According to Wikipedia
"Corregidor Island is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in southwestern part of Luzon Island in the Philippines. Due to this location, Corregidor has historically been fortified with coastal artillery to defend the entrance of Manila Bay and Manila from attacks by enemy warships."
Source : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corregidor ( accessed 30.9.2020)
If you want the full history of the Island then click on the link above but in short:
"During World War II, Corregidor played an important role during the invasion and liberation of the Philippines from Japanese forces. The island was heavily bombarded during the latter part of the war, and the ruins serve as a military memorial to American, Filipino and Japanese soldiers who served or lost their lives on the battlefield. Corregidor is one of the important historic and tourist sites in the country."
You can book a day trip to the island ( and it has a small hotel if you want to stay overnight) and this includes a guided tour on a tram with a very knowledgeable guide. You also get lunch on what they call "the best hotel on the island" ( the only one!). It is a very well organised day tour. You have to book your tickets in advance then when you check in you are given a badge with your tram number on it . When you disembark everyone is split up onto the waiting trams and head off to a different part of the island. So while maybe 100 people visit the island daily they go around in groups of 10 so nowhere gets too crowded. The island is in 4 parts and the names come from the fact it looks like a fish from above:
"Topside
The island's biggest area, which points towards the West Philippine Sea, rises prominently to a large flat area that is called "Topside". Beneath this was the fortified communications center of the island, as well as the location for the Army headquarters, barracks for enlisted men, a branch of the Philippine Trust Co. bank, the Cine Corregidor movie theater, officers' quarters, underground ordnance shops, the parade ground, an Officers' Club with a 9-hole Golf Course, tennis courts, and swimming pool, and the bulk of the artillery batteries that constituted the strength of Corregidor.
Middleside
Middleside is a small plateau that interrupts the upward slope from Bottomside to Topside, and was the location of 2-story officers' quarters, barracks for the enlisted men, a hospital, quarters for non-commissioned officers, a service club, PX, and two schoolhouses—one for the children of Filipino soldiers and the other for American children.
Bottomside
Bottomside is the lower part of the island and is the neck that connects the tail and head of the island. South of Bottomside was Barangay or Barrio San José (near what was Navy Beach); on the north is what was Army Dock, with its three large piers, and, east of Bottomside, is the Malinta Tunnel. The Malinta Hill separates Bottomside from the Tail End.
Tailside
The Tailside or Tail End is not a given name, but it is the remaining portion of the island where different memorials, shrines and the island's airstrip are located. Kindley Field was constructed in the early 1920s and named in honor of an early hero of the U.S. Army Air Corps. The airfield was operated then by the army, and the navy had a seaplane base. The short runway, cramped and hilly terrain had limited its use."
The night before our booked tour of Corregidor ( departs 7. 30 am , please arrive early to get your tickets, if you are late you will miss the boat) Karl and I went out for dinner overlooking Manila Bay to see a Fireworks display. Back then I drank alcohol, and we had a lot before retiring to the hotel and then, as we had not seen each-other for a year we sat up all night talking before drifting off to sleep in the early hours ( I am very relaxed and sleep well on vacation unlike in Bahrain where I go to bed at 8 pm and wake up at 3 am) . Those of you who know me will be amazed to hear that I slept until 7 am and then we had a mad panic to dress, get a taxi and arrived at the port at 730 am to find the boat still there as it had been delayed.
The reason for the delay was even funnier, a Philippine TV station had booked most of the seats for an annual beauty pageant for Gay Filipinos called Mr Pogi, or maybe the real title is GMA Mr Pinoy! It was many years ago. All I remember was so many good looking guys in swimsuits with make up, hairdryers, and film crews all trying to check in and get on the boat. There is some stunning scenery on the island and it was made so much better that day by these good looking boys draped all over it.
The highlight of the tour for me ( apart form all the good looking guys) was the Malinta Tunnel. The tram drops you at one end and then you walk through the long tunnel with another guide. Along the way they show film clips of the war and there have recreated how the Americans lived here underground in the various side tunnels while the Japanese were trying to take over the island above.
They had hospitals, canteens, living areas, and with the air tunnels it was all beautifully cool in spite of the heat outside. It takes some time to walk down the tunnel, stage by stage, as each part is explained and its very moving. It reminded me of an earlier trip to the Bridge over the River Kwai. With Karl and I were Americans, Japanese and Filipinos who had fought in the war, or had family who did , so the walk down the tunnel was a very emotional one for us all.
At the far end is a Philippine flag and we all stood as it was lit up and fluttered in the breeze and the National Anthem played. I still remember it 7 years later like it was yesterday. Then the doors at the far end of the tunnel opened and we were collected by our trams to finish the tour and head back to the boat at the end of a long and interesting day.
In researching this blog I was reminded again of the importance of Corregidor in Filipino history:
" Between December 24, 1941 and February 19, 1942, Corregidor was the temporary location for the Government of the Philippines. On December 30, 1941, outside the Malinta Tunnel, Manuel L. Quezon and Sergio Osmeña were inaugurated respectively as President and Vice-President of the Philippines Commonwealth for a second term. General Douglas MacArthur also used Corregidor as Allied headquarters until March 11, 1942. The Voice of Freedom, the radio station of USAFFE broadcast from Corregidor, including the famous announcement of the fall of Bataan. In April 1942, one battalion of the Fourth Marines was sent to reinforce the island's beach defenses.'
According to the Lonely Planet guide the tours are still run by Sun Cruises:
"Sun Cruises has the market cornered for trips to infamous Corregidor Island, the last bastion of American resistance during the Japanese invasion of Luzon in 1941. It loads up passengers daily at 7.30am from the Esplanade Seaside Terminal; you return to Manila around 4.15pm, unless you choose to stay overnight."
Source : https://www.lonelyplanet.com/philippines/corregidor/activities/sun-cruises/a/poi-act/1190068/1002372 ( accessed 30.9.2020)
I hope you enjoy our photos from the day, and some taken from Wikipedia and that you will give this wonderful Island of memories a visit. To quote General MacArthur , when he left Corregidor to get reinforcements:
"I shall return"
In my case after a good nights sleep on my own and without a hangover! I will also make sure I get there 30 mins early. Karl, if you are reading this, you are so passaway leading me astray! Charot. It would be great to get back in touch again and next time we will stay on the island overnight at the one and only Hotel.
That night, after a little snooze, we went by bus on a two hour trip up to Tagaytay, overlooking Manila for some Legendary Bulalo and Halo Halo. By the time we got there it was 10 pm and the restaurant was closing, the skies were dark and Manila could not be seen , and we did not get back to the hotel until 2 am! Thanks for being such a good "Guide" Karl!
You can read more about my Corregidor trip in this blog:
https://thebritishkabayan.blogspot.com/2021/05/small-island-big-history-corregidor.html
It was worth the bus ride for the food and we got some Pasalubong for Ate Hazel
As usual this is the British Kabayan signing out for now- Mahal Kita, Ingat Palagi, Kita Kits...
Until then .......
Hello, I am The British Kabayan! Feel free to read my stories.
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