Bataan Peninsula was the scene of harsh fighting between American-Filipino forces and the invading Japanese forces. On April 9, 1942, the Bataan defenders surrendered to the Japanese. About 70,000 U.S. and Filipino soldiers were captured.

The Shrine of Valor (Dambana ng Kagitingan) atop Mt. Samat in Pilar was built in 1966 in memory of those soldiers of World War II.

It consists of the “Colonnade”, a marble capped structure with an altar, esplanade and a museum. Inside the museum you can learn more about the battle of Bataan and the Death March that followed. The captured US & Filipino soldiers were forced to march more than a hundred kilometers from Bataan to Tarlac.

The Memorial Cross is a towering structure made of concrete, steel and marble. It is 92 meters high and the arms’ length is 15 meter on each side. It is 555 meters above sea level. An elevator goes up to the arms of the cross where the viewing galleries are found. The exterior finish of the cross at the base up to an 11-meter level is capped with “Nabiag Nga Bato” sculptural bas relief’s depicting significant battles and historical events.

The Shrine is visited annually by war veterans from different places on Bataan Day (April 9) to recall and honor the past.

Where: Mt. Samat is only 130 km away from Manila and travel time is about two to three hours by land and an hour by ferry.

My rating: 8/10 Impressive structure. Mount Samat Shrine is an ideal place to brush up your history lessons or learn more about the battle of Bataan & the Death March. It is a nice one day excursion.

Info from: My Sarisari Store

I’ve been watching MYX the past days. I see my kababatas (childhood friends), the Romawac siblings of Session Road. They shot a music video at Corregidor Island. “… Like little angels falling from heaven!…” Let’s talk about Corregidor …

Corregidor is an island off Manila Bay, between Bataan and Manila. Corregidor was the first line of defense of Manila. Cannons were setup in the island to intercept any battleships trying to come into Manila Bay.

Corregidor is a fun way to learn some history lessons while touring. It’s a convenient daytrip for family and friends. It takes a ferry boat ride from Manila Bay (a pier near CCP) to reach Corregidor. The ferry boat ride includes a video documentary of Corregidor and a intro spiel from one of the tour guides.

Tours are packaged to cater to a wide range of tourists. For people on a budget, you could get just a ferry ride without a tour (bring your own baon, discover the island on your own).

If you want a tour, a professional tour guide will take you around the island with a shuttle designed to look like cable cars. Among the stops are the Malinta tunnel where soldiers bunked in, there’s a sound and lights show, a Filipino-Japanese friendship garden, a memorial, a museum, the ruins of the “mile long barracks” and a light house.

For lunch, tourists have options again. You can go for BYOB (bring your own baon), a set meal or an eat-all-you-can buffet.

And how can I forget! The cannons! The cannons! Boy, they are huge! These were the weapons used to keep the battle ships away. With an animated commentary by the tourguide, “you’d almost be there”… I was taken back in time. My imagination went put me in the middle of a war. I was in the middle of a history book….

For the tourists on daytrip, it’s a full day visiting the many tourist spots around the island. The ferry boat ride back will be a good time to reflect on our history, the war and how it has affected our grandparents, parents and our generation. The boat will be back at the Manila Pier by around 5pm.

For guests on an overnight package, there is a hotel with an old-house ambiance as well as a good view of the beach and the island. And towards sunset, this is when the more excitement begins. The sunset tour gives tourists a view of a magnificent Manila sunset from a breathtaking vantage point in the island.

There is a “ghost” hunting expedition which takes adventurers around some of the ruins of what used to be a hospital during the war. Another trip to the Malinta tunnel presents a sound and lights show. Gave me the shivers.

Try out the tour. Hope it gives you the shivers too.

Contact Sun Cruises:

Booking Office
CP Terminal A. CCP Complex
Roxas Boulevard, Manila, Philippines
Tel Nos. (632) 831-8140
(632) 834-6857-58
Fax No (632) 834-1523
E-mail add suncruises@magsaysay.com.ph
Sales Office
G/F Magsaysay Building
520 T.M. Kalaw St., Ermita
Manila, Philippines
Tel Nos. (632) 526-9753, 526-8888 loc 9511-12 & 9523
Fax Nos. (632) 521-5850
E-mail sales_mttci@magsaysay.com.ph

URL: www.corregidorphilippines.com

Mabu-hey!

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