Antipolo Travel Guide - Tayo na sa Antipolo

OLO NA LAGING MASAYA! CHORUS :

TAYO NA SA ANTIPOLO
AT DOON MALIGO TAYO
SA BATIS NA KUNG TAWAGIN
AY HI.. HINULUGANG TAKTAK
AT DOON TAYO KUMAIN
NG MANGGA, SUMAN, KASOY AT BALIMBING
KAYA'T MAGMADALI KA
AT TAYO'Y TUTULOY NA SA ANTIPOLO. II
DOON SA ANTIPOLO INYONG MAKIKITA
ANG MAPANGHALINANG TANAWING KAY GANDA. AT SA MAYUMING MGA DALAGA
SA SULYAP LAANG MABIBIHAG KA NA. all photo images taken by: danny victoriano
SLR camera club (Samahan ng mga Litrtaista sa Rizal)

Excerpts from Wikipedia:

Antipolo city is popular for being a pilgrimage site. It prides itself as the "Pilgrimage Capital of the Philippines." The Marian image of the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage or the Virgin of Antipolo, which was brought in from Mexico in 1626, and enshrined in the Antipolo Cathedral has a continuous following among Filipino Catholics since the Spanish era. A popular custom of pilgrims to the Virgin of Antipolo is the trek going to its shrine on the eves of Good Friday and May 1 from various locations in Rizal Province and Metro Manila. There is also an existing custom to have new cars blessed at the church in the belief that this will ensure the safety of the car and its passengers. Its higher elevation than that of Metro Manila affords it a scenic view of the metropolis, especially at night. Its locally grown mangoes and cashews are popular among tourists, as well as suman – a local delicacy made out of sticky rice. The Hinulugan Taktak National Park, which was once a popular summer get-away is being restored to become again one of the city's primary attractions. The city was named after the tipolo (breadfruit) tree (Artocarpus incisa), which was in abundance in the area. Franciscan missionaries arrived in Antipolo in 1578, and built a church in Boso-Boso. They were soon replaced in 1591 by the Jesuits, who organized the village into a parish. By 1601, the Christian population of Antipolo had grown to about 3,000 as the indigenous Dumagat population dwindled and moved deeper into the interiors. An uprising Manila's Chinese residents reached Antipolo in 1602 that lead to the razing of the church. On March 25, 1626, the image now known as the Virgin of Antipolo was brought from Acapulco, New Spain (now Mexico) by Governor-General Juan Niño de Tabora, who relinquished the image to the Jesuits for Antipolo's church.In 1650, the village was organized into a town and became part of Tondo Province. When the province was divided in 1853, Antipolo became a part of the District of San Mateo de los Montes, which later became the District of Morong. The Recollects took over Antipolo in 1864. It was during these years that the Virgin of Antipolo gained a following of devotees. Devotees from Manila and nearby towns and provinces flock to Antipolo on foot or on hammocks, trekking along mountain trails and springs. During the First Republic, the town served as the capital of Morong, until it was occupied by the Americans on 4 June 1899; the Revolutionary Government then transferred Morong's capital to Tanay. Soon after, the Americans established a civil government in 1901, Valentin Sumulong became the first municipal president. On 11 June 1901, Antipolo was incorporated into the newly established Province of Rizal, which included towns of Morong District and Manila Province. In 1903, Antipolo, Boso-Boso and Teresa were merged. The town's territory was expanded again in 1913 to add the sitios of Mayamot and Bulao; just to lose Teresa six years later to become an independent municipality. The Manila Railroad Company inaugurated a railway service to Antipolo on 24 December 1908. During the Second World War, two guerrilla units operated in the town against the Japanese. They were theHunters ROTC under Miguel Ver and Terry Adevoso and the Marking Filipino and American Troops, which were established and led by Marcos Villa Agustin, more popularly known under the name Brig. Gen. Agustin Marking. Many inhabitants were tortured and killed by the Japanese, including Mayor Pascual Oliveros and his son Reynaldo, Padre Eusebio Carreon, Padre Ariston Ocampo, Sis. Ma. Elizabeth Cagulanas, RVM, Sis. Consuelo Recio, RVM; Ambrosio Masangkay, Alfonso Oliveros and Atty. Francisco C. Gedang Sr. The liberation of Antipolo from the Japanese forces was bloody and devastating. On 17 February 1945, Antipolo was heavily bombarded byAmerican planes. Antipolo residents evacuated to Sitio Colaique and up to the towns of Angono, Santolan, and Marikina. To protect the image from being destroyed, Procopio Angeles, then the sacristan mayor, and members of the community brought with them the Virgin of Antipolo. The bombings on 6-7 March 1945 destroyed the church and after twelve days of battle, the American and Filipino soldiers and aided the local recognized guerrillas liberated the town on 12 March 1945. After the war, a temporary church was built and the Virgin of Antipolo was returned from the Quiapo Church on 15 October 1945. Started the Allied Invasion of Antipolo on February to August 1945, the stronghold of all combined military forces of the Filipino soldiers of the Philippine Commonwealth Army 4th and 42nd Infantry Division and the American soldiers of the United States Army 43rd Infantry Division and aided the local guerrilla resistance fighters of the Marking's Filipino-American Troops and the Hunters ROTC was liberated and invaded the municipal town of Antipolo and defeats Japanese Imperial armed forces and ended World War II. Devotees started to flock to the town and on 6 May 1947; the first procession of the Virgin of Antipolo was held starting at the hills of Pinagmisahan. In 1948, a national committee was formed to undertake a nationwide fund-raising campaign to build the Cathedral of Antipolo. On 15 June 1952, Hinulugang Taktak was proclaimed a National Park by Pres. Elpidio Quirino, and on 14 January 1954, the Bishops of thePhilippines proclaimed the Cathedral of Antipolo as the official shrine of the Virgin of Antipolo. In 1960s, the town proper, or poblacion, was widened and the Sumulong Highway was constructed. In the 1970s, the Marikina-Infanta Road, better known as the Marcos Highway, was constructed, traversing the mountains of Antipolo. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Antipolo was created on 25 June 1983, with Rev. Protacio G. Gungon, D.D. as the first bishop of the diocese.