Dapitan

One of the tourist attractions which Dapitan is really proud of is its 3 hectare commercial center, Gloria de Dapitan, which lies in the heart of Sunset Boulevard where most of the hotels and inns are located. Aside from Rizal Shrine, the historical landmark, and Dakak, a world-class Park and Beach Resort, Gloria de Dapitan housed a wide variety of establishments including the first theme park in the south of the Philippines, Gloria Fantasyland, comparable to Enchanted Kingdom and Disneyland. In the middle […]

One of the major tourist destination of the Philippines which is also a historical landmark is the Rizal Shrine in Dapitan City. It is situated in a 16 hectare estate in Barangay Talisay which Dr. Jose P. Rizal purchased during his exile in the Dapitan in July 17, 1892 to July 31, 1896. Rizal Shrine approximately 2 kilometers North West from Dapitan City Plaza where Casa Real, Relief Map of Mindanao, St. James Church and Parochial School are near. History of Rizal Shrine […]

Rizal Landing Site is one of the latest developed monuments in honor of the Philippines’ National Hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal. Rizal Landing Site is situated in Sta. Cruz beach where Jose Rizal landed at 7:00 pm on July 17, 1892 to begin his expatriation life in Dapitan. Together with Captain Delgras and three artillery men, they walked through Sta. Cruz Street with a “farol de combate” or lantern going to the Casa Real. He was submitted to Don Ricardo Carnicero, a Spanish […]

Gloria Fantasyland is one of the main attractions in Dapitan, Philippines. It is a world-class commercial center comparable to Disneyland theme parks. It is the biggest theme park outside Metro Manila and it is composed of 35 rides. The operator of Gloria Fantasyland is the prominent name of Dapitan, the Jalosjos Family, who also owns the famous Dakak beach resort. Gloria Fanstasyland is situated at Sunset Boulevard and has a land area of 3 hectares. It is very near to the beach of […]

The Parochial School in Dapitan, Philippines was built after Saint James Church, the second church of Dapitan, was finished. It is the first formal school in Dapitan which emphasizes the teaching of the Roman Catholic religion in addition to conventional education. Today, it has retained its original façade but its sides and interiors have undergone several renovations and extensions due to the deterioration of some of the materials being used to build it. Some of the developments were financed by Dr. and Mrs. […]

Casa Real is the administration building and official address of the politico-military governor in Dapitan during the Spanish regime in the Philippines. Dr. Jose Rizal stayed here from July 17, 1982 up to March 1893. The Casa Real is facing the Dapitan City Plaza, Relief Map of Mindanao and the City Hall. It is a very short distance going to St. James Church where Rizal attended mass during Sundays and it is 5 minutes away from the foot of Ilihan Hill and Lourdes […]

Lourdes Grotto is one of the less visited tourist attractions in Dapitan, Philippines. It is placed in a small natural hill, southwest of the foot of Ilihan Hill. The vicinity of the Lourdes Grotto used to be an ancient burial ground of the pre-Spanish Dapitanons. The first church of Dapitan, which was built in 1631-1767 is located at the left side of the Lourdes Grotto. Adjacent to it was the Old Mission House. The statue in the Lourdes Grotto, the ancient fence and […]

St. James Parish Church symbolizes the early Christianization of Dapitan. The old Spanish masonry and architecture are still evident even if a century has passed since its construction. It was built in 1871 in honor of St. James the Great who is the patron saint of Dapitan. St. James Parish Church is the second church in Dapitan, Philippines. The first church was constructed between the years 1631-1767. Except only for the finishing, the exterior walls which is more than a meter thick and […]

Dapitan City Plaza (“Liwasan ng Dapitan”) also known as the City Square is the plaza which Dr. Jose P. Rizal beautified and developed during his exile. With the assistance of Spanish Politico-Military Governor of Dapitan, Gov. Ricardo Carnicero, Rizal made the Dapitan City Plaza comparable to the ones he saw in Europe. Dapitan City Plaza has an estimated land area of 1 hectare and it is laid out in the tradition rectilinear Spanish colonial manner. The plaza already existed when Dr. Jose P. […]

Ilihan Hill or simply known as Ilihan to locals in Dapitan has an estimated height of 60 meters. The foot Ilihan was an ancient burial ground of the Pre-Hispanic Dapitanons. In 1762, Ilihan was established as “Fort de Dapitan” by the Spanish government to protect Dapitan from foreign and pirate invasions. A  stone  wall  was constructed  along  its  slopes  and a  guard  house with mounted cannons. Relics of this ancient military fortress are still visible today. The stone walls and the two cannons […]

Dapitan City, the Shrine of the Philippines is famous for its history related to Jose Rizal’s (the Philippine National Hero) exile. One of Jose Rizal’s legacies is the Relief Map of Mindanao which he used as motivating device in teaching history and geography to the townsfolk. The Relief Map of Mindanao in Dapitan City, Philippines is situated across St. James Church. The area has been developed to have concrete walls and sturdy entrance pillars. The entrance door has a hanging hard-wood labeled “Mapa […]