TACLOBAN CITY DAY TOUR

Tacloban City Day Tour

(Part 1)

Thanks to my friend for a sumptuous lunch at Jo’s Chicken Inasal Milagrina. Our gastronomical experience was undeniably insane.

There was no way for us to waste any second we had in the city. Right after our lunch, we headed for some historical landmarks.

Sites:

1. Anibong Yolanda Memorial

2. San Juanico Bridge

3. Yolanda victims’ mass grave

4. Korean Park

5. Santo Nino Shrine

6. MacArthur Shrine

7. Santo Nino Church

Anibong Yolanda Memorial

On our way to San Juanico Bridge, we had a couple of minutes at Anibong Yolanda Memorial site. It was actually a ship brought by Typhoon Yolanda and hit a small community located along the coastline. The city government made the front part of the ship, named M/V Eva Jocelyn, a trace of the Taclobanons’ deplorable past.

The site is free of charge.

 San Juanico Bridge

Do you know that the construction of this bridge costs virtually 3 million dollars?!

It stretches from Samar to Leyte with a total length of exactly 1.34 miles or 2.16 kilometers. It is actually considered as the longest bridge in the Philippines. 

The bridge curves to a letter S on the side of Samar and letter L on the side of Leyte. It is believed that this structure is a gift to the former first lady, Imelda Marcos, given by the late Ferdinand Marcos.

It took 15 years to be back on magnificent bridge of San Juanico. It was such a surreal feeling to have seen and stood on a structure such this, truly mesmerizing up close and from a far.

Tip: Before going onto the bridge, you can have a picture on the bridge’s name located at entryway if you’ll coming from Leyte side. Basically, stopping in the middle of or anywhere on the bridge is strictly prohibited. But it only takes guts to do this and achieve the Instagram-quality of photos; you just need to be absolutely quick or be caught by the authority.

Yolanda Victims’ Mass Grave

There were thousands of casualties and some were missing. The city was under the state of calamity during the Yolanda tragedy. Almost every Taclobanons were in total shock. The only and easy way to eradicate the spreading smell from the dead bodies is by mass grave. The city has some areas where mass grave was forced to be made. To name a few, you can see one behind Sto Nino Church, and another one in a roundabout somewhere in the city.

In fact, every November 5^th, people of Tacloban pay tribute and pray for the souls of the victims, survivors, and the families whose spirits are still recuperating.

Tip: In respect to the victims of the calamity, it’s a big no no to take a selfie on this particular site.

Korean Park

Korean Park is built in conjunction to the joint support of the Republic of Korea to the Philippine government for the recovery of the entire Leyte Province brought by Typhoon Yolanda. The group was called ‘Araw’ Contingent, who by no means, wholeheartedly extended their hands to the victims of Yolanda. 

The contingent aimed to accomplish essential tasks such as public facility rehabilitation, re-construction of water supply, construction of vocational schools, clearing operation of the debris, and giving medical support and Korean language classes to the masses. Moreover, across from the park, you can see vehicles including army trucks, dump trucks, SUV, a mini bus, and some cargo vessels used as temporary shelters and/or their receiving areas. All of which were donated by the Korean government. 

You’ll probably think that this is quite boring, but you might be wrong. You may ready your mobile phones or digital cameras as you find your best angle and have a selfie with some statues placed in different areas of the park.

This site is free for public. 

Next Topic: Tacloban City Tour (part 2)

Blogger's Note

Please be informed that details are subject to change at any time, particularly the price, location, and contact numbers. I, therefore advise you to visit their website or email ahead for confirmation when making your itinerary. The blogger cannot be held responsible for the experiences of the readers while travelling.