"The Rock" - Corregidor Islannd

May 26, 2008

The AIIAS family went on retreat to the Island of Corregidor. Also known as "the Rock" because of it's rocky land formations, it withstood heavy bombing from Japanese forces in World War II and again by American forces in the retaking of Corregidor in the same war.

To read more about this historical icon click the link below.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corregidor


The boat ride to the island took around 1 hour & thirty minutes. Having nothing much to do in the ferry, we played some games of Uno while eating some snacks. Others just slept during the trip. The ferry had a viewing deck where the picture at the left was taken from. While on the travel to Corregidor, Bataan could be seen on the right and Cavite on the left.

Getting off the ferry, there were buses (jeepneys? trolleys?) waiting for us. We got into bus number 2 with the driver - Ceasar and tourguide - Armando (cool! I still remember their names..haha). We went around the island on a tour visiting gun batteries, barracks, memorials, shorelines and other spots.

One of the really interesting places we visited was the Topside Barracks aka "Mile-Long Barracks." At its time, it was the longest barracks in the world. Although not really a mile long, it was still really long at 1,520 feet. It was really great that we stopped here because, according to our guide, tours usually stop at Middle Side barracks which wasn't as long and as magnificent but we skipped that one to get here. Plus, we were allowed to climb it. You have to be cautious climbing the steps since they were crumbling. Climbing to the third floor and looking across to the other side caused some weird feeling. You could really see to the other end. This barracks used to be a magnificent building. I'm sure alot better than the Molave Hall of AUP. This was actually luxurious in a way with recreational rooms and such. I perceive it used to be pretty too.

The guns were another interesting site. They were already painted green but you could still see the chips on the barrel caused by splash damage from the bombs dropped. These guns were the main strong point of Corregidor; what made it impregnable. That's why it was important for the Japanese to get a hold of it no matter the number of casualties. The guns could shoot to anywhere in Bataan and Cavite ranging up to 29,000 meters vertical range. And since it was right at the mouth of Manila Bay, it was the main defense of Manila Bay.





The end of our tour was the Malinta Experience. The sound and light show inside Malinta Tunnel. The tunnel served as a bombproof shelter and a path through the hill. During the bombing, the tunnel remained intact. The tunnel sheltered most everyone during the bombing of Corregidor. The reason why it is now ruined is because, during the retaking of Corregidor, the Japanese blew themselves inside the tunnel creating a massive explosion crumbling most of the tunnel and even destroying and American tank in the process.

Below are some pictures taken. Thanks to my sister, Aimeem for some of the pics.





Other places we visited were the Pacific War Memorial, the Eternal Flame of Freedom, a really nice piece of art and the Spanish lighthouse.