First, Happy Memorial Day to all my American friends who are
celebrating! *salute to the heroes* I
hope you guys will be having a great time catching up with family and friends
over the long weekend. However, please do at least one thing on this Memorial
Day weekend and that is to remember, and give thanks to the soldiers who have
made the travel, grilling out and family outings possible.
An entertainment building during the World War 2
My post today is somehow related to
Memorial Day. This is an overdue blog post; I'm trying my best to write as much
while the memory is still fresh in my mind, and before the photos start piling
up on my hard drive. Back in 2010, I had a fun and quick trip with an old
friend. We tried that 1-Day Tour in Corregidor Island through Sun Cruises. We paid Php1,
999.00 and that includes
round-trip ferry transfers / shrine, entrance, and terminal fees / guided
island tour, and buffet lunch. I’ll post the complete information of Sun
Cruises and their rates at the bottom part of this post.
Let me first say that I am a huge
history buff. Being able to visit one of the important historic and tourist
sites in the Philippines makes me feel accomplished. Corregidor is a tadpole
shaped island about 48 kilometers west of Manila with its head facing the South
China Sea and the tail curling back into Manila Bay. This island fortress
stands as a mute witness and a memorial for the courage, valor, and heroism of
its Filipino and American defenders who bravely held their ground against the
overwhelming number of invading Japanese forces during World War II. After the
War, many people, most of them veterans, visited the island because of its
history.
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The journey towards the island only
took about 1.5 hours. The Cruise was smooth and fast. We arrived at Corregidor
Island at 10 am, the guests were split into groups; each assigned a tram
accompanied by a tour guide. I'm glad our tour guide kept us up by filling in
jokes. I forgot his name but he really is extraordinary, witty, and of course,
has a lot of sense of humor, which in our opinion, is necessary for every tour
guide.
The following photos are some of the outstanding highlights during our Corregidor Island visit.
Mile-Long Barracks and Middleside Barracks
Mile-Long Barracks was constructed to be
hurricane-proof. This three-story building served as shelter for American
officers and enlisted personnel at the garrison. While Middleside Barracks served as houses for the personnel’s of the
60th Coast Artillery Regiment and the 91st Philippine Scout Coast Artillery
Regiment.
Corregidor Island Gun Batteries
When the American
forces took over the Philippines, their engineers built 23 gun batteries around
Corregidor and surrounding islands.
Pacific War Memorial
Completed in 1968 through the
appropriation of the US Congress, the memorial honors the Filipino and American
soldiers who participated in the Pacific War. The main feature of the memorial
is the circular altar in a rotunda which symbolizes a wreath of victory.
Pacific War Memorial Museum
This museum honors the Filipino and
American soldiers who served during the Pacific War in World War II.
Eternal Flame of Freedom
A large steel sculpture which
symbolizes the Flame of Freedom burning eternally.
The Old Spanish Lighthouse of Corregidor Island
Built in 1836, this lighthouse served
as an alarm to Manila Bay harbour of the approaching galleon or attacking
enemies. In 1897, the old lighthouse was replaced by a much bigger lighthouse
but was later destroyed during the outbreak of World War II.
Malinta Tunnel
A bomb-proof headquarters constructed
for Filipino and American troops during World War II, which took about 10 years
to be finished. Gen. MacArthur set up the headquarters of USAFFE inside the
tunnel where men and women (command communications and medical units) would
live and work during the siege of Corregidor Island.
I decided not to describe word by word
what to expect in those stops because I’d love for you to come visit and see
the sights and hear the rich history behind them, personally. I still got lots
of photos but it's going to be too much if I will post everything here. I
highly recommend this place!
Location and Contact Information:
CCP Bay Terminal A, CCP Complex,
Roxas Blvd. Pasay City (Near Harbour
Square)
Sales Telephone: 527-5555 loc 4511/ 12
Reservations: +63 922 337 0068 / + 632
834 6857 to 58
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