Philippines / Metro Manila / Sightseeing / Fort Santiago

The area just south of the mouth of the Pasig river was fortified by the Muslim Rajah Suliman, even before the Spanish ar-rived. It was an ideal location to defend the area, particularly against enemy ships going up river.

First the Spanish just took over the wooden palisades, but in 1590 they began to construct a stone Fort Santiago.

The fort served as a military post, as a residence for high ranking Spanish officials, and as a prison. It was as prison that it was used the longest, actually until the end of World War II. Hundreds died in over-crowded cells and in dungeons which were flooded by the tides. The grounds are divided into an outer, Plaza Moriones (60), and an inner part. They are separated by a moat and a high wall. Except for the barracks, which are still in ruins, the fort has been restored as a public park. Fort Santiago is open to the public daily from 6:00 to 22:00. There is a minimal entrance fee.

The main attraction of the inner grounds, or the Fort proper, is the Rizal Shrine (49). This museum is open from 8:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:00. It contains memorabilia of the Philippine national hero, Jose Rizal and a reproduction of the cell where he was im-prisoned and wrote his Last Farewell prior to his execution by the Spanish on December 30, 1896. No smoking and no photographs are allowed inside. There is no entrance fee but donations are solicited.

The Plaza de Armas in the inner part is the original site of the Muslim fort of Rajah Suliman. At the side of the plaza, a part of the ruined barracks (called Dulaang Rajah Sulayman) contains a stage where all kinds of cultural performances including plays, book-launchings, concerts and presentations remembering Rizal take place.

The former Spanish powder magazine was used as a prison by the Japanese, and 600 of the 800 imprisoned there during World War II died and are buried in a mass grave under a nearby cross. The subterranean dun-geons which regularly were flooded may be seen as well as a river gate which allowed a secret exit from the fort.

Plaza Moriones has flower beds, and a fountain as well. To one side is the Hacienda Real (in ruins) which was the former warehouse of the Spanish treasury. On the opposite side are bomb shelters which now house the rusting remains of former presidential limousines. There is also a slope to the top of the wall from which one may see an outer artillery fortification, Ravelin de San Francisco (50). At the bot-tom of this was a connecting tunnel gate to Baluartillo De San Francisco and its guard house. The ruins of one building was a Japanese prison which held among others the former presidents Elpidio Quirino and Fer-dinand Marcos. There is an 1892 locomotive and car of the kind that made the Manila-Dagupan run. Dagupan is a city 6 to 8 hours north of Manila.

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