The Aquino ancestral house dates back to 1939My friends and I embarked on a trip to Monasterio de Tarlac, a 43-hectare property within the 278-hectare Tarlac Ecotourism Park in San Jose that houses the relic of the True Cross of Christ. The monastery is run by the Servants of the Risen Christ (SRC) monastic community. While in Germany, SRC founder Fr. Ronald Thomas Cortez met the relic’s custodian, who happened to be looking for someone to whom he can entrust the relic.

In 2005, the relic was brought to the monastery. On January 30, 2007, it was finally enshrined in a baroque-inspired chapel.

The relic is encased in a silver ark reliquary decorated with symbols of the crucifixion of Jesus, such as a pair of dice, a hammer and nails, and a ladder. It is exposed twice a year—every January 30 on the anniversary of its enshrinement and every September 14, the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross.

Aside from the chapel and the relic, there are other sights in the park, such as statues, a castle-type church, a view deck and a wooden cross. Near the parking area is the 30-foot statue of the Risen Christ facing the valley and the mountain ranges in the west.

Since we were already near Capas, we dropped by the Capas National Shrine.

The shrine was built by the Philippine government as a memorial to the Filipino and American soldiers who died in Camp O’Donnell at the end of the Bataan Death March.

Several structures and relics can be seen inside the shrine, such as the markers of the Defenders’ of Bataan and Corregidor Inc. and the Philippine Scouts, Defenders’ Hall, the Bridge of Remembrance, the Wall of Heroes and a boxcar that transported survivors of the Death March from San Fernando, Pampanga to Capas.

In 2003, an obelisk was unveiled that serves as the focal center of the shrine and symbolizes peace. The hollow core of the tower is accessible to visitors; here they can look up through the three-prong steeple to be amazed by its magnificent height and form.

Since we still had loads of time, we decided to visit the Aquino family ancestral house in Concepcion.

The place is called Ninoy Aquino Ancestral House because Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino is a son of Tarlac. Constructed in 1939, it is within walking distance from the town hall. In 2011, the house was opened to the public by then Pres. Noynoy Aquino, Sen. Aquino’s son. (Excerpted from http://larga-bista.blogspot.com)