If you happen to pass by the city of Batac in Ilocos Norte on your way up north, this post might be for you. If you have a passion of discovering the history and the heritage of a place while you travel, this post will give you an idea about a piece of Philippine history as seen in Batac City.  These 5 historical destinations in Batac will surely make you dig your history books.


Marcos Presidential Center is a museum dedicated for the Philippines' former president, Ferdinand Marcos who ruled the country for more than 2 decades.

Marcos Museum

This museum houses some works, memorabilia, etc of Ferdinand Marcos. But the highlight of visiting this museum is the Marcos Mausoleum wherein the remains of Marcos' body is displayed for public viewing. You can experience it with a 50-peso entrace fee. Just a warning, no camera is allowed inside the mausoleum


Just a walking distance away from the Marcos Presidential Center westward is the World Peace Center. If you are a fanatic of vintage pictures depicting the life of a great man, then the World Peace Center is the place for you. World Peace Center in Batac houses a large indoor photo collage.

Marcos Photo Galler

World Peace Center is also known as the Marcos Photo Gallery. In here, you will appreciate how a picture speak a thousand words.

There are no written guides or tour guides inside. Everything are just photos and looking at those photos alone, you will learn how great Ferdinand Marcos was. This photo gallery will surely give you a dose of information about the history of the Philippines in photos!

The World Peace Center is located near Chowking and Jollibee in Batac.

Aglipay Shrine | Iglesia Filipina Independiente

Batac is also the home of the Aglipay Shrine, a remarkable landmark that gave rise to Aglipayanism, a separate denomination from Roman Catholic tradition born of revolution.

Aglipay Shrine

This church was co-founded by Msgr. Gregorio Aglipay, a former Catholic priest who was excommunicated due to his support to the Philippine revolution. The remains of Aglipay is burried inside this church.

Batac Church | Immaculate Conception Church

A walking distance away from the Philippine Independent Church (Aglipay Church) is the Batac Church or known as the Immaculate Conception Church.

Batac Church's present appearance is a reconstruction. It was destroyed in 1620 and rebuilt in 1692. Its facade has been renovated recently, white-washed, and plastered with the original palitada.


Another leisure walk away from the Batac Church is the General Ricarte National Shrine which also compose a park and a museum. To reach this site, walk northward from the Batac Church.

general ricarte shrine
The General Ricarte National Shrine was built in Batac, Ilocos Norte in honor of General Artemio Ricarte, a native of the town, who was known for being a revolutionary hero and an important personality in World War II.

It has a library and museum which showcased Ricarte's life through a number of his photographs and relics, and a collection of American and Japanese guns used in WWII. Well folks, these historical sites featured will serve as a teaser. There will be more stories about these heritage structures, more feelings and more experiences to be told. A separate post will be provided for each structure so it is not yet final...

These are the 5 historical sites in Batac City, Ilocos Norte that you should not miss. It is absolutely doable for 1 day.

Travel Guide and Tips | How to go to Batac City?

 1. From Laoag: Ride a Manila-bound bus from Laoag then drop at Batac City. That's it!
  • Travel time is around 20-30 minutes.
  • Fare will be around 30-55 pesos depending on your bus of choice.

2. From Manila (Land Travel): Ride into a Laoag-bound bus and drop at Batac City.
  • Travel time is around 8-9 hours.
  • Fare will be around 700-800 depending on your bus of choice and inflation (LOL!)

Notes: You can finish the walking tour before lunch if you will start it at 9 am. For the museums, they open at 9 am, and for weekend backpackers, visiting some museums may not be for you because they tend to be closed for public during weekends.

After finishing the walking tour, you may head up north to Laoag/Pagudpud or down south to Vigan to spend the remaining time and the whole night. /end

This walking tour is my official entry to the Pinoy Travel Bloggers' Blog Carnival for the month of October with the theme WALKING TOUR hosted by Glenn Martinez of Traveler on Foot

 Please click the Carnival logo to see the previous topics.

Batac #TownExploration Series

Marcos Museum and Mausoleum of Batac (Ilocos Norte)Ricarte National Shrine | Birthplace of Ricarte: the Father of Philippine ArmyBatac Empanada | So What Makes it Special?Batac City, Ilocos Norte | A Parade of Colorfully Painted CarabaosBatac, Ilocos Norte: Old Houses, New LessonsBatac City | Farmers Festival Caroza ParadeWorld Peace Center Batac | 15 Mins. at Marcos' Giant Indoor MosaicBatac City | DIY Itinerary: One-Day Walking Tour to 5 Historical Sites

Map showing the Location of #Batac

Click this map to view all posts about #Batac


Tags: Tourist Spots in Batac, Ilocos Norte | Tourist Destinations in Batac | What to do in Batac, Ilocos Norte | Things to do in Batac | Batac Ilocos Norte Itinerary | batac DIY walking tour |
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EDMAR GUQUIB y DEL CASTILLO

Born and Raised in Vigan, Philippines. Hardcore Ilocano-Cordilleran. Professional Nurse on Weekdays. Coffee Addict. Travel Blogger in Between. For collaboration or partnership, email your business proposal at admin@edmaration.com.

Post A Comment:

13 comments:

  1. Di ko pa napuntahan yung World Peace Center, Aglipay Shrine and the Gen. Ricaforte Shrine :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. The info on Aglipay is interesting! I thought his remains are in Taft, where their Cathedral is. Another one in my bucket list, Edmar! Nagadu ti papanan dita Ilocos! I wish I have more time in the coming months to see all of them!

    ReplyDelete
  3. @Kuya Christian, awww. sayang. Halos magkakalapit lang sila sa mga napuntahan muna :)

    @Sir Ding, OO nga po, actually hindi pa ako nakapasok sa Shrine ni Aglipay, a reason to go back :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Isa itong Ilocos Norte sa mga nais kong mapuntahan. Ang daming magagandang lugar, pati mga historical sites din. I'll surely include Batac and the historical sites you mentioned here in my itinerary when I go to Ilocos Norte. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. @Talinggaw. Hey ya!!! Yes! Both Ilocos Sur and Norte has a lot to offer! I tell ya 1 week would not be enough to explore each province. Happy travels Pinay Wanderer!

    ReplyDelete
  6. @Wrey, hehe.. oo nga bawal... Actually I am making another post for the Marcos Museum. hehe... :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. looks cool and interesting old architecture. perfect for tourism as well as student field trips.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ikaw na ang may entry agad sa carnival hehehe dapat makapag-Batac na ako sa next Ilocos trip ^_^

    ReplyDelete
  9. Micamyx|Senyorita | Bwahaha! Boys Scout laging handa ; LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ganda. Di pa ako nakakarating ng Ilocos. Tatandaan ko ang first honor post mo if ever makapunta na ako. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Cris | Pinay Thrillseeker | Nyahaha. Ako na talaga ang hindi excited eh. Nahirapan kasi ako sa topic mo noon kaya hindi ako nakahabul, kinapos ng ideya. Ngayon buti super ready ako, hahaha.. Nabuhay uli ako! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  12. You forgot to mention about the Empanada. It's the home of the signature Ilocos Empanada and nowhere else

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. [Unknown] ► Hi there! I actually featured the Batac empanda in a separate post. You may like to check the link below. :)

      http://www.edmaration.com/2012/08/batac-special-empanada-so-what-makes-it.html

      Delete

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