Before we headed to Ocean Park on our second day in Manila, my boyfriend took me to Luneta Park, also known as Rizal Park, because this is one of the major attractions in Manila.
It is a historical park where the national hero of the Philippines, Jose Protacio Mercado Alonzo y Realonda Rizal (his full name is such a mouthful) was executed during the Spanish regime. His execution was the catalyst of the Philippine revolution against the Spanish Empire during the 1800s.
As you can see from the photo above, his monument is the actual focal point of the park. But did you know that this park that commemorates his death is a direct disobedience of his final instructions prior his execution save for putting a fence around his grave? Know more about it here.
A closer look of Jose Rizal’s monument. It is closely guarded 24/7 by honor guards.
Other than the monument, there’s really more to see in this park such as this (and suddenly a colorful photo)…
A ginormous clock. Why am I so fascinated by it? I don’t know.
Other interesting areas of the park include a Japanese Garden (which we didn’t get to see because it was closed on that day), an open-air auditorium and more.
Unfortunately with our very limited time, we weren’t really able to appreciate its entirety. Definitely looking forward to having another stroll there next time.