MacArthur Park (Leyte Landing Memorial) on Red Beach, Palo, Leyte

The most famous landmark and tourist attraction of Tacloban, though not really a part of the now highly-urbanized city, is MacArthur Park, now known as Leyte Landing Memorial. It dramatizes the landing of Gen. Douglas MacArthur on Read Beach with larger-than-life bronze statues of the general long with his entourage.

It was on October 20, 1944 when Gen. Douglas MacArthur waded ashore accompanied by then Philippine President Sergio Osmeña, Brig. Gen. Carlos P. Romulo (who'd become president of United Nations General Assembly) and Pres. Osmena's Aide-de-Camp Tony Madrigal (Don Antonio, the father of Senator Jamby Madrigal), to begin the liberation of Leyte Island and of the whole archipelago from the clutches of Imperial Japan.

MacArthur Landing Park on Red Beach, Palo, Leyte

The beachhead in Palo town, a few minutes from Tacloban City, is not really colored red per se nor called as such due to red color of the blood-drenched sand, but a designation of the beach in planning by the US military. There's also Blue Beach in nearby Dulag town and similar conventions of beaches in La Union and Pangasinan in Lingayen Gulf during the landing in Luzon island and Yellow Beach in Zamboanga City.

the MacArthur "shrine" with historical markers in view

the markers on the "shrine" reads:

"On this spot, Palo, Leyte, General Douglas MacArthur returned to the
Philippines on 20 October 1944 and personally led the swift drive
against the Japanese forces in the Philippines. President Sergio
Osmena arrived with General MacArthur and proceeded to reorganize, restore and administer the government of the commonwealth of the Philippines. Declared and National Historical Landmark 2004."

Alternate reports from actual observers and historians narrated how the dogmatic general spent five hours and three takes before the (in)famous video clip was recorded with him wading on Red Beach of Palo, Leyte, while the boats and his men on the shore were exposed to the blistering attacks of Kamikaze pilots from Pampanga that gravely put his men in danger because of his landing rehearsals typical of politicians for self-aggrandizement.

MacArthur Park (Leyte Landing Memorial) with a person in view to add scale to the larger-than-life bronze statues inside a man-made lagoon on Red Beach

Three days after the historic Leyte landing, began the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle of World War II and one of the largest naval battles in history, that ended with the crushing defeat of the Imperial Japanese Navy at the hands of the Americans aided by the Royal Australian Navy.

Lastly, does anybody know why MacArthur chose to land on the beaches of Leyte and not anywhere else? Historians know MacArthur initially planned to invade Mindanao particularly Sarangani Bay on December 20, 1944 but was diverted to Leyte two months ahead of schedule. It has something to do with guerillas (the unsung heroes) from Cebu. More on this on a future post.

How to get to MacArthur Park (Leyte Landing Memorial):

Commuting to MacArthur Shrine takes just two rides from Tacloban airport. First, ride a Tacloban bound jeep outside the Tacloban Aiport arrival area. Alight on the area known to the locals as Coca Cola (a park with a Coke factory with prominent Coke, Sprite and Royal giant cans as landmarks), cross the street then transfer to a jeepney bound for Baras (not Marasbaras) that passes by the park.

Those who took RORO buses or ferries to Tacloban can go there by taking a jeepney to Tacloban City center and transfer to Baras-bound jeeps near Tacloban Market, even Robinsons Tacloban mall.