SANTO NIÑO SHRINE
One of the 29 presidential rest houses built by the late President
Ferdinand Marcos, this shrine is embellished with paintings of the
14 stations of the cross – brainchilds of famous Filipino artists.
The tastefully decorated guestrooms also boast unique motifs,
including an image of the Holy Child.1
Top 5 places to visit in
Tacloba nTALK OF THE TOWNHANDICRAFTS
A short drive from Tacloban City, Basey, Samar is where locals
practise the traditional craft of banig weaving. The intricate,
vibrantly coloured handwoven banig mats – typically a product of
buri (palm or seagrass leaves) – are now being transformed into
other products like bags, wallets and slippers, which can be found in
Tacloban’s public mar ket.LECHON
Tacloban is upheld as the quintessential barbecue city, with the
enticing smell of newly roasted lechon (roast pig) permeating the
streets. Celebrated for its peerless tenderness and tastiness, this
delicacy is good to enjoy on its own – although locals love pairing
it with a traditional condiment comprising soy sauce and a light
vinegar mixture.TUBÂ
Also known as coconut wine, tubâ is the regional drink in the
islands of the Eastern Visayas. Tubâ gatherers climb coconut
trees, looking for unopened flowers, and attach a long bamboo
container to collect the sweet, cloudy-white sap – in preparation
for the ageing process.1
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Top 5 products in
Tacloba n12BySelina TanFORMER PRICE MANSION
This American-style mansion built by Walter Price in 1910 was
used as the headquarters and official residence of General
MacArthur during the war. Today, his memorabilia can still be
found in this building, although it is now occupied by the CAP
company and is popularly known as the CAP building.TACLOBAN PUBLIC MARKET
There is no better way to indulge in the local cuisines of Tacloban
City than by visiting its public market. Offering a whole array
of exclusive rice-based delicacies such as moron, binagol and
sagmani, Real Street in the Sagkahan district is also where tourists
can freely enjoy the aroma of lechon roasted over a spitfire.BIRI ISLAND
Tacloban serves as an important gateway to other destinations
in Leyte, such as Biri Island, in northern Samar. Lauded for its
amazing rock structures, which date back to the Early Miocene
(23 to 16 million years ago), these wave-sculptured natural
masterpieces are situated where the San Bernardino Strait meets
the Pacific Ocean.345PHILIPPINESNW25NLEYTE LANDING MEMORIAL
The Leyte Landing Memorial in Red Beach, Palo, marks the spot
where American liberation forces of General Douglas MacArthur
landed. Behold the famed statues of the liberators standing in
the lagoon. Also the site of the 50th Leyte Landing Anniversary
Commemorative Rock Garden of Peace, there is a beautiful beach
in the vicinity.2
SUMAN MORON
A smoother variety of suman (sticky rice cake wrapped in banana
leaves), suman moron, or chocolate moron, is made of ground
glutinous rice, also known as malagkit, that is first cooked in
coconut milk before cocoa or chocolate paste is mixed in.
BINAGOL
A sweetened pudding made with taro (known to the locals as gabi)
that gives off a nutty taste with every bite, binagol is a unique dish
mixed with eggs, coconut milk, sugar, butter and chocolate. It is
steamed in banana leaves and polished coconut shells called bagol
to achieve a rich, aromatic flavour.45TACLOBAN1
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