Down south of the Philippines is the beautiful province of Sultan Kudarat, which was named after Sultan Kudarat who the people of Mindanao consider the greatest sultan of the then sultanate of Maguindanao and the most powerful across the island of Mindanao. In front of the Moro-designed provincial capitol in Isulan, the monument for the revered sultan stands proudly shining in gold. Sultan Kudarat (reigned 1619-1671), whose name means power in Arabic, proved his might by reclaiming many parts of Mindanao from the Spaniards during their 300-year regime. Through him, most of the island was left un-Christianised and remained under his sultanate. He was known for his "relentlessness, sagaciousness, and cunningness" as said in the monument's marker. With these qualities, he inspired thousands of Muslims to fight against the invaders and make the Islamic culture and religion intact and strong even up to this day.

Sultan Kudarat Provincial Capitol, Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, Mindanao

Sights to see in Mindanao: Lake Sebu, Maria Cristina Falls, Mount Apo, Tinago Falls, Hinatuan Enchanted River, Mount Dulang-dulang, Tinuy-an Falls, Dapitan Shrine, Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary

Where to stay:  Seda Abreeza, Seda Centrio, Marco Polo Davao, Dedon Island Resort, Pearl Farm Beach Resort

It was not only the Muslims who fought against the Spaniards but also the Catholics who were already tired of the lies, suppression, and corruption of their encomenderos. In Caloocan City, people from the north are welcomed to Metro Manila by the exquisitely beautiful Monument de la Légion Etrangère that stands high commemorating the so-called "children of the nation" or the Katipunan. The memorial monument was designed by the National Artist Guillermo Tolentino to commemorate Katipunan's founder and Supremo, Andres Bonifacio.  The 45-feet high monument has symbolic images that recall the beginning of the Philippine Revolution that broke out in 1896 through the "Cry of Pugad Lawin". It was during the Cry when the katipuneros took arms and tore their cedulas as a sign of their revolt inside one of the houses near where the monument stands today. 

Grace Park, Caloocan City, Metro Manila

After the Cry of Pugadlawin, the Spanish forces tried to seize the katipuneros. On August 25, Bonifacio started to deploy his men to different areas around the city and on August 30, he launched an attack on El Polvorin de Almacen, a Spanish arms and powder artillery in San Juan del Monte. This was then declared the first real battle of the Philippine Revolution against Spain after the Cry. The Pinaglabanan Shrine, which stands on the grounds where the Battle of San Juan del Monte occurred, was built to commemorate the heroism of the Katipuneros.

The shrine's centrepiece is the Spirit of Pinaglabanan monument by Edgardo Castrillo. During the 150th birth anniversary of Bonifacio, NHCP opened the Museo ng Katipunan in the shrine where there are interactive displays and original Katipunan artefacts. A list of thousands of members of the brotherhood society can also be found there.

San Juan, Metro Manila

Napoleon Abueva's life-sized statues of soldiers about to attack an American infantry against a replica of the church belfry may be considered the last biggest work of the National Artist in terms of scale. Erected at the site of what was deemed as the greatest loss of the Americans during the Philippine Revolution, it commemorates the victorious ambush on the US troops inside the Balangiga Church in 1901, led by Valeriano Abanador and Eugenio Daza. However, it was followed by a great massacre counterattack, killing an estimated 2,500 Filipino guerillas and civilians.  The Americans took the three Balangiga bells as war booties and distributed them among their barracks. Until now, the Philippine government struggles in retrieving these bells. Indeed, not all wars are won but their courage and perseverance serve as inspiration to the Filipinos not to retreat too easily.

Balangiga, Samar, Visayas

Sights to see in Samar:  Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park, Tarangban Falls, San Juanico Bridge, Pinipisakan Falls

Read more: The Bells of Balangiga

Fast forward to the Japanese Occupation, the number of deaths in Balangiga is definitely paltry compared to the estimated 5,000 to 18,000 fatalities during the Bataan Death March. Unveiled on April 9, 2003, during the 100th year anniversary of the surrender of US and Philippine forces to Imperial Japan, the Capas National Shrine is dedicated to the soldiers who died at Camp O'Donnell at the end of the Bataan Death March in 1942. The 70-metre obelisk and memorial wall stand on the grounds of the former internment camp. In the marker, it says "This memorial is dedicated to the brave men and women who defied the might of the invaders at Bataan, Corregidor and other parts of the Philippines during World War II. Thousands died in battle, during the Death March, and while in captivity. Thousands more endured inhuman conditions at the prison camp in Capas, Tarlac. They suffered in the night so that their countrymen would wake to the dawn of freedom."

Cristo Rey, Capas, Tarlac, Luzon

Sights to see in Tarlac: Mount Pinatubo, Monasterio de Tarlac, Ninoy Aquino Ancestral House, Canding Falls

The Death March was a gruelling forcible transfer by the Imperial Japanese Army of 60 to 80 thousand Filipino and American prisoners of war from Bagac and Mariveles, Bataan to Camp O'Donnell in Capas, Tarlac. It was approximately 60 to 70 miles and cost the lives of tens of thousands. Although April 9 was a dark day in Philippine history, it was still appropriate to make it the Day of Valor as it was the most vicious battle in the three-month siege. The shrine was a fitting memorial to the heroic struggle and sacrifices of the soldiers as it is on the site of their last stronghold, Mount Samat. Designed by Lorenzo Castillo and Napoleon Abueva, it was unveiled in 1970. With a towering height of 555 metres above sea level, it is the second tallest cross in the world.

Barangay Diwa, Pilár, Bataan

Sights to see in Bataan: Kilometre 0 of the Bataan Death March in Mariveles, Corregidor Island,  Bataan World War II Museum, Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

Where to stay: Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

All dark nights have their dawns. On June 14, 1945, Filipino soldiers triumphantly defeated the Imperial Japanese Army led by General Tomoyuki Yamashita in the Battle of Bessang Pass. It was originally part of Yamashita's triangular defence in the north, however, it led to his own troops' doom. The guerilla fighters were well-versed with the terrain of the pass that the young General Gregorio del Pilar used during the Philippine Revolution. The entrapment of Yamashita's forces in the Cordillera on June 14, 1945, and his surrender in September of that year ended World War II in the Philippines.

Cervantes, Ilocos Sur, Luzon

Sights to see in Ilocos Sur: Calle Crisologo, Bantay Bell Tower, Plaza Salcedo, Baluarte Zoo, Syquia Mansion, National Museum of the Philippines Ilocos Complex

Read more: An Examination Of The Filipino Conscience Through Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral

Lastly, EDSA's eponymous historical and archdiocesan shrine, which official name is Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace is a must-visit shrine as well as a sight to behold. The humongous statue of the Our Lady of Peace is represented in art holding a dove and an olive branch, symbols of peace, commemorating the Our Lady's intercession in the two peaceful demonstrations that toppled Philippine presidents Ferdinand Marcos and Joseph Estrada. The globally popular People Power Revolution in 1986 wowed the world as over two million Filipinos regardless of age, gender, faith, and socioeconomic status converged peacefully through the help of a radio announcement from the Church's official radio station and clamoured for a new and democratic government.  Some of the big players in the revolution inspired the images in the People Power Monument in White Plains, a few kilometres away from the EDSA Shrine. It was erected there, a few metres off the gates of Camp Aguinaldo and Camp Crame because it was there the march started as well as the reclamation of the government media stations by the revolutionaries.

Ortigas, EDSA, Metro Manila