Pinoy Nostalgia- Small Island, Big History- Corregidor

 

                                The Malinta Tunnel on Corregidor

If ever you have had the priveledge to walk down this tunnel I guarantee it is a memory you will never forget. When you get close to the natural light at the end a gust of chilled air sets the Philippines flag fluttering as the National Anthem plays and a tear rolls down your cheek.

I blogged about my visit to the Island back in 2020 ( Corrigedor ) but recently joined a group on Facebook PHILIPPINES OLD PHOTOS AND MEMORIES  and have spent many nostalgic hours looking back on how life used to be in the Philippines.

So Chester and I decided to prepare a 6 part Blog series for you, our dear readers, sharing the best of these pictures, over the next 6 weeks. We have categorized them into 5 groups:

We will photos from one group each week, and will add some relevant observations and memories from our research. We hope you will enjoy the series and share it with your mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, grandparents and anyone who may remember the things we share. For those of you in the Philippines this series is ideal for your Ate, Kuya, Lolo, Lola, Tatay, Nana, Balong, Bunso, Boyet, Papa, Kapatid na babae, Kapatid na lalaki and so on ( guess what Chester has been teaching me in Tagalog!?) 

I also hope my teacher friends will share the pictures and stories with their kids because we should never forget the past which shapes our future. As usual we would love your feedback in the comments or by email... and perhaps your favourite pictures and memories. 

So here are the pictures I found in the Facebook group from Corregidor , interspersed with a little history and my memories.

The island is in a strategic position in Manila bay and that's why it has such a rich history being used by the Americans in the war to keep the Japanese out. Its very pretty and peaceful now and makes a wonderful day tour .  You take the boat to the island which departs at 7.00 am and then are taken on motorized trams around the island. Each tram has a very knowledgeable guide and the tour includes lunch and as an added extra you can pay to walk through the Malinta Tunnel ( well worth it)

                              

The entrance to the tunnel- thanks to this man for sharing his photos

There are many museums on the Island as a memorial to the Japanese, Americans and Phillipino's who fought here and also the ruins of the buildings they lived in and the guns they fired at the incoming Japanese Planes.

I also found some history on the Facebook page:

"Also known as Fort Mills, Corregidor was a heavily defended island at the mouth of Manila Bay. It was in May 6th of 1942 that the remaining US forces surrendered to the Imperial Japanese. Corregidor would later be retaken by the Americans on February of 1945. Today, Corregidor is a historic battle site with its ruins and gun batteries still standing as a silent testament to the men who fought in the island"

Source : https://www.facebook.com/groups/579266309522937 ( accessed 9.5.21)

One of my favourite places was the Lighthouse which Wikipedia tells us :

Corregidor lighthouse

The Corregidor lighthouse

The lighthouse on Topside is one of the oldest landmarks in Corregidor, first lit in 1853. In 1897, the defective lighting apparatus was changed, extending the range to 33 miles (53 km). The grounds and keeper's dwellings were further improved during the American occupation. During World War II, the lighthouse was damaged during the siege of Corregidor. The lighthouse was totally reconstructed in the 1950s with a different design and stands on the same spot where the first lighthouse once stood. The whole lantern of the lighthouse was recently replaced by the Philippine Coast Guard to run on solar power.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corregidor ( accessed 9.5.21)

The Wikipedia piece has all the historical information on the island , if that is of intertest to you, and then you can return to the blog after as it will open in a separate window. ( who says I am a Technophobe??)

The full day tour includes lunch in what the guides laughingly call "The best hotel on the island, well it's the only one !" You can also stay there overnight, which I would love to do in years to come as the island is no longer occupied and the tour guides travel to the island with the boat . I just discovered the Island was closed for a few months but reopened in December 2020. Details of the tour are here:

Corregidor day tour

Amongst the many things you will see are those below:

                                 This is where the soldiers lived 

 

                  I loved this photo that I found on Facebook- sifting through the ruins

On my tour were relatives of soldiers who had parachuted into Corregidor during the war. It was a very interesting tour for them learning about where their loved ones fought. Today's tours are for all Nationalities and it is interesting to see groups of Japanese, groups of Americans and Phillipino's ( and the occasional Brit) learning about their shared history. The 22 year old Phillipino I took on the tour with me, Karl, had never been to the island even though he was bought up in Manila and found it fascinating.

So let me tell you more about the Malinta Tunnel

It was used by the Americans when the Japanese were bombing and contained General MacArthur's headquarters, Gasoline storage, a hospital and more. The guide takes you walking down the tunnel and as each part lights up its history is revealed supported with videos and models in the side tunnels. 

Imagine living there for weeks at a time-the hour it took to walk down the tunnel was enough for me. I was so happy as we reached the end and the spotlight shone on the Philippine flag and as the doors opened to our waiting trams the National Anthem played. It was a very moving moment as we remembered all those who lost their lives in the war.

             Karl stands to attention by the flag at the end of the Malinta Tunnel

Well I hope you have enjoyed our nostalgic trip to Corregidor. I last visited in 2015 and as we left and walked past General MacArthur's statue on the beach to the boat I echoed his famous words:

                I SHALL RETURN

Hopefully in 2022 when I have relocated to the Philippines ( Cov 19 and visas permitting) and sorted out my new home in Palawan and set out to explore the rest of the Philippines that I have not yet visited. I also aim to revisit some of my favourite Islands like Corregidor, Bohol and so on and see all my friends in the Provinces and finally make it to Mindanao, Davao, Dumaguete ( where Karl lived) and Surigao .

Until then here is the last memorabilia photo from Corregidor:

 

       The Famous statue of General MacArthur by the boat terminal on Corregidor

We hope you have enjoyed this first Blog in our Philippine Memorabilia series. Next week we look at how Phillipino kids used to entertain themselves before they had mobile phones!

Until then this is the British Kabayan signing out- 

Ingat Palagi- Take care

Kita Kits- See you soon 

Stay safe- wash your hands, keep your distance and wear your mask- and get vaccinated!