Conquering Corregidor

“Oh Corregidor…your shores, your mountains, your hidden recesses, they enchant me. I close my eyes and your soft breezes whisper to me…whisper of secrets past. How you trembled…how the air was filled with the thunder of guns and bombs. How young men, yearning for homes and families…battled desperately. With no hope of victory or rescue…with bodies and minds exhausted, they fought on. I feel the anguish…the terror of those who loved them…wept for them. You sheltered them, fed them…cradled their broken bodies beneath your mountains. And now, it is over. The wounds have healed…you have again given birth to a beauty. Oh Corregidor, you and your legacy of valor…will live in our hearts forever,” goes the touching words written by Jerry Harrison.

Dubbed as “The Rock,” Corregidor is an island of both tragedy and enchantment. Its strategic location, just an hour and 15 minutes away from Manila by boat, formerly served as a crucial defense point. With its extensive history, going on a trip to Corregidor was more than fascinating. We hoped for sunshine all day and we were very lucky!

We departed from the CCP Bay Terminal A, (inside the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex) on a Sun Cruises boat in the early morning. Upon arrival, we were greeted by our tour guide, Momet for a tour around the island on a tram, Corregidor’s main transport. These open-air trams or “tranvia” replicas were used to travel around the island in the early days. Going there was like taking a day off in the present to walk back into the past.

Shaped like a tadpole, Corregidor is an island measuring 6 kilometers long and 2.4 kilometers wide. It features the preserved mile-long barracks (housing for the military personnel) and the battery way (artillery batteries, a group of 12-inch mortars). It was also very interesting to view the remains of the 700-seat capacity Cine Corregidor, the island’s only cinema during the time of the American occupancy. I have learned that international movies were played here long before they would be shown in Manila. The last film to be featured here, before the bombing, was Gone With The Wind. What a tragedy!

The 836-foot long by 24-foot wide bombproof shelter Malinta Tunnel is no doubt Corregidor’s biggest highlight! We took the time to walk inside to experience the Light and Sound Show, “The Malinta Experience.” It is a dramatization of events that occurred inside the tunnel, written and directed by Lamberto Avellana. This tribute lasts for half an hour at an extra cost of P150 per person. The shadows of the echoing past are not to be missed, so it is definitely worth seeing. Don’t forget your camera!

Corregidor Island has over a dozen sights to see. A more recent one is the island’s only hotel, Corregidor Inn, a 31-bedroom hotel complete with a restaurant (150-seating capacity) with scenic views, a recreation center, a pool, a library, a gift shop, pre-arranged guest services such as a massage service and even a zip-line that takes you directly from the hotel down to the south beach. A clinic is available, as well, equipped with the necessary first-aid supplies.

Funded and maintained by the Corregidor Foundation Incorporated, no property in the island is for sale and nothing else is said to be constructed within the island grounds. The main reason for this is to keep its heritage as well as its history untouched. As what our tour guide had said, “Visit Corregidor today and don’t be a stranger in your own country.”

To make a booking with Sun Cruises, you may do so online at www.corregidorphilippines.com. Day tours include a return trip to and from Corregidor Island, guided tours onboard the trams (entrance fees included apart from the Light and Sound Show inside the Malinta Tunnel), a welcome drink at the Corregidor Inn and a buffet lunch. Overnight packages are available at different prices. Note that prior reservations for day and overnight packages are recommended for this historical tour.