Top 8 Best Tourist Spots in Capiz: 2024 Itinerary, Places to Visit

Roxas City is the capital of Capiz Province – the “Seafood Capital of the Philippines” situated in Western Visayas. If you are in Panay Island, it is highly recommend visiting Roxas City to witness and experience the heritage sites in the modern generation. The province has the most controversial and awaited annual festivity in the Philippines – the “Aswang Festival.” Politically, the city is prominent because it is the hometown of the late Philippine President Manuel A. Roxas. To complete my Western Visayas list, I listed the “9 Must Visit Tourist Destinations.”

Top 5 Best Tourist Spots in Ilocos Sur: 2024 Itinerary, Places to Visit, Activities, Travel Guide

1. Calle Crisologo, Vigan City

Vigan is the top tourist destinations in Ilocos Sur. Established in the 16th century, this City captured the eyes of the world because it was listed by UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1999 as one of the best-preserved Spanish colonial towns in Asia. Calle Crisologo, in Vigan city, has a combination of the past and the current; from the Spanish colonial and ancestral houses, streets paved with cobblestone, and the calesa drawn by the horses. Today, some old establishments are converted into shops and hotels to accommodate the thousands of tourists.

Top 17 Best Tourist Spots in Bohol: 2024 Itinerary, Places to Visit

1. The Plunge, Danao Adventure Park

Bohol is one of the top tourist destinations in the Visayas region because of the stunning "chocolate hills" and the weird-looking primate called "tarsier;" these are just two of those in the limelight. As we dig deeper, there are a lot of gems that the province can offer. Historical landmarks and old churches are always part of the itinerary, but during summer or even rainy season, the fine white sand beaches and the beauty of the flora and fauna underwater became top of the list of the must seen. In addition to that, there are extreme activities that can be tried, like the Top 1 on my list - THE PLUNGE of Danao Adventure Camp, situated in the  Municipality of Danao.

Top Tourist Spots in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur: 2024 Itinerary

Marawi City, the capital of Lanao del Sur, is one of the cities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. It has a colorful culture and overflowing with stunning attractions and destinations. Prior to my solo-backpacking,  whenever I share my itinerary, the common response of my friends was "it is not safe in there," that negative statement did not affect my travel plan. From Iligan City proper, I rode on a habal to the Southbound Terminal where I rode in a van to the city; travel time was about 45 minutes to an hour.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES Offers FREE Admission

National Museum of the Philippines Offers FREE Admission on selected month as part of the Heritage Month celebration. For update, please check the National Museum Facebook Page. The National Museum has the collection of relics, artifacts, and antiques discovered in the Philippines and abroad, combined for the Filipino viewing. Some of these are the following:

Pasukin ang mansyon ni Hen. Emilio Aguinaldo

Alam kong pamilyar sa inyo ang balkonaheng ito, kadalasang laman ito ng ating mga libro ng Kasaysayan. Ngayon, ipapakita ko sa inyo ang kabuuan ng makasaysayang bahay na ito. Nakatutuwang isipin na nasa harapan ako ng isang istrukturang naging bantayog dahil sa naibigay nitong kontribusyon sa Pilipinas - ang Kalayaan. Habang tirik na tirik ang araw, ang puso ko  nama'y hindi mapigilang lumundag dahil sa lubos na galak, samantalang ang ihip ng hangin naman ay  may kalamigan na pumapawi sa init na aking nararamdaman.

Butuan National Museum, Agusan del Norte

Butuan National Museum is one of the historical structures in Butuan City that houses and protects the relics discovered in the region. It also holds several objects used by the locals for their daily life such as jars, ceramic and earthenwares, hand woven clothe, and many more. Photos below are just some of items inside the museum:

Balangay Shrine, Butuan City

In Butuan City, Agusan del Norte | The Filipino word Baranggay came from the word: Balangay or Balanghai which is watercraft used by the ancient people in the Philippines for transportation and for barter and trade. If I am not mistaken, it was discussed when I was in the fifth grade, in HEKASI. I am happy that today, it’s time to see the actual relics of Balangay, discovered in Butuan. Since the guard did not allow me to use my DSLR or even my digital camera, photos below were captured using my mobile camera:

Getting Around Butuan City (Visited Museums)

Backpacking in Butuan City is easy because all the historical sites are located just within the vicinity, accessible using the local's public utility vehicles such as jeepney and tricycle. During our visit in Butuan, at the intersection of the Narra Road (where Jollibee, McDonalds and KFC are located), we chartered a tricycle to visit two museums in the city. Below are two of the museums in Butuan City. 

International Doll House (Museum), Surigao del Sur

The International Doll House was mentioned by John, our guide. Somehow familiar because we already saw it on TV. John encouraged us to visit this this amazing place by giving us details of what are displayed inside. According to him, there are dolls with gold on the head, there’s a toy motorcycle with a value of 2.5 million pesos and many more. So we thought, it's worth to visit. 

AN ACTUAL SEGMENT OF THE BERLIN WALL, National Museum

After seeing on Facebook that the National Museum of the Philippines has FREE admission for the whole month of May 2016, we chose spending the whole day inside the museum than watching TV, with the hot election in the mainstream. It is better to be in front of the historical artifacts than listening to some people for their political agenda. 

National Museum of Fine Arts, Manila

A few days after my solo-backpacking at the Museum of the Filipino People, it is the second part for Oktubre ang Buwan ng mga Museo. These two buildings of the National Museum of the Philippines are just a few steps away from each other. Also, they both have historical values in the country and played a huge part in preserving and restoring the ancient and modern artifacts of the Philippines.

MARIKINA SHOE MUSEUM

The Marikina Shoe Museum was conceived in 1998 under Mayor Bayani F. Fernando on the assumption that the City, being the Shoe Capital of the Philippines, can be a significant venue for nurturing the historical and cultural values of its shoe industry. It was opened in February 16, 2001 and was initially called the Footwear Museum of Marikina. Information courtesy: Marikina City Website

Fort San Pedro, Cebu City

The Fort San Pedro or Fuerza de San Pedro situated inside the Plaza Independencia, Cebu City. It is is a military defense structure built by the Spaniards and the locals of Cebu under the command of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, a Spanish conquistador. The date of its construction wasn't sure but there are claims that Jesuit Antonio Campioni built the fort in 1630. Like the other century old churches in the Philippines, there are a lot of major renovations in the 19th century for the structural improvements of Cebu.

Casa Gorordo House (Museum), Cebu City

The Casa Gorordo House, also a Museum, shows how a prominent family lives during their generations. From the floor, artistic walls, windows up to the roof top - it's really gorgeous. At the main entrance of this house, its historical background was written and here's what it says: "This house was built in the mid-19th century by Alejandro Reynes y Rosales and was bought by Juan Isidro de Gorordo, a Spanish merchant, in 1863. Four generations of the Gorordo family lived in this house, including Juan Gorordo, first Filipino Bishop of Cebu, 1910-1932.

Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House, Cebu City

The Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House was originally owned by Chinese merchant, Don Juan Yap and Doña Maria Florido. It is one of the oldest residential house in the Philippines. It was built between 1675-1700 and was made from Coral stones, used egg whites as glue and "Tigas" or clay for the roof. The wooden pats of the house were made of "balayong" and "tugas" or molave which is the hardest woods in the country.

Cebu Cathedral Museum

Cebu Cathedral Museum is an ecclesiastical museum of the Archdiocese of Cebu. The building itself doesn't have an exact information when it was constructed because the archdiocesan archives were burned along with the Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace during the trial bombing of the U.S. forces in September 1944. But according to some historian, it was built by Bishop Santos Gomez Marañon during mid-1800s.  Bishop Marañon was known as a church builder.  He designed the Metropolitan Cathedral and other religious structures in the province of Cebu.

Negros Museum, Bacolod City

Negros Museum is almost in front of the Negros Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City. It serves as the provincial museum of Negros Occidental which was opened on March 16, 1996 at the Provincial Capitol Building. May 2003, it was transferred to its current location which is the former Agricultural Building. The Agricultural Extension Building was built in 1941 and was renovated in 1991.

Balay Negrense, Silay City

Balay Negrense is just one of the century old houses along Cinco de Noviembre Street, Silay City. This street is remarkable because of the historical value that transpires to the people. Its name is a Hiligaynon phrase; Negrense refers to the people living in the province of Negros and Balay or a House.

National Museum of the Filipino People, Manila

Philippine National Museum, Museum of the Filipino People Building

I have been dreaming to visit the Philippine National Museum since high school but in 2015 that dream came into reality as the Philippine National Museum offered a free admission for the whole month of October. I spent the whole day inside the museum, from Marikina City Shoe Museum to the National Museum, in Manila. Below are 20 photos captured at the Museum of the Filipino People building.