesting houses around the town proper generally found at the area beyond the right side of the brick church which is one of very few
built during the Spanish colonial period.

How to get there: From the east bound bus terminal at the Agora market/Market City in Cagayan de Oro City, ride a bus that travels to Butuan. Tell
the conductor to stop at the Balingasag junction. Once you get down, ride a traysikad to the town proper.

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Dapitan City in Zamboanga del Norte is not just the place where Jose Rizal spent his exile, it
is also a lovely heritage town

9 Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte

Dapitan City is most known historically as the place of exile of the Philippine National Hero, Jose Rizal. Beyond that though, it is a beautiful
provincial city with beautiful and clean roads, scenic coastline, Spanish era church and buildings. Old houses, from bahay-na-bato to all wood, turn
of the century structures abound.

Theres a wide open plaza lined with century old trees and relief map of Mindanao (both planted and done by Rizal himself). The old town of
Dapitan is a declared Heritage Zone.

How to get there: Planes y from Cebu and Manila to Dipolog and from there, are bus and jeepneys. Boats also sail from Cebu and Dumaguete.

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The Pueblo of Zamboanga City is the old quarter with interesting heritage structures

10 Zamboanga City
Although it has no spanish era church, Zamboanga Citys strip along Valderosa and Rizal Streets from Fort Pilar to the City Hall, the old quarter
called the Pueblo has interesting heritage architectures.

Fort Pilar has its Marian religious devotion at one side of the fortication which dates to the 18th century. From here to the main city center are
several turn of the century and American Colonial period houses and government buildings. The century old acacia trees along Rizal St. are
specically protected by the local government.

How to get there: Planes from Manila, Cebu and Davao y to Zamboanga City. Boats also sail to this city from Cebu. There are also buses from
Cagayan de Oro, Ozamiz, Pagadian and Dipolog.

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