Places to Visit from Central Terminal LRT Station

Central Terminal LRT Station, sometimes called as Central or Anoceros, is located in Ermita, Manila. It lies in the center of the LRT Yellow Line. Many interesting landmarks and worth-seeing places can be found around this station.



A few steps from Central Station, just between the Manila City Hall and the City College of Manila, you will find the Liwasang Bonifacio (the Andres Bonifacio National Shrine), a massive bronze and solid structure which is obviously established to honor and remember Andres Bonifacio and his greatest deeds as one of our greatest heroes.

For someone who had worked abroad, especially those who had spent many years outside the country, the entire Liwasang Bonifacio is an excellent spot to revive your sense of nationalism and to discover your identity as a Filipino, whether with your family or just yourself alone.

Bits of information can be found on the Bonifacio statue itself. There are scenes depicted on it which are like telling stories about our history. You can also find several flagpoles flying the transformation of all the flags from the Revolutionary era to the present, and the KKK’s constitution inscribed in metal.



Some few more steps to your right, if you are facing the statue of Bonifacio, you can reach the Manila City Hall. It is one of the busiest landmarks around Central Station. From the outside, it looks impressive with its St. Stephens Tower-like Hall. It provides services mainly in relation to government transactions like for OFWs, they can get their birth certificates from there if they were born in Manila. Others are passport, residential certificate, etc.

From Manila City Hall, you take the underpass and few more steps to one of the seven gates of the famous Intramuros. But before reaching Intramuros, if you are fond of bonsais, you can drop by the Bonsai Museum and Library located on the right side of the road. The entrance fee is Php 50.00.



Intramuros, or the walled city of Manila, is actually a big place which covers an area of about 160 acres. It is surrounded with walls which are 6 meters high and a commanding 3 kilometers in length. You can actually get there by LRT from United Nations Station. However, the gate which is nearest to the most visited spots in Intramuros is close to Central Station.

Near the gate, there is the OWWA which provides foreign language training for aspiring OFWs. It is pretty impressive to find a 7-11 store in front of OWWA with some details suggesting old times.



On the corner of Sta. Lucia Street, there is the Light and Sound Museum which depicts the colonial rule of the Spaniards in the Philippines and the Filipino struggle to gain independence from the foreign invaders. Entrance fee though is quite over-whelming. If you go there by a group of more than ten people, you will pay Php 100.00 per person. However, if you are visiting alone, prepare Php 1000.00.



Along the Gen. Luna Drive, just before the San Agustin Church and Museum, are the entrance and the office of Club Intramuros which administers the golf course where locals and foreign nationals play the sport.



Going a bit farther is the San Agustin Church and Museum. The church’s design is a legacy of Spanish architecture in the Baroque style. The feeling from the outside and inside of the church is like it belongs to a different era. The museum, which is adjoining the church, is also a must-see experience.



Another famous church in Intramuros is the Manila Cathedral, also known as the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. The history of the church itself is quite inspiring. Being there is an experience of the combination of our history and the Filipino faith.

And definitely you can’t leave Intramuros without paying tribute to our national hero Jose Rizal by visiting Fort Santiago. It is a natural defensive position that has been used for centuries. It is shielded by 22 feet high walls, with a thickness of 8 feet, and an entrance measuring 40 feet high.



It serves as a museum which features well-preserved legacies of the Spanish government, Rizal Shrine, and the prison dungeons for alleged criminals by the Spanish officials. You can also find Jose Rizal’s final footsteps representing the walk from his chamber to the actual location of his execution embedded onto the concrete ground. The rest of Fort Santiago has been set up into a beautiful park. It is really recommended for family outings while appreciating our colorful history. #