A Brave Weekend At Corregidor, Part I

Aiming for a historic getaway, I found myself Saturday morning onboard the Sun Cruises ferry heading for Corregidor ----an island of valor. Situated 26 miles west of Manila, this tadpole-shaped island lies off the southern tip of Bataan Peninsula and is a strategic entrance to Manila Bay. A 45-minute bay cruise was invigorating, not just for viewing the waves and fishing boats, but also for learning some fast-facts and historical background of the island coming from the professional tour guides, the same guides that would bring us around when we get to the destination.

Where is Corregidor?

Corregidor, which belongs to the province of Cavite, has always been mistaken as part of Bataan. I got various explanations to this. Some connect the idea with the island's proximity to Bataan which takes only 30 minutes to reach by pumpboat, unlike Cavite that is an hour and 45 minute-bay cruise. Another account explicates that every time the Voice of Freedom (the radio station during the war) broadcast, Bataan and Corregidor were mentioned side-by-side because the two were the center battlefields, thus sticking to the people's mind its interrelation even after the war. Those are all correct, but the best explanation came from tour guide Pablito Martinez who recounted the island was indeed a part of Bataan during the Spanish era. Corregidor was then called La Isla de Mariveles, serving as signal station of home coming galleon. It was only in December 3, 1909 that the island was given to the province of Cavite by virtue of an executive order of then governor Gen. Cameron Forbes.

History Quick Review

For a greater appreciation of Corregidor, one must first get a feel of history. Viewing and taking pictures of ruined barracks and gaping batteries would never be as memorable if you know somehow to connect your spirit to the destination. Corregidor witnessed one of the fiercest battles in the world history, the World War II. The island was completely devastated between 1941 and 1945, first when the combined forces of Filipinos and Americans commanded by Gen. Douglas McArthur fell under the hands of the then-imperialist Japanese, and when they hit back to regain independence after almost three years of captivity.

World War II broke out in the Philippines in December 8, 1941, prompting the government of then President Manuel L. Quezon to move in to the Malinta Tunnel of Corregidor on a Christmas Eve. Japanese first attacked the island in December 29, 1941 grimly damaging the Middleside and the Topside Barracks, also known as the Milelong Barracks, and the hospital area. This resulted to the transfer of McArthur's headquarters from Milelong to a lateral in Malinta Tunnel and the construction of another lateral called the "1000 bed hospital" which actually housed 2,000 patients at a time. Around 7:30 in the evening of March 11, 1942 McArthur left the island heading for Darwin, Australia, passing through the now popular "McArthur's escape tunnel". According to tour guide Mr. Martinez, the general did not use the main tunnel in exiting because he did not want to dissuade his men seeing him leave in the middle of the war. Corregidor was the last stronghold of Fil-Am forces to surrender in May 6, 1942 with over 13,000 survivors.

The Japanese ruled the island (and the whole country) not until February 16, 1945 when American forces parachuted and landed on the Topside, starting the offensive to regain the land. After ten days of aggressive fighting the Japanese fell, with only 20 survivors. This later totaled to 42 when the rest surrendered after 11 months of hiding at the tunnel of Battery Monja. Majority of the Japanese soldiers committed suicide by blowing themselves on the tunnels of Malinta and Monkey Point and jumping off the highest cliff, now called "the suicide cliff". It was an honor for them to die than to surrender, explained to me by another tour guide Mr. Bobby Fulcher. Came March 2, 1945 McArthur officially declared the liberation of the Philippines.

Start the Fun

As I set foot on the island, I couldn't wait to discover all the places mentioned. Unique open-air busses, called Tranvia, would take us around with one tour-guide each bus --- your choice of Japanese-speaking or English-speaking guides. If you happen to board the wrong bus, don't worry, Japanese-speaking tour guides are bilingual. This 500-plus-hectare island with huge limestone formations is about four miles long and half a mile at its widest point. Its tadpole shape divides the island into four parts-the tailside, bottomside, middleside and the topside, where most of the major caliber seacoast artilleries were placed. Its strategic location at the bay was the basis why Americans fortified the island in 1902 as a military reservation. Here stand the greatest and biggest batteries for defense, named after American generals. There are 23 gun-emplacements in the island, but on a day tour only four of the more intact and powerful batteries can be visited.

As we boarded the tranvia, I readied my camera to take snap photos of all the sites ---starting off at the famous Lorcha Dock where Gen. McArthur uttered the words "I Shall Return", before departing for Australia.