55. TAGA ITAY'S CLASSY TAAL VISTA & WWII MARKERS

TAGA ITAY'S CLASSY TAAL VISTA & WWII MARKERS

Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano

27 December 2017

I recall my college years in the ‘90s when I frequent Tagaytay late at night just to hang out at Taal Vista Lodge and head back to the metropolis before the break of dawn. My cousin’s Nissan Power Pick-Up and Nissan California was our service vehicle. This weekly routine only stopped when my cousin got married. The lodge, now a hotel, is one of the most regarded hotels in Tagaytay City. Built in the style of an English Tudor lodge, it boasts 261 well-appointed guestrooms equipped with stylish furnishings and conveniences, including a mini-bar, cable TV, and Wi-Fi Internet connection. Choice rooms even feature verandas that look out over the lush tropical garden or majestic lake. A restaurant, spa, and conference rooms are also provided for further satisfaction. Amid rolling greens and rich flora, the hotel exudes serenity at its finest in the most picturesque of settings. Unsurpassed in terms of style, service, and peerless location, and favored by a crisp, cool climate.

In early 1935, Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon expressed interest in developing Tagaytay as a tourist destination. It was he who suggested that Manila Hotel build a lodge and golf course in the area. Because of his fascination with Tagaytay, he held Cabinet meetings on the premises of Taal Vista Lodge. In 1939, the Zamoras of Manila Hotel built Taal Vista Lodge along “Ilong Kastila”, a stretch of flatland perched atop an incline which people said resembled a nose. During Japanese Occupation of World War II (WWII) from 1942 to 1944, Taal Vista Lodge was converted to an officers’ quarters for the Japanese Imperial Army. In February 1945, the 11^th Airborne Division of the US Army parachuted down onto the Tagaytay Ridge to assist in the liberation of Manila. Between 1956 and 1964 Tagaytay began to be promoted as a major tourist destination in the Philippines with Taal Vista Lodge as one of the leading attractions in the city. One of the many regular visitors of the hotel was a young man who often chose one spot on the grounds from which to gaze out and dream. He is Henry Sy of SM Investments Corporation, the company that would later acquire Taal Vista Hotel. In 2002, Taal Vista Hotel was reconstructed in the style of the original lodge. Extensions were added to the complex to provide more conference facilities and amenities for business and leisure activities. In 2004, after its renovation, the Hotel welcomed back its guests and visitors.

Tagaytay City, at elevation 2,500 above sea level, is a component city in the province of Cavite, 56 kilometers south of Manila. Tagaytay is famous not only for the awesome view of Taal's lake-within-a-volcano-within-a-lake-within-a-volcano but also for fruits, vegetables, beef, native coffee and flowers as well. The southern and eastern portions of Tagaytay are covered by hills and mountains which is generally forests and open grasslands. The city lies along Tagaytay Ridge, a ridge stretching about 32 kilometers from Mount Batulao in the west to Mount Sungay (now People's Park in the Sky) in the east with elevations averaging about 610 meters above sea level. Mount Sungay, in Tagaytay, is the highest point of the province of Cavite at 709 meters.  

Tagaytay became a chartered city by virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 338 by President Manuel L. Quezon on January 21, 1938, as authored by Rep. Justiniano Montano of Cavite. It is a planned city with segments created from the towns of Mendez, Silang and Amadeo. Legend has it that the word Tagaytay came from the root word "taga" meaning “to cut” and "itay" which means “father”. A father and son were said to be on a wild boar hunt when the animal they were chasing turned and attacked them. As the boar charged towards the old man, the son cried "taga itay!". The boy's repeated shout reverberated in the alleys of the ridge. Heard by the residents, hunters and wood gatherers, the cries became subject of conversation for several days in the countryside. In time, the place where the shouts came from became known as Tagaytay. Etymologically, "Tagaytay", is the Tagalog for "ridge".

Apart from its natural beauty, Tagaytay is also historic. Two WWII markers were installed by the government. The first marker, in Filipino text, was installed by the Philippine Historical Committee in 1951 commemorating the site of the first parachute landing in the Philippines executed by the 511^th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 11^th Airborne Division, 8^th Army, USA that happened on February 3, 1945. The second marker, which is in English, was installed by the National Historical Institute on April 27, 1979 at the Gen. Vicente Lim's 41st Division PA USAFFE Shrine in Barangay Kaybagal South. The division has an authorized strength of 7,500 men. The 41st Field Artillery Regiment had sixteen 75-mm. guns and eight 2.95-inch pack howitzers. It was active from August 28, 1941 to April 9, 1942, whereupon it surrendered when Bataan fell.

Tagaytay is considered to be the second summer capital of the Philippines due to its cool climate and the Department of Tourism cites Tagaytay as the top tourist destination in the Calabarzon region since 2015. Tagaytay receives seasonal influx of tourists during the Christmas season. Despite the influx, the two Second World War markers remained unnoticed. When I visited the shrine, which is located along the national highway, I was all alone in the area. When I passed by the other marker located at the foot of the Ninoy Aquino monument at the Tagaytay junction rotunda going to Silang town, the marker remained lonely and ignored. I feel sorry for the unobserved historical landmarks in Tagaytay. The LGU should at least find a publicity stunt to promote the WWII symbols probably by installing big eye-catching signage or inclusion in their tourism brochures the “must see” sites in the locality dubbed as the City of Character.