An Experience of Marinduque's Culture and History

Marinduque, known as the “Heart of the Philippines,” is a small island province right in the middle of the archipelago. It’s composed of 6 municipalities: Boac, Buenavista, Gasan, Mogpog, Santa Cruz, and Torrijos, with Boac being the main municipality. Marinduque is popular for its Moriones Festival but the province has more to offer when it comes to history, culture, traditions, and natural attractions.

On Our Way from Manila to Marinduque

It was Holy Week in 2022 when our group went to Marinduque for a few days’ vacation. We left Manila Wednesday night and drove 4 hours going south to Lucena Dalahican Port. Overall, our trip was smooth with moderate flow of traffic with only brief moments of standstill. The challenging part was at Lucena Dalahican Port, where we faced a long and disorganized line of vehicles of travelers trying to get in the port. Despite arriving an hour early, we still nearly missed our scheduled trip. My advice is to arrive at the port a few hours before the ferry’s departure.

Our travel took a smooth turn again after we boarded the ferry. Thankfully, the ferry wasn’t crammed, and there were seats for all passengers though almost all seats were taken. Our group chose to sit at the balcony where we enjoyed the three-hour ride in cold early morning air as we watched the sunrise and the passing of islands on our way to Marinduque.

Upon arriving at Marinduque’s Balanacan Port, we were met by our tour guide. Hungry, we were brought to Villa Negro Cafe and more on this on a separate blog post.

After our breakfast, we headed off to our first stop, which was Luzon Datum.

Luzon Datum in Marinduque

Luzon Datum’s Historical Importance

Luzon Datum, or the Balanacan Station, is a historical tourist attraction in Mogpog, atop a hill called Mataas na Bundok. At the summit, we found a statue of the Virgin Mother, a historical marker, and a large stone marker surrounded by metal fences– the Luzon Datum itself. This stone marker serves as the geographic center of the Philippines and the main geodetic reference for geological maps and surveys. This national landmark was established in the early 19th century when the Philippines was a US colony.

The View from Luzon Datum

Aside from Luzon Datum’s historical significance, there is another reason tourists visit this place– it’s the almost 360 degree view from the hilltop where visitors can see the islands scattered and sea-stretch surrounding Marinduque. It’s truly a breathtaking view at the top.

Accessibility of Luzon Datum

What makes Luzon Datum even greater is its accessibility. Tourists can take a light vehicle that can pass through a barangay road that goes up the hill of Mataas na Bundok. At the end of this barangay road, there is a concrete stairway going up to Luzon Datum. The climb up this stairway may take about 15 – 20 minutes on a leisurely pace, including breaks to catch breath. It is advisable to bring a bottle of water, wear light clothes, and visit this place early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid the midday heat.

After Luzon Datum, we headed down to the town of Boac, to our second stop in the tour— Boac Cathedral.

Marinduque’s Boac Cathedral

Boac Cathedral: Like a Spanish Gothic Church

Boac Cathedral, or the Immaculate Conception Parish Church, is simpler and smaller than other Filipino Catholic churches. Built in the style of Spanish Gothic Churches, it is airy and well-lit with high ceiling, a spacious courtyard, and buttresses on its side. The walls are made of red bricks and terracotta, while the main doors are thick, large dark wood, carved with Biblical characters.

Boac Cathedral’s Historical and Cultural Significance

Boac Cathedral may not appear as grand as other churches, but its historical significance led to its designation as an Important Cultural Property by the Philippines’ National Museum. Located in the town center of Boac and near the Boac River, its strategic site was vital in building the influence of Spanish Catholic friars during the Colonial Era. Being in the center allowed the Catholic friars to be aware and get involved in the happenings in the community. In the 18th century, amid rising pirate attacks, the church also served as a fortress for the townspeople.

Boac Cathedral Museum

I highly recommend visiting Boac Cathedral’s small museum located at its back area, in the second floor. They have an exhibit of the friars’ memorabilia, an archive of documents, and more information on the history of Boac Cathedral. It highlights the Cathedral’s contribution in building the community of Boac as we know it today.

It was already past noon when we left Boac Cathedral and went for lunch for the third stop of our tour— Casa De Don Emilio, a restaurant in a heritage house in Boac, Marinduque.

Heritage Houses in Boac, Marinduque

Ways to Appreciate Spanish Colonial Houses in Boac

There are several Spanish Colonial Houses in Boac owned by the middle to upper-class men during the Spanish Colonial Era. Most of these houses are still privately owned to this day, so these can only be admired from the outside. A good way to appreciate their charm is to walk around the town center early in the morning when the town is still and quiet.

Another — and I may say– better way to appreciate these heritage houses is by dining right in one of its kind, specifically at the Don Emilio Lardizabal Heritage House. This particular heritage house has made its interior open to the public by converting its first floor into a cafe, and its second floor into a restaurant, the Casa De Don Emilio.

Eating at Casa De Don Emilio

The Don Emilio Lardizabal Heritage House is well-preserved Spanish colonial house. It features large, sturdy dark wood making up most of the house’s walls, floors, and ceilings. The tall and wide capiz-shell-decorated windows allow for an airy, spacious, light-washed dining areas. Surrounded by antiquity while eating at this colonial-house-turned-restaurant was really an interesting experience.

Moriones Parade Below

We were midway through our lunch at Casa De Don Emilio when we were told that a parade of Moriones was happening at the street below. Luckily, we were seated at a table right beside a large open capiz window. It faced the main street and from the second floor of the heritage house, we watched the Moriones pass us by on the street below.

Moriones Festival of Marinduque

The Moryonan, also known as the Moriones Festival, is a traditional and devotional activity among locals during the Holy Week. From the Spanish word morrion, meaning helmet, penitents and devotees walk around the community under midday heat wearing wooden head masks and Roman soldier costumes as an act of penance or of thanksgiving. The masks in particular are meant to hide the identity of the participants. These head masks are locally made, each uniquely designed with details that hold meaning among locals.

After our lunch at Casa De Don Emilio, we walked across the town center and to the town plaza where Marinduque-Romblon Museum was located.

Marinduque-Romblon Museum

Marinduque-Romblon Museum houses an exhibit titled “Moryonan: Art and Devotion”. This exhibition displays different moriones head masks and Roman soldier costumes. This exhibit highlights the cultural and spiritual importance of Moriones Festival among the locals.

The other exhibitions in this museum are the Marinduque Shipwrecks and The Journey Towards the Protection of the Philippine Rise.

The Marinduque Shipwrecks display artifacts from the shipwrecks found around Marinduque proving that Indigenous Filipinos were already civilized to establish trade relations with southern China even before the arrival of the Spaniards.

Meanwhile, The Journey Towards the Protection of the Philippine Rise is a display of photos taken from an underwater ecosystem located east of Luzon. This Philippine rise is important in the preservation of the world’s marine biodiversity.

After our visit to the Marinduque-Romblom Museum, we headed on to a Butterfly Farm, but this I’ll share in a different blog post. After which, we were taken to Boac’s Pasalubong Center, where a traditional ceremony called Putong was performed and shared with us.

Marinduque’s Putong: A Welcoming

Putong is a welcoming ceremony done by locals to thank their guests for visiting and to bless them with good luck. It is performed by the locals, clothed in traditional barong for men and baro’t saya for women. Locals sing and dance to folk songs in front of the guests as a welcoming gesture. At the end of this ceremony, guests are showered with petals and coins then crowned, hence the name Putong, meaning “to crown” in Tagalog.

We were lucky to have experienced this welcoming ceremony near the end of our first day in Marinduque. For an introvert like me, it was inevitable to feel shy while the locals performed in front of us. But as the ceremony went on, I realized that it was just natural for them to be welcoming of their guests, and to feel proud that they preserved and continue to share a unique traditional ceremony like Putong.

It was a tiring first day of traveling around Marinduque but it was all worth-it. We experienced so much of their interesting history and warm culture all in one day. I hope this blog post stirred your interest on Marinduque and its historical and cultural attractions. In the next blog post, I’ll share our experiences on visiting Marinduque’s natural attractions.

An Experience of Marinduque’s Culture and History

On Our Way from Manila to Marinduque