Where in Tacloban should I go when I visit?
What is the best tourist spot in Tacloban?
What makes Tacloban a good tourist destination?
Is there anything to do in Tacloban City?
You have probably ask yourself these question a hundred times over.
And I am here to answer all that question.
YES, there are good places in Tacloban that you should visit.
In this post, I will dive in and discuss the best places to visit in Tacloban City.
Tacloban City, Leyte Philippines
What should I do in Tacloban City?
If you are a tourist living outside Region VIII you probably didn’t get the chance to see Tacloban yet.
Aside from the fact that Tacloban City is surrounded by wonderful white sand beach, tropical islands and historical destination.
This place is also a home of rich Filipino culture.
I am a huge fan of Tacloban City, because this is where I grew up.
And I have learned to love this place at a young age.
Below are the list of places you should visit if you are thinking of taking on a trip to Tacloban City.
San Juanico Bridge
I have discussed about San Juanico Bridge in my previous blog.
This bridge is considered to be one of the longest in the Philippines.
San Juanico Bridge connects the islands of Leyte and Samar.
And has been of great service to the people of Eastern Visayas.
It is known for its beautiful design and a trade mark for tourism in Tacloban City.
Truthfully there are many reasons why you should visit San Juanico Bridge.
First, this majestic bridge has breath-taking view, tropical vibes and fresh breeze air.
Second, given the fact that it is one of the longest bridge in the country, you will also get closer to the wonderful islands in Samar and Leyte.
Lastly, this is an iconic tourist destination and you would not want to miss it.
MacArthur Landing Memorial Park
This park is also known as Leyte Landing Memorial.
MacArthur Park is a national park in honor of General Douglas MacArthur.
During the Japanese occupation in the Philippines back in 1944 General Douglas MacArthur landed in Leyte Gulf at Palo, Leyte to help liberate the Philippines.
MacArthur Landing Memorial Park was made to commemorate his historic landing in the region.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacArthur_Landing_Memorial_National_Park
Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum
The Santo Niño Shrine was built by the late President Ferdinand Marcos.
This place was one of his rest houses during his regime as the Philippine president.
Santo Niño Shrine became the top tourist spot in Eastern Visayas.
Because it is associated with former first lady Imelda Marcos, who is from Tacloban.
This mansion has an Olympic size swimming pool, a chapel on the ground floor, 13 guest rooms and private room for the Marcos family, and paintings of historical events in Leyte.
Santo Niño Parish Church
Santo Niño Church is a historical landmark in Tacloban City.
The church is the house of the patron saint of Leyte, or known as “El Kapitan”.
The onslaught of Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013 had a huge damage to the church.
However, Sto Niño Church is now fully renovated with its modern minimalist building.
The church is a living testament of resiliency and hope of the people of Tacloban.
Leyte Provincial Capitol Building
The Leyte Provincial Capitol Building is located in Tacloban City.
Constructed back in 1917, the Leyte Provincial Capitol served as the national temporary capitol of the Philippines during the World War II.
The building has had major renovations and was damaged by the Super Typhoon Yolanda when it hit the Philippines in November 2013.
The provincial government of Leyte made its decision to abandoned the building and convert it into a museum due to the damages of an earthquake in 2019.
Leyte Provincial Capitol in Tacloban has been declared as a National Historical Landmark.
The Leyte government decided to build a new capitol in Palo, Leyte.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leyte_Provincial_Capitol
M/V Eva Jocelyn Shrine
M/V Eva Jocelyn Shrine is a memorial park in Tacloban City.
In 2013, the Philippines was hit by the deadliest typhoon ever recorded.
This huge ship was crushed and swept ashore the coastal of Brgy. Anibong in Tacloban.
The storm surge and strong winds brought this ship to where it is situated now that used to be a community full of houses and killed several people.
There was zero chance for this ship to be remove because of its size.
The City government of Tacloban then decided to turn this into a tourist spot.
This is the official landmark of Super Typhoon Yolanda or a symbol of “Yolanda tourism”.
Conclusion
If you have read my previous blog, I mentioned that I was born and raised in Tacloban City.
Super Typhoon Yolanda was the strongest typhoon ever recorded to hit the Philippines.
The typhoon devastated millions of livelihood and killed many people.
It damaged the whole region, specifically Tacloban City the capital of Leyte.
I almost can’t believe with what I saw the first time after the typhoon.
Never in a million years I thought I would see a horrific scene I would only see on television.
Almost all the houses were wrecked, trees were uprooted, dead bodies on the street, and a lot of fearful things you would never want to see in your life.
The whole region was out of electricity for months, and even came to a point that people was out of food.
It was literally a dead town and a total nightmare.
The only hope we had was the help of the government and private organization with their relief operations.
I have friends that lost their entire family and to this day my heart aches to the people that have to go through life without anybody with them.
And for the first time in my life, I experienced a year without Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebration.
It was very painful, but I was very fortunate to have all my family safe and survived the typhoon.
We are extremely thankful to have a second life and be able to celebrate life again after the chaos.
Looking back now, I am extremely glad to see this City move forward and continue to strive after all that happened in November 2013.
Tacloban City will stand still to serve its people.
