QC gov’t offers land swap to expand historical shrines

The Quezon City government on Thursday announced plans to expand the area of two historical sites—the Tandang Sora and Pugad Lawin shrines—by offering a land swap with the owners of the surrounding private properties.

Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista said the acquisition of properties in the vicinity of the shrines would be in line with City Hall’s efforts to give visitors easier access and improve the two sites for tourism.

To facilitate the expansion, he said the owners of neighboring private lands could be asked to turn over these lots in exchange for city-owned properties elsewhere.

“It may sound dramatic, but I think we can do it with the city offering other sites to property owners and occupants,” Bautista said in a statement.

Located on a government property covering about 5,000 square meters in Barangay Bahay Toro, Project 8, the Pugad Lawin Shrine marks the spot where Andres Bonifacio, revolutionary leader and Supremo of the secret society Katipunan, rallied his forces against Spanish colonial rule.

The shrine consists of 27 bronze statues of Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto and other Katipuneros in the act of tearing up their cedula or tax certificate to signify the start of the rebellion in August 1896.

The Tandang Sora Shrine sits in an area of about 2,800 sq m on Banlat Road, built in honor of Melchora Aquino who is hailed the Mother of the Revolution for sheltering wounded Katipuneros.

Bautista said the planned expansion of the two shrines would include the development of a road network to attract more visitors.