On the Rocks

Published in What's On and Expat 2007

Corregidor

It was probably back in the late 90’s when I first heard someone gush about a recent sojourn to the island of Correigidor. Two of my friends, visiting from Madrid had spent a day on “the rock” as it amusingly nicknamed and just couldn’t stop talking about it. In fact, they printed out the photos the same day just to show their friends back home. Having never traveled there, and being Filipino, I must have turned five shades of red when asked, “How come you’ve never been?” Well, better late than never, almost 10 years have passed and after some last minute planning, I found myself being handed my day pass ticket to Corregidor by an over generous companion. The operator of choice was Sun Cruises Incorporated which had the most comprehensive website when I surfed the Internet for information and it also promised a whole new experience. I thought to myself, “well if I’ve never been there, it is certainly going to be new” and the energetically jumping youths on the brochure were a little over the top but I decided not to pass judgment and found myself being led to the dock at the CCP Bay Terminal. I have to admit, we Filipinos love paper, I was handed a ticket for the boat to go to Corregidor, a lunch ticket, a tour ticket and another ticket to go back to Manila. Honestly, at that hour in the morning if I were even just a little bit sleepier those tickets would have flown away with the Manila Bay wind.

Boarding time was scheduled for 715am but I’m pretty sure we departed at around 830am, the ride to the island was pleasant and smooth and I was lucky enough to be seated by the window. While onboard one of the designated tour guides amused passengers with stories of Corregidor, and what to expect one we arrived. There was also an assignment of the tour trams for English speaking, Japanese speaking and student groups. In about an hour, I could already see the island and took a deep breath and braced myself for the heat of the sun that was hiding temporarily behind an overcast veil. As luck would have it, the very first tram that caught my eye had on it possibly (and no exaggeration) the best local tour guide bar none. Pablito, as he called himself, was a veteran of the Corregidor experience, having been at the helm of the tram showing around no less than heads of state from the Philippines and even the US. He knew what he was talking about, and his dry wit was refreshing despite the heat.

As a quick background, Corregidor was the site of one of the “last stands” during World War II. The island acted as final defense of the Philippines from the invading Japanese forces in 1942 as it had a network of tunnels and a formidable array of defensive armament, along with the fortifications across the entrance to Manila Bay. (the island partially blocked the entrance) Unfortunately, even if the island was host to the Allied Forces for General Mac Arthur and was the temporary location for the commonwealth under President Manuel Quezon, it still fell into the hands of the Japanese on May 6 of that year. It was also here where the radio station, USAFFE (United States Army Forces in the Far East) broadcasted the famous announcement of the fall of Bataan. Corregidor is tadpole-shaped and aerial shots show lush green forests and deep blue waters surrounding it.

The green forests were indeed abundant as we went up the winding roads to see the sites. The ruins of war were all around and yet, recent “improvements” of some of them, had left them (in my opinion) less majestic. Reminiscent of the temples of Angkor Wat, some ruins had trees and their roots wrapped around them, but due to these said “improvements” the trees had been cut down, in order to make the ruins look more realistic, or as our guide sarcastically explained “like they looked right after the war”. Sad, I thought, but hopefully the rest of the ruins would have been spared this short sightedness.

I was not disappointed because the rest of the trip held within it a certain romance, one that I would like to think is a leftover from the spirit of the soldiers. Before you start pulling the garlic and the holy water out I’m talking about the sense of duty and fierce dedication that sustained the soldiers during the last desperate days on the island. There is a sense of noble, even proud defiance all around Corregidor that one can pick up on with ease. The Mile Long Barracks, which was my favorite remnant of the Battle of Corregidor seemed to stretch languorously on and on into the distance. I would have liked to walk and take photos of it from end to end, but there was still so much to see. The walk around the old cinema ( used by the soldiers for R&R) and the Pacific War Memorial were almost picture perfect. The museum was simple and well organized, what I particularly liked was a water “rack” outside of it. One could place his or her bottle of water there while exploring the museum, many chose to take their photos using the very colorful mural of Corregidor as a background.

Lunch was served at one of the hotels on the island and in under an hour we were off to the Malinta Tunnel for a light and sound show. The show chronicled the events that went on leading up to the surrender of Corregidor to the Japanese. The rest of the day was spent with stops at the numerous armaments or batteries that were scattered over the island. They all had it seemed a new coat of paint and were very shiny in the hot sun, and made interesting props for other tourists as they clambered over them and posed for even more photos. By around 2pm though, the tour was over, and I felt a little disappointed because I thought it was way too short. There were those who opted to stay overnight, so those who had gotten a day pass were whisked back to the boat waiting on the docks. Getting the same seat back I asked my companion if the trip could have been extended, and was told that there is a later departure schedule but it is dependent on weather condition and the vessel’s availability. I made a mental note, as we drifted away from “The Rock” that I would, as General Macarthur had, return.

Sidebar:

Sun Cruises Incorporated has Guided Island Tour inclusive of Lunch on a daily basis. There are also special tours and excursions that can be planned in advance. The Nature Tour and Adventure Package is becoming increasingly popular with an
“Explore the Rock “ challenge wherein survivor type games may be arranged for group visitors. For more information visit www.corregidorphilippines.com