Posts Tagged ‘Leyte Philippines’

Landslide Capital Of the Philippines?

Recently last March 17, 2011 another landslide hit this seemingly landslide favorite province of Mother Nature of the Philippines – Leyte Philippines.

The recent landslide happens at Tacloban city trigger by successive rains. Fortunately there are only few fatalities but this seemingly endless landslide problem of Leyte is not yet given a solution that will make the episodic landslide activities a full rest on peace. Large landslides on Leyte Philippines that have happened in the past that cause large number of fatalities and damage on Leyte’s agriculture such as the Ormoc Leyte tragedy and the February 2006 St.Bernard Guinsaugon village Leyte mudslide disaster and other minor landslides and mudslides that erases one localities on Leyte seems not enough to wake up the local government of Leyte of what to do with it effectively to abort another forthcoming landslides in the future in their province. They don’t yet seem to have come up an effective solution to end all this unpleasant sliding, but why?

Tacloban city

Leyte Philippines as we all know it is an island that has coastlines and its terrain is mountainous which contribute perhaps to all these landsliding problems either cause by a super typhoon or a strong earthquake that triggers the sliding effect.

The Relaxing Side of Leyte Philippines

Aside from Leyte Philippines rich historical tourist places, there are also places in LeytePhilippines which was weaved not by history but by nature itself. Leyte has also beaches a beach lover tourist seek, such as the White Beach located at Brg. San Jose where one could do what one is commonly doing in a beach. That is, swimming, skiing, fishing, boating, etc. Another beach which we mention in my article about historical Leyte Philippine or about General Douglas MacArthur historical landing upon the shore of this beach is the Red Beach located at Palo Leyte.

Leyte Philippines have also cool and relaxing places aside from beaches; such is the cool climate of Mt.Kankahanay located at Jaro Leyte. It has scenic virgin forest which nature lovers could appreciate. And from Mt. Kankahanay we may visit Leyte’s cool Parks which also exhibits natural beauty like the scenic virgin forest of Mt. Kankahanay. We may start nature trekking from Mahagnao Volcano National Park where we could see awe inspiring volcanic craters as well as the multi-colored muds and rocks and witness the gigantic ferns and orchids of the virgin forest of this park as well its beautiful lagoons. Then from Mahagnao Volcano National Park we may cross the Lake Danao Natural Park where we could witness a spectacular fall called Guinaniban Falls as well as we could view the breathtaking Amandiwing Mountain Ranges. Not to mention also the beautiful lakes, namely, Mahagnao, Malagsum, Casudsu-ran and Danao Lake of course. Then we could go at   Mt. Pangasugan Ecopark where could see the endangered species of Lemurs and Tarsiers. After we have treaded from this nature trekking we may take a bath at Tongonan Hotsprings National Park to relax our tired feet and body as well.

Like island hopping in Leyte? We may start at San Juanico Straits where it is said that it has beautiful islets, infinite whirlpools, and rushing water sceneries. From San Juanico Straits we may swim first at Amihan Cebu Woodlands which is said to be a perfect site for swimming while watching cattles roams within their grassy pasture. Then after we have taste the swimming experienced at Amihan Cebu Woodlands, we may hop into Himokilan Island to watch how this big delicious coconut-cracking crabs crack our own coconuts. Surely, your own coconut will be crack because of it very delicious taste that will drive you to snorkel or scuba dive them at Mahaba Island in obsession. Or it will drive you nuts to drive Leyte’s longest beautiful bridge in the Philippines which is the San Juanico Bridge into the endpoint of it. It will be tattooed on you mind these beautiful islands of Leyte and will be drive to join Leyte’s Pintados festival where the participants where all tattooed throughout their bodies at Tacloban city.

Perhaps, you have to relax already at The Leyte Park Resort Hotel before you drive your body into the next trip. This resort hotel in Leyte was build by the former first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos. She builds it in 1979 and now has become a major tourism and convention complex.

The Historical Leyte Philippines

If you are looking for a rich historical tourist attraction in the Philippines, Leyte Philippines is the one you are looking for. That is if you are up to historical trip and adventure. Let us just summarize like this, Leyte Philippines is filled mostly with vestiges of World War II remains which has developed into a historical tourist spots. However, there is some other historical sites goes way back before World War II. So our trip to Leyte is like a flashback in the past.

Take for example the landing site of General Douglas MacArthur (remember his famous word “I shall return”?).As you recollect your mind who is General Douglas Macarthur, in case you do not know him or have forgotten your history class about him, I will refresh you about his landing site at Leyte Philippines. He and his companions of American Liberation Forces step in the beach shores of Palo Leyte Philippines in 1944.This Palo beach has now become the tourist-known Red Beach Resort. It is indeed a very beautiful beach in Palo Leyte, where of course, a memorial bigger than life-size statue of Gen. Douglas MacArthur was erected there at the lagoon site of the beach. This particular site is called MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park, just like the Rizal Park or Luneta at Manila Philippines. The statue erected on the lagoon was not only him but also with his Allied forces then, in a reenactment act or mode. You better visit Palo Leyte to see these reenactment statues on the lagoon. However, if this not your trip and but want to climb up high from this body of water to keep your foot from getting wet, well try climb the three historical hills of Leyte.

Hill 522 and Hill 120 and Buga-Buga hills are historical tourist hills in Leyte Philippines where one could still see the remnant of World War II between Americans and Japanese, like for example the foxholes which the Japanese soldiers then made at Hill 522 which is also called Guinhangdan Hill. However, there is also a panoramic view of Leyte gulf at Hill 120 where one could relax at concrete canopies and tables surrounded with the landscape of flowers and shrubs while viewing the Leyte Gulf and the coastal lines around the town. But at Buga-Buga hills you will have a creepy feelings while up on it, because thousands of Japanese soldiers died on it and were buried on it as well as hundreds of American soldiers died on it during World War II. Actually, there a bone hunting expedition on it to those who do pilgrimage and foreign tourist.

But if you like banging and get noisy on your historical adventure trip to drive away the spirits of the past lest you will spirit possess by your historical creepy adventure, why don’t you ring a bell at Hilongos Bell Tower at Hilongos Leyte? You could see a huge highest existing Spanish inspired Bell tower here where you could climb it and get Leyte’s attention.

Scared already at your Leyte trip, relax and rest for a while at Japanese War Memorial Cemetery, a site where the fiercest battle for freedom in Leyte took place during World War II. Oops! Seems it is really scarier place for relaxation or rather a wrong place. So let us rather go to this place which they call Dio Mainland Resort. This place they say have native cottages, native beach kiosk, swimming pool, and other you could find in a resort. However, we heard that this resort if formerly called Baluarte San Jose, where remnants of Japanese pill boxes and canon of World War II still exist. Ngek! It seems, there is no place in Leyte where there are no historical vestiges of World War II.