Antipolo City in the Philippines
Antipolo City is a city of pilgrims and contemplatives, tourists, traders, artists and artisans.
Located on the east of Manila, its name came from the Tipolo tree, which grows in that area. It abounds in natural attractions.
Antipolo City Philippines is a part of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range, being a hilly and mountainous area. It has a total land mass of 38,575.04 hectares, the next largest town next to Rodriguez in Rizal province. Antipolo is separated into two districts that are additional subdivided into 16 barangays.
The city is accessible in different routes: (1) from Marikina via Sumulong Highway, (2) from Cubao, Quezon City, via Marcos Highway, and (3) from Cainta/Taytay via Ortigas Extension.
Buses, FX’s, jeepneys, shuttle buses and tricycles are the means of transportation which interconnect the city’s 16 barangays.
English and Filipino are commonly spoken and understood by the inhabitants. The telecommunication is provided by the country’s largest telecommunication system and over 100 internet cafes serve access to electronic mails and the world wide web.
Tourism, manufacturing/processing (garments and shoes) for export, “kasuy” or cashew nuts, cement processing, and agriculture (poultry and livestock) are the major industries of the city. The city also has private and public schools.
During the 1720′s, the Virgin of Antipolo/ Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage (Nuestra Senora dela Paz y Buen Viaje) achieved plenty of followers coming from Manila and the nearby towns and provinces. According to historians, this miraculous icon saved her galleon in going back and forth from Manila to Acapulco for eight times, thus saving it from the destruction of pirates and Dutch and British blockades. The month of May is the fiesta of Antipolo, when thousands of devotees pay homage to the virgin.
Antipolo City has plenty of attractions, both natural and man-made, which are particularly enticing to tourists. The Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage is a renowned destination where plenty of devotees gather to during the fiesta, especially those who are traveling out of the country. The white cross of Pinagmisahan Hills on the highest peak of Kaytikling Road, is also a popular destination during Lent season. To reach the white cross, one has to go through the life-size images of the station of the cross, to contemplate the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Another religious spot, the Boso-Boso Church, which is an old rock church that rests grandly with wild vines and plants growing on the peak of its ruins. During the World War II this church was ruined. Inside the remnant is a chapel built to offer Sunday masses to the parishioners.
Visitors can get an energetic lift after the tiring spiritual cleansing at the White Cross by splashing at the Hinulugang Taktak Falls. This is Antipolo’s natural and cultural heritage. Hinulugang Taktak’s meaning i s “the place where the bell was dropped.” The 15th century legend explain that the waterfalls is the place where the townspeople go plunged the large bell that causes immense destruction whenever it rings at Angelus that no one could bear. They asked the priest to throw the bell. Thus the place got its name.
The Mystical Caves in Antipolo is where nature meets religion. 205 steps before the opening give one a sense of mysticism in the caverns. A natural rock formation of stalactites and stalagmites having shapes and faces of religious icons such as the Trinity, Calvary, Holy Spirit, Bell and Madonna and the Child. Humaka Park is a worthwhile stop for the visitors for a tableau depicting the old way of transportation of Antipolenos by way of carrying ladies or their leaders using hamaka or hammocks.