1. A touch of Singapore in the Philippines at the Bonifacio Global City

This 240 hectare (593 acre) urban area run by the Fort Bonifacio Global Corporation is designed to give comfort, relaxation, and convenience amidst the busy life in the metropolis. It boasts relaxing parks, exciting commercial spots, glimmering office buildings and residential options that you can take note of when considering the in-city living.

The Fort

Website: The Fort

2. Restless minds at the Mind Museum

Taguig offers one of the most informative centers in the area. It was awarded the THEA Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Science Museum category in Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, California in the United States for the design and execution of its exhibits. And the distinction is the first for a Philippine establishment and for a science museum in Asia at the THEA Awards. Mind Museum contains five main galleries occupying a 4,900 square meters (53,000 sq feet) exhibit area and spanning two floors. Themes included the atom, life, earth and the universe. The galleries were linked by features called “ Nature’s Webways.” About 90 percent of the designs were done by Filipino designers from the University of the Philippines and the University of Santo Tomas, Filipino scientists and fabricators with the assistance from the firm based from the United States. Visit the area where a robot will greet you as you enter.

Mind Museum

Address: J. Y. Campos Park, 3rd Ave, Taguig, Metro Manila

Website: Mind Museum

3. Check out the Simboryo

Catacombs were quite common during the Spanish regime. This structure is located in the middle of Sta. Ana Cemetery at Tuktukan, Taguig. It was erected by the Filipino people and supervised by the Spanish friars in 1700.

The structure is made up of stone walls and tiles with a diameter of 12 meters (39 feet). It has a cross on its top and an eleven step stairway with rails on both sides, which leads you up to an arched entrance door which is made of welded iron. A narrow patio adorns the sides of the dome. A small altar is mounted inside the Simborio and a stack of at least three piles of the tomb are beneath it.

Simborio

Address: 20 J P Rizal Street, 1639 Taguig, Metro Manila

Website: Simborio

4. The Bantayog

Monuments hold a lot of meaning. They may represent freedom, honor or power or commemorate a person, group or example of historic architecture. One stands out in Taguig, “The Bantayog ng mga Bayani ng Tipas.” The monument is actually carved with the names of more than 100 men who were captured and killed by the Japanese in the prison cells in Intramuros, Manila. This also includes the names of those who have offered their lives for the country.

Bantayog ng mga Bayani ng Tipas

Address: Quezon Avenue corner EDSA, 1109 Quezon City, Philippines

5. Final resting place of the living dead at the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani

A special final resting place has been made in remembrance of the 33,520 to 58,780 Filipino soldiers who served the country during World War II including those dignitaries who served the country faithfully. “To perpetuate the memory of all the Presidents of the Philippines, national heroes and patriots for the inspiration and emulation of this generation and of generations still unborn…” (RA No.289) is an excerpt from a mandate that spelled out the establishment of the Heroes Cemetery (Libingan Ng Mga Bayani). The Heroes Memorial Gate, a large concrete tripod with a stairway leading to an upper view deck with a metal sculpture at the center, will greet you in the entrance. At the center of the span is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in which three marble pillars behind the tomb representing the three main island groups of the country are found and it is where most of the ceremonies on laying of the wreath are carried out. This place does not only honor those who have served the country but also the Filipino leaders and dignitaries, including scientists and artists.

Libingan Ng Mga Bayani

Address: Taguig, 1630 Metro Manila, Philippines

6. Manila American Cemetery and Memorial

This cemetery on a prominent plateau spans 62 hectares (152 acres) in area and is visible at a distance from the east, south and west. A total of 17,206 graves, it has the largest number of graves of any cemetery for U.S. personnel killed during World War II and holds war dead from the Philippines and other allied nations. With headstones made of marble, aligned in eleven plots arranged to form a circular pattern set amidst the wide variety of tropical trees and greeneries, the grand yet peaceful place allows you to feel the power of unity.

Manila American Cemetery and Memorial

Address: Taguig City, Manila, Metro Manila

Website: Manila American Cemetery and Memorial

7. Visit the St. John the Baptist Church or the Dambana ng Kawayan

This Filipino artistry and design has stood for more than a century. It has been a witness to over 500 men gathered and brutalized during the tragic “sona” of December 1, 1944, conducted by the Japanese forces. These men were believed to be put behind bars in Intramuros, never to be found again, dead or alive. Dambana ng Kawayan is otherwise known as the St. John the Baptist Church. This is a house of worship where the altar, wall sidings, ceiling, and benches are made of pure, native bamboo and a sight to behold in Taguig.

Dambana ng Kawayan

Address: Maestrang Pinang, Taguig, Metro Manila

Facebook: Dambana ng Kawayan

8. Patriotic endeavors in the historical Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Anne

Situated next to Taguig River and across Plaza Quezon, where the statue of the late President Manuel L. Quezon was erected when he was still serving as President of the Republic is the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Anne. A distinctive feature of the church is the barn-style Baroque architecture design with its very defined articulation of both vertical and horizontal bays topped by a simple triangular pediment. You should visit this place where hundreds of men were incarcerated during the Japanese Occupation.

Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Anne

Address: 18 Gen. A Luna St, Sta. Ana, 1637 Taguig, Metro Manila

9. The Parola, a lighthouse to the Katipunan

Built in the 17th century when it was chosen by Andres Bonifacio as the meeting place for all the members, this lighthouse was the most accessible channel from Tondo, Manila and from the Municipals along the Pasig River and the Province of Laguna stands at the entrance of the Napindan Channel. This is a sanctuary to one of the greatest heroes of the land and a beacon that is witness to the road carved for freedom.

Parola

Address: Napindan, Taguig

Website: Parola

10. A tribute to World War II at the Veterans Federation of the Philippines Museum

The Veterans Federation of the Philippines Museum brings you back to the time of the samurais, pistols, and other war memorabilia you will never get to see used again in this generation and the generations to come. Interesting items such as the old foreign and local currencies and rare books. A visit to this place will remind this generation that during these times, young men never enjoyed the movies, the high-end use of the cell phones or taking time to stroll in the malls. Instead, they were preoccupied and were out in the trenches and the front lines fighting a war for the country as Colonel Emmanuel de Ocampo has stressed. This is a great way to teach young people about the value of time and leisure.

Veterans Federation of the Philippines Museum

Address: VFP Industrial Complex Veterans Road, 1630 Taguig

Website: Veterans Federation of the Philippines Museum

Get to know the value of what you have

Behind all the grandeur of a place is a life of sacrifice. Behind the rising infrastructures are the hands that tilled and arms that carried heavy loads. This list of the 10 best things in Taguig will remind you how blessed you are. Enjoy your blessings in Taguig!