Philippine Showbiz Today 9
Jan . March 22-Feb 22 . 7 , - 2015 April 7 , 2017
Philippine Showbiz Today 9
Feature Story : Araw ng Kagitingan - April 9
Summer Trip to
Located at the entrance of Manila Bay , Isla ng Corregidor was identified by the Spaniards as a strategic defense location when they arrived in the Philippines in the 16th century . They named the tadpole-shaped island Island of the Corrector since this was the place
where all ships entering Manila Bay would stop for inspection . Since then the island fortress has been the site of many battles , from the Spanish-American War to the period of American colonialism .
For those interested in taking a trip to Corregidor , you can book your tour of the island at the Sun Cruises office located at the Cultural Center of the Philippines ( CCP ) Complex in Pasay City . But there are other ways available to everyone interested in visiting the island of Corregidor .
Coming from the province of Bataan , tourists can take a 20-minute boat ride to the island and do a walking tour . There are also some tourist groups who organize tours for private groups . A oneday tour of Corregidor will cost around P2400 per person and this includes ferry transfers and a buffet lunch at the Corregidor Hotel .
One should prepare for a trip to Corregidor by bringing an ample supply of bottled water . Though chips , soft drinks and other snacks are available throughout the tour of the island and food shops are available in the island ’ s tourist spots , it would be better to bring your own baon of food to eat during the tour .
Getting to Corregidor is like taking a ride in a time machine and travelling back in time . It takes about one hour by ferry from the Sun Cruises boat terminal in Pasay City . While comfortably seated in the air conditioned ferry , they will play a d o c u m e n t a r y a b o u t C o r r e g i d o r ’ s role during the Second World War . The trip to the island will also give you a rare view of Roxas Boulevard and
Manila skyline from Manila Bay .
Upon arrival , disembarking from the Sun Cruises ferry , tourists are led to a set of open-air tranvias – the tour ’ s main mode of transportation – that will take them on their tour around the island . First stop is the Corregidor
Hotel for a hearty lunch
before the actual tour of the island begins .
Avid fans of war movies and military hardware will definitely enjoy a tour of Corregidor . Even though the island was brutally bombed in 1942 , it still has some
Corregidor by Jose K . Lirios PST Manila Correspondent
pieces of its artillery intact and in good condition .
Next is the Japanese Garden of Peace which used to be a cemetery for soldiers and civilians who died on the island . After the American forces recaptured the island from the Japanese invaders , they buried the Japanese soldiers there . The remains of the Japanese soldiers were later exhumed and brought to Japan . It is now a memorial for everyone who died in the war .
During the American colonial period in the Philippines , Corregidor was a military paradise , something similar to the other wellknown American military bases in the country – Subic Naval Base and Clark Air Base .
It was named Fort Mills by the Americans as part of the Manila Bay Harbor Defense Fortifications they built after acquiring the Philippines from the Spaniards .
C o r r e g i d o r Island had a cinema , a school and barracks for American and Filipino soldiers residing there . Considered as the most photographed structure in the island , the Mile Long Barracks used to be a segregated home for 4,000 American and 4,000 Filipino soldiers .
One of the fortifications in the island is considered by many as a marvel of engineering-- the Malinta Tunnel . This bombproof storage facility took 10 years to build , from 1922 to 1932 . It has a main tunnel that runs for over 800 feet with lateral tunnels branching out on each of its sides .
Tourist can walk inside the tunnel where important events in Corregidor ’ s history are brought to life through a lights and sound show . Visitors will hear President Manuel Quezon and General Douglas McArthur ’ s discussions on the war and also hear actual
rumblings of a Japanese bombing run on the island . The lights and sound show costs P200 per person .
The next place to visit is Corregidor ’ s lighthouse . After being severely damaged by the war , the lighthouse was rebuilt and it now runs on solar power . Built in 1853 , the lighthouse helped guide ships as they entered the mouth of Manila Bay and steered them towards the
safety of the port .
The tour of Corregidor Island ends at the museum where various war memorabilia , letters , photos and vintage models of war planes can be seen . The Pacific War Memorial has a dome which is positioned to have the sun shine exactly through the oculus every May 6 at noon , commemorating the fall of Corregidor .
A tour of the island of Corregidor is highly recommended for every Filipino — as well as foreign tourists — who should always be reminded of the extreme sacrifices of the Filipino and American soldiers during World War II . ●