Cavite: Corregidor Island overnight trip via Sun Cruises

Corregidor is not just a memorial to the heroism during the Second World War. Today, it's truly a destination. And I hope it gets more attention. Just two weeks after my recent day-trip to Corregidor, I decided to come back, this time for an overnight trip and more exploration. I tagged along Gideon so he could map out some trekking routes.

I wanted to see all the attractions off the usual tour route, especially the artillery batteries off the beaten track. And when you stay overnight in Corregidor, you can do a lateral tunnel tour in total darkness! And I'll make sure I do that!

We took the first Sun Cruises trip to the island. I slept the whole trip going there and the whole morning at the Corregidor Inn since I did not have any sleep the night before. So Gideon hiked up Malinta Hill on his own.

After lunch, we hired our own vehicle so that we could check out the different artillery batteries at our own pace. First stop was Battery Morrison. The grass was a bit tall and obviously, it wasn't that visited. Battery James is nearby. But what remains is just the concrete structure. It's gun, like in most of the gun batteries near the shore, have been stolen and sold for scrap. It's really sad hearing these stories of theft.

We also visited Battery Way and Battery Hearn which is on the regular tourist route. What people don't know is that Battery Hearn has a twin called Battery Smith. In fact, Hearn was part of Smith before it was renamed Hearn.

We then visited Battery Wheeler which reminded me of Battery Grubbs. Battery Geary is also popular because it still has live ammunition stuck inside it even after it was hit and exploded during the war. Just a few meters away from it is Battery Crockett.

The last Corregidor gun battery we visited today was Battery Ramsey. There was nothing much left of it since it got hit as well during the war. But at least parts of the gun are still there. I took a nap the rest of the afternoon. If you want peace and quiet, Corregidor is definitely a good candidate.

My plan was to join the night tour of Malinta Tunnel lateral tunnels. But that was canceled since it was raining and the other guests at the hotel decided not to push through. So let's just say I got to sleep early that night.

The next day, I was off to more exploration. I finally got to visit Kindley Airfield near the tail of Corregidor Island. It's the site of the infamous Jabidah Massacre which saw dozens of young Muslim trainees slaughtered to protect a military secret. It would have been lost in history had one of the youth not survived to tell the tale.

There was one gun battery with its guns still intact. And that's Battery Cheney. But to get to it, you have to hike a bit and you'll have to go through some tall grass. But that was fine with me. It also reminded me of Grubbs and Crockett.

On the way there, you'll see some Japanese caves by the beach. there are many of these holes all over Corregidor which the Japanese built to protect themselves from attack.

Anyway, I decided to push through with my Malinta Tunnel tour now that it wasn't raining. Even if you do it during the daytime, the place is pitch black. So you could imagine what the soldiers and their families had to go through during the war, especially when there was no power.

It was a good thing I was wearing a hard hat since I bumped my head several times! Some of the tunnels are really narrow and low, especially those which were damaged during the liberation of Corregidor. We got to visit the hospital as well. My guide pointed to a large wooden door with grills which served as a prison for those caught stealing the guns.

The overnight trip was really fun and most definitely worth it. I want to come back again to explore more of the island. Maybe they could establish more trails which people could visit. And I hope Sun Cruises opens up more ferry schedules so that people could visit the island anytime they want.

Part 1: Corregidor Island day trip via Sun Cruises

Corregidor Island: Battery Grubbs

Battery Grubbs is another of Corregidor's heavy seacoast emplacements one will get to visit on the regular guided island tour. Work for this battery was done from 1907 to 1911 at a cost $212,397.86. It had two 10-inch disappearing guns making the battery the only battery with 10-inch gun emplacements in the Manila Harbor Defenses. These were 1895M1 guns on Model 1901 Disappearing Carriages (#25/#14 and #22/#16) and were apparently never changed during the battery service life. It was named in honor of 1st Lt. Hayden Y. Grubbs, 6th U.S. Infantry, who died during the Philippine-American War in 1899.

Main article: Corregidor's artillery batteries
Related article: Corregidor Island day trip via Sun Crusies

Corregidor Island: Battery Hearn

Battery Hearn is another of the relatively intact Corregidor artillery batteries one visits during the regular island tour. Constructed from 1918 to 1921 at a cost of $148,105, Hearn and companion Battery Smith were the last major caliber sea coast artillery built on Corregidor before the Washington Disarmament Treaty of 1922.

Battery Hearn was part of Battery Smith (Battery Smith Gun No. 2) until 1937 when it was renamed Hearn in honor of Brigadier General Clint C. Hearn who commander the harbor defenses on Manila and Subic Bay in 1919.

It was armed with a 12-inch (305mm) gun model 1895A2, mounted on a Barbette Carriage Model 1917, which with a maximum firing elevation of 35 degrees, could fire a 1,000-pound (454.5kg) shell propelled by a 270-pound (122.7kg) separately loaded bagged charge to a range of 30,000 yards 17 miles or 7.4 km.

Main article: Corregidor's artillery batteries
Related article: Corregidor Island day trip via Sun Crusies

Corregidor Island: Battery Way

Battery Way is said to be the most intact of Corregidor's artillery batteries. And it's no surprise that it's one of the most visited and most photographed attractions on the island.

Construction for this battery began in 1904. It was completed in 1914 at a total cost of $112,969 and named in honor of 2nd Lt. Henry N. Way, 4th U.S. Artillery, who died in service in the Philippines in 1900.

Armed with four 12-inch (305mm) M1890 mortar carriages which were capable of lobbing a 1,000-pound (454.5kg) deck piercing shell or 700-pound (318kg) high explosive shell 14,610 yards (8.3 miles or 13.35 km) in any direction.

On May 6, the day Corregidor surrendered, Battery Way continued firing all morning. Only when the breech block of its last gun froze at 11 a.m., warped by the heat from constant firing, did it stop firing. It was the last of Corregidor's "concrete artillery" to cease fire before the surrender at 12 noon.

Main article: Corregidor's artillery batteries
Related article: Corregidor Island day trip via Sun Crusies

Cavite: Corregidor's artillery batteries

Ever since my first visit to Corregidor Island, I've been fascinated by the island's many artillery batteries. The U.S. Army post on Corregidor was named Fort Mills. The surrounding islands also had artillery batteries as well as Grande Island, which was Fort Wint, in Subic Bay. On Caballo Island was Fort Hughes, El Fraile was Fort Drum, and on Carabao Island was Fort Frank.

During a day-trip to Corregidor, you only get to visit three of them as part of the island tour. But if you want to see more of them, you'll have to stay overnight on the island. It looks like documenting these Corregidor batteries will be another project. I heard however that many of the coastal batteries no longer have guns. They were stolen and sold for scrap some decades ago. It's really sad.

Here's a list of heavy seacoast batteries, and medium and light fixed and semi-fixed gun batteries on Corregidor Island (Fort Mills):

• Cheney
• Concepcion
  
• Crockett
• Cushing
• Geary
• Grubbs
• Hanna
  
• Hamilton
• Hearn
• James
• Kysor
• Levagood
  
• Martin
  
• Maxwell Keyes
  
• Monja
• Morrison
• Ordnance Point
  
• Ramsay
• R.J. 43
  
• Rock Point
  
• Smith
• Stockade
• Sunset
• Way
• Wheeler
  

Main article: Corregidor Island day trip via Sun Crusies

Cavite: Corregidor Island day trip via Sun Crusies

Corregidor Island is a day trip from Manila which many people take for granted. This former military fortress city devastated during the Second World War stands as a silent witness the brutalities of war. Today it is a monument to the gallantry of our soldiers.

I made another trip to the island today via Sun Cruises which leaves the CCP Complex every morning. The first time I went to Corregidor was way back in high school more than ten years ago, also on Sun Cruises. They have day tour packages which include the catamaran ride to and from Corregidor, tram tour around the island and buffet lunch. Although closer to Bataan, the island is part of Cavite City.

Under the Spanish, Corregidor was a fortress, a penal institution, a signal outpost to warn Manila of hostile ships, and a station for Customs inspection. Hence the name Isla de Corregidor (Island of Correction) from the Spanish corregir, meaning to correct. All ships entering Manila Bay were required to stop and have their documents checked and corrected says one account. Another account mentions it got its name because of the correctional facilities.

During the American period, living in Corregidor was the life for any American or Filipino soldier. It had everything one could find in a city including two cinemas and other entertainment, ample lodging for thousands of GIs including the longest barracks in the world at the time it was built, a commisary, and even taxi and tram services!

In fact, it was a prized piece of real estate. Take note! The U.S. Government had spent more than 150 million dollars for the defense installations on the island which is five times the 2009 national budget in nominal terms! Before the war, 7.5 trillion pesos was inconceivable! And sadly, everything was destroyed during the war.

But what remains today is most definitely worth visiting. As soon as we arrived at the dock after that one hour ferry ride, we boarded tram buses which would take us around the island. Each bus goes to a different location so that there are not too many people in each stop. Our bus first went to the Filipino Heroes Memorial where statues of Manuel L. Quezon and Sergio Osmena stand together with monuments to Filipino guerillas, the Filipino woman, and a several bas relief tableaus of important revolts from the Battle of Mactan to EDSA 1986.

Our next stop was the Japanese War Memorial which serves as a memorial to the lives lost on the Japanese side. Our guide was really good and I most definitely enjoyed all his stories. But I didn't appreciate him claiming that the statue of Guan Yin (Kannon to the Japanese) is a composite of the Virgin Mary and Budhha. Misinformed visitors might just believe that the statue of the Goddess of Mercy is indeed that.

Front there we trooped the the light and sound show at the Malinta Tunnel, the script of which was written by National Artist Lamberto Avellana. The sculptures were rendered by National Artist Napoleon Abueva. This is an optional part of the tour and you'll have to buy tickets for PHP150. But it is highly-recommended if you want to learn more about Corregidor during World War II.

It took ten years to complete Malinta Tunnel (from 1922 to 1932), which got its name from the abundance linta (leeches) that plagued the workers that built it. It had been dug through solid rock and offered complete protection from attacks. During the siege of Corregidor, Gen. Douglas MacArthur set up the headquarters of USAFFE inside the tunnel. It was also the seat of Philippine Commonwealth under President Quezon. It was there, on December 30, 1941, that President Quezon and Vice President Osmena were inaugurated into their second terms.

At the end of the show, the Philippine National Anthem is played. Guides should remind visitors of the solemnity of this part of the show. I was irritated that people kept on snapping photos of the Philippine flag while the anthem was playing. They could have done it after.

Anyway, after the Malinta Experience, we proceeded to the Corregidor Hotel for our buffet lunch. After lunch, we visited three military batteries. A battery in military terms refers to a group of guns placed together in a given area. Among the most popular and most-visited are Battery Way, Battery Hearn and Battery Grubbs.

We also got to drive by the ruins of the Middleside Barracks, the Corregidor Hospital and the Topside Barracks (said to be the longest military barracks in the world at the time it was built) before proceeding to the reconstructed Spanish Lighthouse.

Another important attraction of Corregidor is the Pacific War Memorial. It was built on the highest part of Corregidor's west side to honor both Filipino and American soldiers who fought during the Second World War. Completed in 1968, the memorial cost three million dollars to build.

Our last stop before boarding the ferry was Lorcha Dock from which Gen. MacArthur left for Australia. A statue of MacArthur stands at the dock reminding us of that momentous day in history. And no, he did not utter the famous words "I shall return!" from there. He said those words in Australia.

The day trip to Corregidor is really convenient. And you'll be back in Manila just in time to savor the famous Manila Bay sunset! But I'm definitely coming back for an overnight trip so that I could explore the many interesting sites outside the usual Corregidor tour.

Sun Cruises
CCP Terminal A, CCP Complex
Roxas Boulevard, Manila
(02) 8318140 /(02) 8346857 to 58

Manila: Libingan ng mga Bayani, our national cemetery

Have you ever visited the Libingan ng mga Bayani? The last time I remember entering the place was way back in kinder during one of our field trips. I've seen the Manila American Cemetery much recently, several times in fact since I'm awed by how grand, serene and well-maintained the place is. And it's sad that our own national cemetery could not compare to an American cemetery on Philippine soil!

So while I was killing time in Fort Bonifacio last Saturday, I decided to pass by Libingan ng mga Bayani. The entrance reads: "I do not know the dignity of his birth, but I do know the glory of his death" which are the words of Gen. Douglas MacArthur from his sentimental 1961 visit to the Philippines.

At the center of the whole cemetery is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. And around it are graves of various Philippine dignitaries including two former presidents, Carlos P. Garcia and Diosdado P. Macapagal. The older Manila North Cemetery has three presidents namely Osmena, Roxas and Magsaysay.

Also buried in the dignitaries section of the Libingan ng mga Bayani are former vice-presidents Arturo M. Tolentino and Salvador H. Laurel.

There is also UN General Assembly president Carlos P. Romulo, for chief justices Enrique M. Fernando, Fred Ruiz Castro and Claudio Teehankee, Sen. Blas F. Ople and PCGG Chair Haydee Yorac among others.

The Libingan ng mga Bayani also has a section reserved for national artists which serve as the final resting place of names such as Nick Joaquin, Ang Kiukok, Jose T. Joya, Levi Celerio, Teodoro M. Locsin and NVM Gonzales. The only thing I didn't like about the area was that the graves were too simple for national artists and scientists, simply marked by crosses, no room for creativity.

OT: I've virtually turned down every opportunity to travel for the past one and a half months. That includes two international trips and a host of local destinations. Bear with me as graduation requirements have been filling up my schedule. But summer has a lot in store which is why I'm already excited!

Bataan: Dambana ng Kagitingan in Bataan

Every year, April 9 has always been among the much-awaited public holidays in the Philippines. This year, it fell on Easter Monday giving everyone a five-day vacation which I'm sure kept resorts nationwide filled to the brim. But, aside from it being a holiday, do most Filipinos know what Araw ng Kagitingan is all about?

On April 9, 1942, approximately 75,000 Filipino and United States soldiers, commanded by Major General Edward "Ned" P. King, Jr., formally surrendered to the Japanese army under Lt. General Masaharu Homma. Over the next few days, these prisoners of war were transferred to Camp O'Donnell in what would become the Bataan Death March.

To commemorate the gallantry of these troops, April 9 of every year was declared Araw ng Kagitingan. The Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor) was also built on top of Mount Samat in 1966 in memory of the soldiers who saw action during the Second World War.

The most distinct feature of the shrine is the Memorial Cross, a 92-meter marble, steel and concrete structure built 555 meters above sea level. At the base of the cross is a sculptural bas relief that depicts important historical events and battles in the Philippines. An elevator takes visitors up a viewing deck in the arms of the cross.

Every April 9, the President together with the ambassadors of the United States and Japan, leaders of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and surviving WWII veterans visit the shrine to commemorate the said surrender and the start of the Bataan Death March. Although she was scheduled to join the ceremonies this year, President Arroyo had to beg off due to the medical situation of the First Gentleman.

Anyway, to remember this day, here is the transcript of "Bataan has fallen" which was written by Salvador P. Lopez and read from the Malinta Tunnel in Corregidor on the Voice of Freedom radio broadcast: Bataan has fallen. The Philippine-American troops on this war-ravaged and bloodstained peninsula have laid down their arms. With heads bloody but unbowed, they have yielded to the superior force and numbers of the enemy.

The world will long remember the epic struggle that Filipino and American soldiers put up in the jungle fastness and along the rugged coast of Bataan. They have stood up uncomplaining under the constant and grueling fire of the enemy for more that three months. Besieged on land and blockaded by sea, cut off from all sources of help in the Philippines and in America, the intrepid fighters have done all that human endurance could bear.

For what sustained them through all these months of incessant battle was a force that was more than merely physical. It was the force of an unconquerable faith--something in the heart and soul that physical hardship and adversity could not destroy! It was the thought of native land and all that it holds most dear, the thought of freedom and dignity and pride in these most priceless of all our human prerogatives.

The adversary, in the pride of his power and triumph, will credit our troops with nothing less than the courage and fortitude that his own troops have shown in battle. Our men have fought a brave and bitterly contested struggle. All the world will testify to the most superhuman endurance with which they stood up until the last in the face of overwhelming odds.

But the decision had to come. Men fighting under the banner of unshakable faith are made of something more that flesh, but they are not made of impervious steel. The flesh must yield at last, endurance melts away, and the end of the battle must come.

Bataan has fallen, but the spirit that made it stand--a beacon to all the liberty-loving peoples of the world--cannot fall!

Manila: Manila American Cemetery, a war memorial in Metro Manila

Since we got home quite late yesterday, I decided to go somewhere nearby today. A lot of people do not know that there is an impressive Second World War memorial near Makati Central Business District.

According to the American Battle Monuments Commission, "The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines occupies 152 acres on a prominent plateau, visible at a distance from the east, south and west. It contains the largest number of graves of our military dead of World War II, a total of 17,202, most of whom lost their lives in operations in New Guinea and the Philippines. The headstones are aligned in 11 plots forming a generally circular pattern, set among masses of a wide variety of tropical trees and shrubbery.

"The chapel, a white masonry building enriched with sculpture and mosaic, stands near the center of the cemetery. In front of it on a wide terrace are two large hemicycles. Twenty-five mosaic maps recall the achievements of the American armed forces in the Pacific, China, India and Burma. On rectangular Trani limestone piers within the hemicycles are inscribed the Tablets of the Missing containing 36,285 names. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. Carved in the floors are the seals of the American states and its territories. From the memorial and other points within the cemetery there are impressive views over the lowlands to Laguna de Bay and towards the distant mountains."

Designed by Gardener A. Dailey of San Francisco, the cemetery and memorial is located in the Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City and is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. everyday except on December 25 and January 1. To read more about the place, download the brochure here.

I hope the Libingan ng mga Bayani was as elegantly designed and lay-outed as this one. The grounds are well-maintained and the grass is perfectly green even during the summer!