Robbie in and around Tacloban

Madonna of Japan Tacloban Leyte Philippines Introduction Madonna of Japan can be described as a Memorial Park located on Kanhuraw Hill that is not too far from Tacloban City Hall. After World War 2 there was hatred between Filipinos and Japanese but the two nations eventually reconciled. The Japanese Government erected a monument of Maria Kannon in this area. This became known as The Madonna of Japan Memorial Park. Link to location map   It is a symbol of friendship between the Filipino and Japanese people after World War 2. What I find odd is this area where the park has been erected was the camping ground for Japanese troops during occupation! MADONNA OF JAPAN MEMORIAL PARK   First let’s look at the history to understand the significance of the Madonna of Japan Memorial Park. One has to remember there was significant civilian loss of life during invasion, occupation and liberation. History It is part of history the Japanese invaded and occupied the Philippines. On t

Tacloban City Convention Center The Tacloban City Convention Center is one building that stands out in Tacloban. It is also distinct when landing at Tacloban airport especially if you land from the north. The building was opened in 2006 and the cost to build was 200M peso which equates to around $4M US Locally this building is called the Tacloban City Coliseum or the Tacloban Astrodome. It has a seating capacity for around 4500 people. Many events are held here like basketball, concerts and of course regional events. It is the second largest indoor venue in Leyte behind the Superdome in Ormoc TACLOBAN CITY CONVENTION CENTER My experience inside the convention center The only time I have been inside this venue was when my sister in-law graduated in Human Resource Management. This event was very important to me as my sister in-law was the first person in her family to graduate from college. It was also a big moment for the entire family.   Looking at the building from t

Pines Farm Resort in the Mountains of Burauen Leyte Pines Farm Resort is located 5km from Burauen Town Proper in the barangay Abuyogon. Coming from Burauin the turn off to the resort will be on your left hand side. It is a bit of a drive from Tacloban City but well worth it! Link to Pines Farm Resort Location A Beautiful Mountain Setting   This resort is in a very natural and beautiful setting. The water coming off the mountain is rain runoff. There is no industry in this area that is polluting the atmosphere so the water you are swimming in is very clean. If you enjoy the outdoors and like a beautiful rain forest atmosphere then this resort can bring an enjoyable day On the day we visited this resort I only spotted two foreigners. Filipino’s appear to visit these resorts for a celebration of some kind. From what I observed there is no restaurant at the resort so you need to bring your own foods and drink. You will have to bring your foods and drink For Filipinos and f