Joanna Marie Maglangit (visayas provinces)

Baclayon Church
La Purisima Concepcion de la Virgen Maria Parish Church (also The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary Parish Church), commonly
known as Baclayon Church, is a Roman Catholic Church in the municipality of Baclayon, Bohol, Philippines within the jurisdiction of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Tagbilaran. Baclayon was founded by the Jesuit priest Juan de Torres and Gabriel Sánchez in 1596, and became
the oldest Christian settlement in Bohol. It was elevated as a parish in 1717 and the present coral stone church was completed in 1737. The
Augustinian Recollects succeeded the Jesuits in 1768 and heavily renovated the church since then.

The church was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines and a National Historical Landmark by the
National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Together with the churches of Maragondon, Loboc and Guiuan, the Baclayon Church was
formerly included for the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List of the Philippines since 1993 under the collective group of Jesuit Churches of
the Philippines. When a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Bohol and other parts of Central Visayas in 2013, the church building sustained
major damage. Reconstruction by the National Museum of the Philippines started in 2013, and was completed in 2017
 Magellan Shrine
The Magellan Shrine is a large memorial tower erected in 1866 in honor of the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan on the Mactan Island of
Cebu, the Philippines. The spot is believed to be the site where Magellan was killed in the 1521 Battle of Mactan.

Also inside the Mactan Shrine and just meters away from the Lapu Lapu Shrine is the Magellan Shrine.
This monument was raised to Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese navigator who commanded the Spanish fleet sent out by the Spanish king
Charles I (later the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V) in 1519 to find a western sea route to Asia (via the southern tip of South America) and the
spices, such as nutmeg and cloves, that the "Spice Islands" (now known as the Moluccas and part of Indonesia) produced.
Europe needed those spices to preserve and spice foods in that pre-refrigeration era. This is why the route is often called the "spice route".
A western route to Asia (via South America) had to be found by Spain as its rival, Portugal, already dominated the eastern route to Asia (via the
Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa).

The Magellan Monument was built in 1866 by the Spanish colonial rulers of the Philippines. On one side Magellan's name is written in the
original Portuguese language. On a second side is a dedication to "Spanish glory". On a third side is the name of the Spanish governor of the
Philippines of the time (Don Miguel Creuz) and on the fourth side is the name of the Spanish monarch of the time (Queen Ysabel II).

Although Magellan is now regarded by many Filipino historians as the "enemy" who was killed by the national hero, Lapu Lapu, Magellan is
still remembered as the person who brought Christianity to the Philippines (commemorated by Magellan's Cross Memorial in Cebu City) and as
the commander of the fleet which achieved the first ever circumnavigation of the earth.
 Plaza Libertad
Formerly known as Plaza Alfonso XII, the Plaza Libertad is one the six plazas scattered among the districts of Iloilo City. Most, if not all of the
plazas found in the city are of Spanish influence. The plazas are beautifully landscaped and are surrounded by essential establishment such as a
town center, a police station, schools and a public market. One of the more popular plazas found in the city is Plaza Libertad.
Located at the end of Calle Real, Plaza Libertad has served as a leisure place for residents of Iloilo. It has been witness to important and
historical events in Iloilo and in the Philippines. One of which is the raising of the first Philippine flag after the Spaniards surrendered Iloilo on
December 25, 1898.

Plaza Libertad is surrounded by different government offices, numerous banks and ancestral houses. On the Northwest face of the plaza is the
newly constructed Iloilo City Hall. On the other side of the plaza is the San Jose Parish Church. It is the home of the Santo Nino during the
Dinagyang Festival. Built by the Jesuits in 1607, it is the first church in the city of Iloilo. During World War II, the church was saved from
being bombed by the Americans and renovated from 1980-82. To this day, it is one of the few parishes in the Philippines under the
Augustinians.

At the center of the plaza stands a monument of the Philippines’ national hero, Jose Rizal and is just one of the many monuments in the city
dedicated to Dr. Jose Rizal.