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Weekends in the metro can be as exciting as going out of town for a quick break. I am not talking about hitting the malls but more of doing an “urban hike” to explore the hidden city wonders and the story that go with these spots. The fun part is having no trail to follow but navigating through the city via google map. This was exactly what happened when I decided to “hike” around the district of Paco in Manila.  The district of Paco is an urban community that has a great story too share. Paco is one of the oldest districts in the metro, established in 1580 by Franciscan missionaries. It was originally known as “Dilao” and there are two versions as to why it was called as such. The first version was in reference to the plant “Amaryllis” that grew in abundance in the area while the other version was in reference to the Japanese migrants and refugees who created an enclave in the district. It later adopted the name San Fernando de Dilao with religion fusing into the local culture and then eventually to Paco, short for Francisco. Join me as I got lost in the streets of the district to get a more personal look in its rich and colorful history. Paco Park Paco Park is the district’s tourism icon. It is one of the popular city destination by travelers and photography enthusiasts in Metro Manila because of its beautifully landscaped garden. It has a rich history and is one of the prominent venues that showcases Filipino artists and artistry.  Paco Park is one of the few green open spaces in the metro. Originally referred to as Cementerio General de Dilao, the park was a municipal cemetery in Manila built by the Dominicans as a response to the Cholera Epidemic. It was inaugurated in 1822 to cater to the rich and affluent families that lived in Intramuros. The 3 Martyred Priests, GomBurZa, and Dr. Jose Rizal were initially laid to rest here. It is said that the remains of Rizal was secretly buried here and was discretely marked with “RPJ”, with only the century-old Acacia trees as mute witnesses to the burial. Interment in the cemetery ceased in 1912. It was used as a supplies and arms depot by the Japanese in World War 2. It was declared a National Park in 1966 by President Macapagal. Paco Park was designed in a circular shape with its walls serving as niches and the top of the walls served as promenade areas. A small chapel, the St. Pancratius Chapel, was originally its simborio and is now a fully functional church. The design of the cemetery and its niches were retained during its restoration, with its occupants transferred to other cemeteries, giving it a unique eerie and beautiful vibe. Presently, it is a popular venue for weddings and cultural shows.
Paco Park is one of the few open spaces that we have here in Manila. It has managed to keep its tranquil vibe despite the urban buzz outside its walls. It is great place to escape from the urban jungle within the jungle. You may hear a soft sigh or whisper while there but I guess that adds to thrill of being there. Paco Market Located along Pedro Gil, the Paco Market is one of the oldest markets in the metro. It sits by the banks of the Estero de Paco which made the market accessible to commerce, during early times, via boats. It was one of the modern markets opened in 1912 with Manila Hotel architect William Parsons at the helm of its design. It was home to more than 500 vendors for centuries until it was renovated in 2011.
The Paco Market is still under renovation as of this writing. The renovation is in question by heritage enthusiasts as it working on a new design, keeping only the original facade of the old structure. Once inaugurated, it would be a good subject for my “Palengke Attack”. San Fernando de Dilao Parish Church The first church in Paco was built in 1580 made of bamboo and nipa, in honor of the Our Lady of Purification. It was in 1601 that a stone church was inaugurated and, since then, it had centuries of rough history that left it damaged by man-made and natural calamities. The present structure is a pre-WW2 edifice and one of the structures that survived during the liberation of Manila.  A street view of the Paco Church. Its neo-classical design towers over the skyline of Paco with the two belfries standing over the district like a guardian. Inside the church, you will be amazed by its simple interiors highlighted by its gold-beige altar with a Crucified Christ at its centerpiece. The church has a long-standing devotion to Santo Entierro, the encased image of the dead Christ, located on the left side of the altar. The church is probably one of the biggest Roman Catholic churches that I have seen in the metro. It is elegant and beautiful both inside and out. The structure stands dominantly showing the faith of the locals standing strong through the centuries. Jose Laurel Ancestral House Three blocks away from Paco Church is the ancestral house of Jose Laurel, the 2nd President of the 2nd Philippine Republic. The house was originally built in 1861 and it was acquired by Jose Laurel in 1926. This house was referred to as Villa Penafrancia where the former President lived from 1925 to 1955. It served as one of the three residences of the Laurel’s.  The Laurel ancestral house was one of three homes of former President Laurel. The house, that sits along the corner of Sto. Sepulcro and Penafrancia Streets, is a bahay-na-bato complete with capiz-shell windows. It was inherited by his son Sotelo, who then donated it to the Jose Laurel Memorial Foundation. The house was restored and was inaugurated in 1998 on the birth anniversary of Jose Laurel. Unfortunately, the house is still closed to public viewing because of the pandemic. Plaza Dilao As mentioned earlier, Paco’s original name was Dilao and one of the associations to the name was the enclave established by the Japanese in the area. Plaza Dilao is one of the two open parks in the district and was the former site of the Japanese settlement under Blessed Dom Justo Takayama. Takayama settled in the Philippines in 1615 after he was exiled because of his Christian belief. A statue honoring the Japanese refugee now stands as the centerpiece of the open park.  Plaza Dilao is an open-space park in Paco where the former Japanese enclave once stood. Despite the main thoroughfares snaking around the park, Plaza Dilao serves as a sanctuary of freedom. It is one of the five freedom parks in Manila where peaceful gatherings can be assembled without needing permission from the local government. I just hope that the park will be able to retain its glory despite the developments around it. Paco Railway Station Just right across Plaza Dilao stands the beautiful and, hopefully, not forgotten Old Paco Railway Station. The train station was designed by William Parsons under a Beaux-Arts architectural style. It was opened in 1915 and was part of the Manila Railroad’s South Line. The station was also the site of a bloody battle between Japanese and liberation forces in WW2.  The Old Paco Railway Station was beautifully designed by William Parsons.
The old station was left in disarray and has deteriorated through the years after the war. Despite of its unglamorous state, one can still see the beauty and intricate details of its facade from the ground. It is a real beauty that is worth restoring and preserving. There are efforts to save the structure and I really hope that it does push through for the future generations to see our glorious past. POST TRAVEL NOTES The district of Paco may seem like your usual city neighborhood. Every corner is oozing with the sight and smell of the metro. But behind the chaos in and around Paco, there are pockets that show its strong connection to our colorful past. It gives us a glimpse of the grand beauty of Paco during its heydays and how it immortalizes history in its own unique way. I just hope that we could restore the beauty of its heritage sights, the same way that we were able to restore and preserve Paco Park.  Keep yourself and the people around you safe by observing proper safety protocols. As restrictions are slowly being lifted by the government, let us keep our guards up. Remember that we are opening up, not because the pandemic is over, but because our economy and livelihood need to recover. Let is continue to follow safety protocols and remain vigilant as we explore more in the coming weeks. Let us all make sure that we keep ourselves and the people around us safe and COVID free while we try to help revive the tourism industry. Keep exploring SAFELY, mga Viajeros! #StandTogetherPinoy Getting there: You can take the LRT1 line and go down at UN Avenue Station. From the station, you can walk to Paco Park. You can take a trike from Paco Park to the Paco Church. All other destinations are just a couple of blocks from the church.
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Every Philippine travel story will always have a paranormal element that could give us that uneasy feeling. We get a different set of these thrilling and creepy stories as each destination has its own to share that gives a trip that extra dimension. The stories shared and, sometimes, the creepy feeling from… “something” give us the goosebumps and scare us out of our wits.  Every Philippine travel will always have a paranormal story. I have had my fair share of scare stories that creeped me out while exploring. Although I am not usually scared of such paranormal narratives, there have been a couple of experiences that did get through to me. One did haunt me sick while on a solo travel (the only time that I was creeped out to actually have a plan in case of an aswang attack) while, most of it, were brushed aside with a confident and uneasy smirk. Hamtic Cemetery, Hamtic, Antique This was one solo travel that had me creeped out for quite a bit. I was on a solo travel in Antique and part of my itinerary was to visit the Hamtic Cemetery Church. The cemetery is home to one of the well-preserved Spanish-period cemetery churches in the region with its baroque design. Its design with its two adjacent belfries was a real beauty to admire.
But its beauty goes beyond its Spanish design and origin. It had its own stories that fused colonial and pre-colonial beliefs. It is said that locals often would surround the burial plot of the newly interred with salt and garlic to prevent “aswangs” from eating the corpse. The story stuck through during the trip and the rustic ambiance of Tibiao, that was like a set of a horror movie, had me thinking of the existence of aswangs in Antique as evening came through. I was so creeped out that I even scolded myself for forgetting to buy salt and garlic when I was at the market. It never fails to make me laugh whenever I remember that trip. I really feel stupid for letting my thoughts run wildly. It was a perfect mix of rustic ambiance and wild imagination fusing together on a trip. It creeped me out for nothing but made the trip memorable and funny. You can read about my Antique travel experience here. San Joaquin Spanish Cemetery Church, San Joaquin, Iloilo While most of us would be amazed at the well-preserved colonial churches and mansions, there are a few well preserved colonial structures in our cemeteries. The classical-designed octagonal camposanto of the San Joaquin Spanish Cemetery was built in 1892 and is one of the well-preserved heritage structures in the country. It stands as a reminder of Spanish religious influence on how we mourn and celebrate the life of the dead.
The old Spanish Cemetery is a peaceful sanctuary along the highway, facing the sea. This was my first impression during my first visit to the place. It was serene and all you can hear is the rustling of the leaves with the wind. Then I heard the sound of “something” moving. I heard footsteps and I froze to make out the sound better but it also stopped. After a few seconds, I quickly gathered mu stuff to leave. when the caretaker steps out on the other side of the octagonal camposanto. Both of us had that surprised look on our faces. Apparently, he heard my movements while he was working behind the camposanto at the same time that I heard his. His impulse was to gather his stuff and leave which was the same as mine. Our sheepish smiles came out after realizing that there was nothing paranormal about the experience. It was creepy and funny at the same time. You can read about my San Joaquin travel experience here. The Dungeons of Fort Santiago The walls of Intramuros is a mute witness to the country’s rich history. Its walls are a repository of stories that span centuries of celebrations and horrors. Its special place in history make it a subject for paranormal stories where imprints were said to have been left by its previous occupants.
Fort Santiago is one of the defense forts of Intramuros. Completed in 1593, the fort served as a garrison for prisoners where many met their painful demise. Its dungeons was the site where almost 600 bodies of Filipinos were found when Fort Santiago was liberated by the Americans in WW2. The state at which these bodies were found showed that they all met a harrowing death. A memorial now stands to honor these nameless Filipinos. The dungeons of Fort Santiago had an eerie vibe when I took a peek within its walls. Access to the area was not allowed at the time of my recent visit so I had to use my action camera to get a view of its interiors. I hurriedly left the entrance because it was already giving me goosebumps which was my signal to leave. Interestingly, the video that I captured lagged throughout the time that it was inside the dungeon. You can read about my Intramuros travel experience here. San Agustin Crypts, Intramuros The San Agustin Church in Intramuros is the oldest stone church in the country. Completed in 1607, the church survived natural calamities and the devastation of Intramuros in World War 2. The church is considered a National Historical Landmark and was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the collective title of “Baroque Churches of the Philippines”.
The San Agustin Convent and Museum holds one of the unique cemeteries in the country. The San Agustin Church Crypts is the final resting place of Agustinians and prominent families in the country. The remains of Juan Luna and Pedro Paterno are interred here. The San Agustin Church Crypts can be quite an eerie sight for first time visitors. The towering crypts surrounding guests and its damp vibe can give you goosebumps. The thought that the mortal remains and their spirits lingering around the area can be quite uncomfortable and exciting. You can read about my Intramuros travel experience here. Teacher’s Camp, Baguio City Local ghost hauntings and stories are not complete without the mentioning Baguio City. From the Lady of Loakan to the spirits of Diplomat Hotel, this city has its own paranormal stories to share. The city’s colorful and tragic past and its cool climate make it an ideal set-up for these stories to proliferate.
Teacher’s Camp is one of the city attractions that has been a melting pot of paranormal stories. The camp was established in 1907 and was once used by the Japanese as a hospital facility in World War 2. It’s 100-years of existence paved the way for stories of hauntings and phantom sightings within the halls of the camp. Some of these paranormal experiences were said to have been caught on cam or on audio recording. Despite me being a resident of Baguio, it was only recently that I managed to visit and explore Teacher’s Camp. I took the time to walk around the camp and, eventually, ended up entering a museum. The museum outlines the early beginnings of the camp to its present development. The museum though was empty and I had a weird creepy feeling like someone was watching me as I walked around. The weird feeling did not stop me though from reading through its history. POST TRAVEL NOTES Dark tourism is a different level of exploration that everyone would be interested but only a few would probably be brave enough to try out. The stories that go with it, mixed with our perceptions of the paranormal, is enough to give anyone the scare even before the actual exploration. Like they say, it is not for weak.  Travel is starting to relax. Where to go? I am not a person who would get scared about paranormal activities. I actually find it interesting that I try to find out more details about its stories. It forms part of the destination’s local culture and history. That is why we have century-old balete trees, stories about deities of rivers, and old mansions and ruins as tourist spots. These “dark tourist destinations” add a different spectrum to our travel explorations that makes it more exciting. #StandTogetherPinoy
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Marc del Rosario
I believe in education, entrepreneurship, and caring for the environment. 
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November 2024
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