To boost local tourism, San Juan City is set to launch next year a historical bike trail featuring the city’s notable landmarks and historic sites.
Mayor Francis Zamora said the city’s historical bike trail will showcase the Pinaglabanan Shrine, Museo ng Katipunan, El Deposito Museum, and the El Deposito Underground Tunnel.
While riding bicycles, local and foreign tourist will also soon visit the two oldest churches in the city—the St. John The Baptist Church and the Sanctuario del Santo Cristo Church, as well as the Club Filipino, Greenhills Mall Loop, and the Marcos Mansion.
“We will formally launch the Historical Bike Trail early next year where people can explore historical sites to boost domestic historical tourism,” Zamora said.
Located at the heart of Metro Manila, San Juan played a major role in the country’s quest for freedom from colonizers.
It was in the vicinity of San Juan that the first determined battle between Spanish forces and Filipino freedom fighters led by Andres Bonifacio took place.
That historic battle on August 30, 1896 became known as the Battle of San Juan del Monte, the city’s former name, and sparked the Philippine Revolution that led to the end of the Spanish rule in the country.
In memory of the battle, the Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine was constructed in 1973 on top of the El Deposito Underground Tunnel, a Spanish-era water reservoir that used to hold the capital’s water supply.
The five-hectare shrine, which recently received a P50-million makeover, houses two museums—the Museo ng Katipunan and El Deposito Museum.