Puerto Princesa's Plaza Cuartel

by lakwatserong tatay

After our visit to Immaculate Conception Cathedral, before going back to Manny's Guest House, to get some of our remaining stuffs, and also to have our final lunch at Puerto Princesa in Balinsasayaw Restaurant. We had a quick stop and roamed around a historical place called now as Plaza Cuartel.

Plaza Cuartel is near the wharf of Puerto Princesa fronting a good view of the blue ocean. Right nowm this place is part of town plaza complex. It is easy to locate by going to the opposite side of Immaculate Conception Cathedral, the city's main cathedral.

Entrance of Plaza Cuartel

The plaza has a bronze marker that contains the name of the evelen prisoners of war (POW) who managed to survive the horrible massacre that happened in this place. The bronze marker serves as the marker of the main underground bunker existed. These bunkers became the cage of the fortunate prisoners.

Tribute Marker to the POW's

 This tragic event happened when the World War II was about to end. The Plaza Cuartel was a garrison of Spaniards, overtook by the Americans and then by Japanese Regime. When this Japanese soldiers realized that they were losing the war, they put all of their prisoners in the dungeon, poured out drums of petroleum over them and lite them up alive. This story was narrated by the eleven survivors....

Historical Marker

This is the words from the marker......

"Sa pool na ito na dating tanggulang militar noong Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig naganap ang pagsunog ng mga sundalong hapon sa humigit kumulang 150 amerikanong bihag ng digma noong 14 Disyembre 1944. Ilang nakaligtas ay lumangoy sa dagat patungong Iwahig. Ang mga labi ng nasawi ay dinala at inilibing sa St. Louis County sa isang panlahatang libingan sa Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery Missouri, Estados Unidos, 1952."

Ttranslated to English words....



"In this place which was a military fort of World War II, the burning of more or less 150 American POW was done by the Japanese soldiers on December 14, 1944. Some managed to survive by swimming their way out from the sea to Iwahig. The remains of those who died were brought and buried in St. Louis County, used to be an overall cemetery in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery Missouri, United States, 1952."

After the World War, the Americans took control of the place once again until it was passed to the Constabulary. Later on, it was given to the National Police. In 1997, this place was renovated and became a leisure park of Palaweños.

The Plaza Cuartel

This park is open daily from 8am to 6pm, admission is free. Strolling and enjoying the scenery of the plaza, is one of the best reason why locals visit the park daily. This park is a good spot to take a rest and enjoy the beauty of nature by looking out to the clear blue sea of Palawan. Aside from being a nature lover, the park also has a lot of story to tell, that until now some are not revealed. Plaza Cuartel has a colorful history because of the events that happened here during the World War II.

Lakwatserong Tatay x-plored this place...^_^

As i start to create this blog for Palawan, specially this Plaza Cuartel, i'm just thinking that i got a photo opps of this park, but as my research gone thru, this place is really one significant place that should be marked on our history, due to the tragic event happened wayback December 14, 1944. To be more specific of this date and sad to say, this was also my birthdate that's why this park would be always on my mind, reminding me that in the same month and day, almost 150 person was burned out alive. It is a sad reality but it is our remains of our past, that we should always be thank of.

Two more to go and my Palawan series would be finished.....^_^.

This story is part of: Five Days Trip at Palawan

Immaculate Conception Cathedral

The Century Old Cathedral of Puerto Princesa

by lakwatserong tatay

In every place that i've visited, i never missed out to visit this spot, a church. Aside from seeking guidance and asking for a safety trip. Seeing different churches makes me always wondering how it was built and constructed, of course this kind of churches that is century-old and considered as a historical evidence for our culture and our past...^_^

Catholicism is one of the influences of the Spaniards that still remains up to this day and one big reason why we do have so many old churches on our country. Cathedrals that are built wayback 1800's is still existing today, which this church belongs.

Immaculate Conception Cathedral

The cathedral was built during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines in the late part of 1800's. Since then, it has become part of every Palaweños spiritual refuge. Father Antonio Muro leveled a portion of a hill to make way for a chapel, where the same location of the cathedral, this used to be a small church during the Spanisih occupation (1872).

In 1961, it was developed to become a cathedral. Although there were developments made, the church edifice was preserved. Its design, as you may have notice, has angular structures. The arches inside and outside the church are pointed.

Historically, the place was named after Princess Eulalia of Spain, born in 1864 to Quenn Isabel II and her consort. Dr. Francisco de Asis. When the princess suffered an untimely death, the Queen changed the name to Puerto de la Princesa. In years, the name was eventually reduced to Puerto Princesa.

Church Altar

Immaculate Conception Cathedral stands on a hill near the pier and its spires serve as a landmark for navigating your way around Puerto Princesa, located exactly in Rizal Street, Brgy. Liwanag. This church is one of the tourist attractions in the city because of its architectural site aside from being a historical place, because of its angular structures and the color combination decoration of white and blue. Yet, it is so simple but its angular structures made it simply amazing.

Choir Area

During our visit to the cathedral, I saw a handful of locals and even tourist, that are reciting their prayers and offering some sampaguitas to different saints in the church. According to Kuya Manny, this is one of the reasons why this church became popular due to its countless blessings and miracles granted by the town patroness.

Different saint are present inside this Church

In line with this, and if your lucky to be on this place during the Feast of Immaculate Conception, it is celebrated every November 28 to December 8, which coincides with the founding anniversary of Puerto Princesa City.

Bowl of Blessed Holy Water

Tips on how to get to the cathedral is by riding a tricycle, and just tell the driver to drop you off in the cathedral.

One last shot....^_^

Lakwatserong Tatay is here...^_^

Wow, o diba ngaun makadiyos naman ako...^_^. But seriously speaking, in every time i'm going out of towns, this spot is the most important on my itinerary. It's always a good habit reciting prayers and asking for the guidance of our Lord in each of our trips. Because he is only the one who could see what could happen on each of our trips and even daily routines.

At last, 3 more stories to go......finish na po un Palawan Series ko...^_^.
This story is part of: Five Days Trip at Palawan

A Glimpse of Palawan Museum

All About Palawan's Heritage
by lakwatserong tatay

As a backpacker, i usually visit different scenic and tourist spots that i've been with. Normally going to beaches, falls and some other attractions that mostly tourist and vacationers are going. But not all of this tourist, specially locals like us, don't want to go to museum, and to know our historical backgrounds and our country's cultural heritage, but they do not have a choice because of the tour package, that they're availing visiting this wonderful and very informative museum are included on this tour package. But on my personal perspective visiting musuems and being aware of each of everyone's cultural heritage is one great experience that is really a worth trying, giving the chance to have a glympse of their past and seeing different artifacts is such a awesome experience and looking back to their past how they live, is a very valuable knowledge that you may used when you visit different towns and having the knowledge how to communicate and easily learn their culture is really an advantage.....^_^

Palawan Musuem is a worth visit if you're interested in the ethnological and archaelogical history of the Palawan. Located in the Old City Hall Bldg in Mendoza Park, it has two floors of exhibits. Items include Chinese- and Spanish-era pottery and relics, as well as prehistoric artifacts from Tabon Caves. The exhibits upstairs identifies the various peoples who lives in Palawan and called it home.

Palawan Musuem

Palawan Museum was formally opened on March 4, 1991, organized by the Natural and Historical Foundation of Palawan and the City of Puerto Princesa, Inc., in 1987. The building was renovated in 1992 and turnover of the Old City Hall to the foundation was conducted by Hon. Edward S. Hagedorn on March 4, 1993.

Inaguration Marker

Palawan is home to 87 different cultural groups and races. It homes 3 National Cultural Treasures. The Tagbanuas, one of the indigenous groups in Palawan, are one of the few remaining ethnoliguistic groups in our country, that uses syllabic writing prior to the coming of the Spaniards, which been declared by UNESCO in 1999 as "Memory of the World".

This museum was created for serving as a center and repository of relics and artifacts in Palawan, as a genuine source of the rich natural and historical legacy of Palawan and as a source of a growing collection and reference of Palawan's cultural heritage.

This museum is dived into different sections namely the anthropology, archaeology, biology, ethnology and historical sections. Also a library is found within Palawan Museum which composed of donations from their partners of hard to finds books of its archaeology, history, culture and ethnology, anthropology that are all about Palawan and the world.

Palawan Natural History Section

Here are some of the photos around the Underwater Archaeology section, this sections keeps a collection of marine shells that can be found in Palawan including the very rare Conus Gloria Maris and the Golden Cowrie, sad to say i do not have a photo souvenir of that marine collections, but i was able to have some shots of its other marine collections, corals, shells and a miniture boat during Pre-historic era's on Palawan.

Coral collections



Shell collections

Underwater Archaelogical Section

A miniture boat (I forgot to get the name of this boat)....^_^

Anthropology Section - this section features a skull cap of Tabon Man found in Palawan, now can ben seen in Palawan Museum. Tabon man refers to fossilized human remains discovered on the island of Palawan on May 28, 1962 by Dr. Robert b. Fox, an American anthropologist of the National Musuem. These remains, the fossilized fragments of a skull and jawbone of the three individuals, were the earliest human remains known as "Tabon Man" after the Tabon Cave, the place where they were found on the wst coast of Palawan. Tabon Cave appears to be a kind of Stone Age factory, with both finished stone flake tools and waste core flakes having been found at four separate levels in the main chamber. Charcoal left from three assemblages of cooking fires there has been Radio Carbon-14 technique to be around 23,000 BCE.

Tabon Man Skull

Ethnology section is all about the showcase of cultural materials from the paraphernalia of a significant ritual like the Pagdiwata of the Tagbanua to rodinary tools, fishing and hunting equipments baskets, woven out of indigenous materials colored wth natural dyes that retain their color even under the heat of the sun.

Ethnology Section

Here some of the items and artifacts that you could on this section.

Ming Dynasty Wares

Some of the artifacts that has been recovered in some of the shipwrecks across the island. It said to be this white and blue porcelain plates and wares are from the time of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Archaeology Section is all about pre-historic artifacts that came from caves, shipwrecks and some recovered items in different places in Palawan. One of the main highlight on this section is the Manunggul Burial Jar (Carbon dated as Late Neolithic Period). The jar covers features a ship of the dead with 2 oarsmen. This is the only jar of this period that has been recovered intact, therefore it was been declared as a National Cultural Treasure, and used to be the Logo of Palawan Museum.

Manunggul Burial Jar (approx. 800BC - found in Tabon Caves)

Other features of this section include jars from the Sung Dynasty (960-1279) recovered from land and underwater excavations in Southern Palawan.

Some of the Jars and Porcelain Wares on Archaeology Section

Traditional Baskets from Palawan

One last souvenir shot from Palawan Museum....the museum hours....sayang wala ako photo opps dito...^_^

You can visit Palawan Musuem....^_^

I'm always telling my co-trippers in each of my trips that one thing to know more about the culture and heritage of the places that we've been with is to visit this kind of institutions. Because exploring different places without knowing their culture or heritage, on how or what you will treat their place would bring you and your group into trouble or a scenario. So always be prepared it is not necessary to visit a museum before you will explore the place but just study the basic traits and culture of each places that you've been, for you and your group will have a pleasant trip experience.

Wow, bigla ako naging makahistory and naging panatiko ng mga museo, although i really love visiting different kind of museums, because iba yung experience pagnakapasok ka and matapos mo yung tour, one thing that you will learn and could share to your kids, on how we will treasure our past and our own cultural heritages and traits.....^_^

Hayan, tapos na ulit ang isa....4 stories to go...tapos ko na po at last ang Palawan Trip ko, and sobra na ang dami ng backlog stories ko...sana bago matapos 2011...matapos ko siya....hehehehe...^_^.

Palawan Musuem

Old City Hall Building
Mendoza Park, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Phils.

Tel. no. : +63-048-433-2963

Musuem Hours:

  Monday - Saturdays             8:30am - 12:00nn

  Monday - Saturdays             1:30pm - 5:30pm
  Sunday                                 Closed

Entrance Fees:

 Adult (Local & Foreign)        Php20.00

 College (Local)                     Php10.00

 High School (Local)              Php5.00

 Children                                Php2.00  

For more information about Palawan Musuem...just click this website..: Palawan Musuem

special thanks to: Carlo, for sharing some of his photos....^_^

This story is part of: Five Days Trip at Palawan

Souvenir Shop: Tiangge Tiangge of Palawan

The No.1 Pasalubong & Souvenir Center in Puerto Princesa 
by lakwatserong tatay

Every tourist have one thing in common, when visiting different places. For me, there are three principles that is always occur, first to see the beautiful sites and spots of the place you've visited, second, eat and dining experience would also be a good remembrance in visiting different places and last one, and for me, the most important one, the souvenir shops and outlets, most of the tourist don't miss to do this, buying or getting something for your own remembrance, pasalubong's and serves as an artifact or souvenir that you've been to this place......^_^.

Tiangge Tiangge......

Like any tourist destination, there are many souvenir items for sale at every tourist site in Palawan. In each place you visited in Palawan, there are vendors and souvenir outlets on each of this tourist sites that sells souvenir items such as t-shirts, fancy pearls jewelries, ref magnets, key chains and etc. You may think that is affordable. Thanks to Kuya Ronald for bringing us to this best place and the no.1 pasalubong shopping center of Puerto Princesa: "Tiangge Tiangge".

In Tiangge Tiangge, there is an Air Conditioned Tiangge and the regular Non-Aircon Tiangge. The Air Con is a one stop shop for your souvenirs. Here you can find cheap t-shirts, local food delicacies, Palawan pearls (loose pearls as jewelry), faux crystal bracelets, native trinkets, woodcrafts and a lot more. One most unique thing on Cora's Palawan Pearls and Souvenir Shop (Air Conditioned Shop).

Cora's Palawan Pearls & Souvenir Shop

Some unique features with this store. The prices on this souvenir shop are not yet fixed, so don't hesitate or be shy to haggle for a discount. There's a BDO Credit Card Logo, so i guess they accept credit cards here. This shop is also only the air-con store in Tiangge Tiangge, so you can shop in comfort even if you have a hard time deciding what to buy yet, and one thing i really found out, most of the tourist guides, encourage all of the tourist to go in this store instead of the non-aircon stalls, you will found it. why?....

The Non-Aircon Tiangge Tiangge....

Tiangge Tiangge is a non-aircon area where you can choose from a clusters of stalls selling souvenir and "pasalubong" items. Previously i've said why you should not go on this section because of few things, it is not necessarily a cheaper place, because i canvassed some items and ironically, the items sold in this non-aircon area are more expensive, and quite outdated in style. One more thing that i've found out the salesladies or store keepers are quite cranky when you hold/examine an item but don't but it. Infact i've heard someone saying...."hawak ng hawak, hindi naman bibilhin." This is not a good trait to a tourist or buyers like us. But it is really up to you trippers, tourists and even local buyers, where you will buy your souvenir items, competition has its advantage after all, im just only sharing my experience.....^_^.

Items For Sale in Tiangge Tiangge.

How to get in here:1. If your in Tour Package, Tourist guides usually bring the guest in this place.

2. Backpack way - just hail a tricycle and tell the driver to take you to Tiangge Tiangge. Landmark is Jollibee. Trike fare is from Php10-15/person, depending on the distance of the ride.

Below are some of our photo opps while raiding the Cora's Palawan Pearls and Souvenir Shop at Tiangge Tiangge.

Ano ba talaga tinitignan mo...Carlo?...hmmmm..

Trippers photo souvenir...talagan naman....^_^

Lakwatserong Tatay X-plored Tiangge Tiangge.....

So you can travel light in Palawan and just come here and buy some extra shirts. Happy shopping and travelling.....!!!!!!

Cora's Palawan Pearl & Souvenir Shop
Tiangge Tiangge

Lacao corner Carandang St., Puerto Princesa City, Palawan
Tel. no.: (048) 434-6041

**Disclaimer: This story is not made for Cora's Palawan Pearl & Souvenir Shop, it is just based to our trip experience...^_^.

This story is part of : Five Days of Trip at Palawan