Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
gold-framed mirrors and an expensive replica of the miraculous Santo Niño de Leyte
(the original resides in the Santo Niño Church opposite Rizal Park in Real Street).
There is also a dazzling collection of gifts that she acquired on her many overseas
shopping trips.
CAP Building and around
J. Romualdez St • MacArthur Room Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, Sat 8.30am-noon • P25
One of Tacloban's most remarkable legacies of World War II is the extraordinarily
flamboyant
CAP Building
. Formerly known as Price Mansion, this became General
Douglas MacArthur's HQ after he landed in Leyte to set in motion the liberation of
the Philippines; memorabilia of his stay are on display here in the
MacArthur Room
.
A five-minute walk north, in Senator Enage Street, is another war curiosity,
Redoña
House
(no admission), the residence of Sergio Osmeña, the first President of the
Commonwealth, and his staff during the liberation.
6
Calvary Hill
Ave Veteranos, on the western edge of the city,1km from the centre
It's worth the sweat of a walk up to the top of
Calvary Hill
. This is a place of pilgrimage
during Holy Week (before Easter) and the ascent is marked by the fourteen Stations of
the Cross, with a five-metre statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at the summit. A good
time to start the climb is late afternoon so you reach the top in time to watch the sun
set. The views across Tacloban and San Pedro Bay are especially pretty after dark when
the lights come on.
Palo and around
A taxi to Palo will cost P200-300, tricycle P100 and jeepney P20
About 5km south of Tacloban is the small town of
PA LO
, known for its associations
with MacArthur and the liberation. It was at Palo's
Red Beach
, about 1km from the
town centre, that MacArthur waded ashore on October 20, 1944, fulfilling his famous
vow to return. The spot is marked by the dramatic
Leyte Landing Memorial
, an
oversized sculpture of the general and his associates, among them Sergio Osmeña
walking purposefully through the shallows to the beach.
Just outside Palo, on
Hill 522
, there's an old Spanish church that was turned into a
hospital during the war, and the remnants of a number of Japanese foxholes and
bunkers. It's worth chartering a tricycle for the day when you reach Palo to take you
from sight to sight.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
TACLOBAN AND AROUND
By plane
Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport is located on a spit
of land southeast of Tacloban, 10km by road from
downtown. A jeepney into town costs P12, a tricycle
around P150. Air Asia, Cebu Pacific and PAL currently have
makeshift ticket o
ces at the airport, and Cebu Pacific
(
T
053 321 9410) and Philippine Airlines (
T
053 321
7771) also have o
ces on Senator Enage St.
Destinations
Cebu (2 daily; 50min); Manila (10 daily;
1hr 10min).
By bus, jeepney and van
Buses and jeepneys from all
points arrive at the terminal in Abucay, 2km northwest of
the city. Services to destinations within Leyte and Samar run
regularly but are most frequent in the mornings. Many of
these routes are also operated by quicker Duptours, Grand
Tours and Van-Vans minivans, each of which leaves from their
designated terminal: Duptours opposite the
Welcome Home
Pensione
on Santo Niño St; Grand Tours from Trece Martires St,
near the post o
ce; and Van-Vans terminal on P. Burgos St.
Destinations
Borongan (5hr); Calbayog (hourly; 4hr);
Catbalogan (hourly; 3hr); Catarman (hourly; 6hr); Maasin
(hourly; 5hr); Manila (3 daily; 24hr); Naval (every 30min;
3hr); Ormoc (hourly; 3hr).
INFORMATION
Tourist information
The tourist o
ce, on Santo Niño St,
was closed at the time of writing; when open, it's normally
a well-organized place, and their
Do-it-Yourself Tour of
Tacloban & Environs
brochure outlines a number of
interesting sights that you can cover on foot.
