One of the first island I've been to - Corregidor Island. The place had been known especially during the time of World War II. This had been a fortress of defense as this place cradled many American and Filipino soldiers during the war. This island became a post and station of the army defending the Philippines against the Japanese empire. What was left on this island after the war were preserved and currently protected as this had played an important role during the invasion of the Japanese regime and as reverence to Filipino and American soldiers who lost their lives on the island and perhaps some bodies unrequited by their families.
After we attended a wedding in Bataan, my cousin and her companion wanted to go to this island so I tagged along. It is about 3 hours away from the wedding venue. We didn’t have any idea how to go there but we asked around which ride to take and just figure it out from there. And yep along the way, we got lost (adventure it is!). We told the bus driver where we are going but unfortunately, the bus dropped us at the wrong place. We found ourselves near a shore and just across the sea, we are looking at the place we want to be, Corregidor island itself. All we had to do is cross the waters.
We asked some fishermen along the shore how to get there and they offered their small boat on a cheaper price and so we hired one but hiring them actually was a mistake. Once we reached the shore of Corregidor Island, men from the coastguard approached our small boat and told the young fisherman that it is illegal to use a small boat and even carry tourist (us) without vest in that small boat. Added that there is a port where tourist should hire big boats or ride on ferries to be brought to the island. We were at shocked, we didn't know, even the young fisherman claimed he did not know about it. The coastguard must capture the small boat and the young fisherman must face the consequences. The young fisherman started to cry and we felt it was really our fault we put him in that situation and so we explained to the coastguard what happened. But the boy must stay with coastguard for further questioning. The guide from the island then took us to the registration and told us to start with our island tour while it is being settled with the boy and added, we don't have enough time to finish the tour, guiltily, we agreed. But before we went home after our tour, the coastguard told us they let the boy go and was already on his way home (thankfully!).
So okay, island tour... I always had heard this place during our history classes and I was very excited to be able to step to this very place, one of the important historic and tourist sites in the Philippines. We rode on a pre-war type streetcars called “tramvias” together with our guide who brought us to the different sites in the island. It was already past lunch time when we got there so we would not have a complete tour package because we don't have much time, it will be dark soon and we will have to catch the last ferry going back to the mainland.
Here are some pictures I had:
We asked some fishermen along the shore how to get there and they offered their small boat on a cheaper price and so we hired one but hiring them actually was a mistake. Once we reached the shore of Corregidor Island, men from the coastguard approached our small boat and told the young fisherman that it is illegal to use a small boat and even carry tourist (us) without vest in that small boat. Added that there is a port where tourist should hire big boats or ride on ferries to be brought to the island. We were at shocked, we didn't know, even the young fisherman claimed he did not know about it. The coastguard must capture the small boat and the young fisherman must face the consequences. The young fisherman started to cry and we felt it was really our fault we put him in that situation and so we explained to the coastguard what happened. But the boy must stay with coastguard for further questioning. The guide from the island then took us to the registration and told us to start with our island tour while it is being settled with the boy and added, we don't have enough time to finish the tour, guiltily, we agreed. But before we went home after our tour, the coastguard told us they let the boy go and was already on his way home (thankfully!).
So okay, island tour... I always had heard this place during our history classes and I was very excited to be able to step to this very place, one of the important historic and tourist sites in the Philippines. We rode on a pre-war type streetcars called “tramvias” together with our guide who brought us to the different sites in the island. It was already past lunch time when we got there so we would not have a complete tour package because we don't have much time, it will be dark soon and we will have to catch the last ferry going back to the mainland.
Our kuya guide was an excellent narrator and can passably be a history teacher. We went into different places but I honestly couldn't remember exact locations, but there were Topside, Middleside, Bottomside, the Tail End, and Malinta Tunnell. Some of the important landmarks and scenic attractions we went into were The Pacific War Memorial, Gen. MacArthur Park, Filipino-American Friendship Park, Filipino Heroes Memorial, Middleside Barracks, Parade Ground, Malinta Tunnel, and a number of gun emplacements though we missed to see the Old Spanish Lighthouse.
I felt like we had a brief history class as our guide was very knowledgeable about it (of course). Having had that chance to set foot on this fortress, it gave me chills of the thought of how they died but I knew I had to honor and relieve the heroic act and sacrifices of every Filipino and American soldiers who died in this island defending our country. If not of their sacrifices, we wouldn’t be having this kind of freedom we are enjoying now.
Here are some pictures I had:
Battery Way named for Lt. Henry N Way, which along with Battery Geary, was the mainstay of the Corregidor Garrison during the Japanese invasion. Its mortars, capable of a 360-degree traverse, could fire on land targets at Bataan. They brought the most destruction on Japanese positions during the attempted landings on the southwest coast of Bataan late in January to the middle of February 1942. These mortars were silenced by enemy shelling in May 1942.
the ruins
Malinta Tunnel - Completed in 1922, Malinta Tunnel was
formerly an arsenal and underground hospital. Located under the Malinta hill,
it served as bomb-proof headquarters for Fil-American troops during World War
II.
Because they do not want to surrender, more than
200 American and Filipino soldiers committed suicide in that tunnel.
Pacific War Memorial
Unlike our entry to the island wherein we used a small unauthorized boat with no vest, this time on our exit going to the mainland, we rode on a ferry with vest.
This is one view I don't get tired seeing.
Corregidor Island
Manila Bay
Southwestern part of Luzon
Philippines
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