As many Rizal Park patrons now, which would account to a great majority of Metro Manilans at least, the park offers more than the Rizal Monument. Many of which have become popular spots among longtime patrons of the park. One of those classic park attractions would the Flower Clock, which has been around since at least the 1960’s. It was recently renovated with the help of a private entity, though some have noted the older version of the Flower Clock looked better than the current one.
-
-
Rizal Park, Part 4: the Rizal element
Of course, no trip to Rizal Park would be complete without a visit to the main attraction of the park, none other than the Rizal Monument itself. While this monument serves to represent the greatness of the country’s national hero, it is also a symbol of the way things work in the country, of how plans don’t turn out the way they’re supposed to be, for the better or otherwise. As I mentioned some posts ago, the Americans when they gazed upon what was then Bagumbayan Field already saw it as a potential center of the burgeoning power of the United States in the Philippines. And with Burnham’s vision of…
-
Rizal Park, Part 3
It is interesting to note that much the sights of Rizal Park that we see today were opened only from the 1960’s-onwards, by the time the park was placed under the administration of the National Parks Development Committee. (NPDC) Most of these improvements came under the term of the NPDC’s long-time head, journalist Teodoro Valencia. Thus, in his honor, the rotonda plaza between the National Museum and Tourism buildings known as Agrifina Circle was renamed as the Valencia Circle.
-
Rizal Park, Part 2: from National Capitol to National Park
As the foundations of Spanish rule in the Philippines began to crumble as a result of the Philippine Revolution, the Americans “defeated” the Spanish forces during the Spanish-American war in 1898, the result of which was the takeover of the United States over the country by yearend. Despite the fierce resistance of the Filipino forces as the Revolution raged on, the Americans wasted no time in trying to cement their rule over the archipelago, with the virtues, visions, and ideals that America cherished. In the case of Manila, the Americans dreamed of giving the city a makeover from its Spanish heritage into a cosmopolitan American city. To be specific, a…