Corregidor Experience: A Must for Every Filipino
A week after the Big Binondo Wok, my parents and I were off to Corregidor Island! It took us, more or less, one and a half hours to get there by sea. Little did I know that it would turn out to be one of the best local trips I’ve ever had! Corregidor is filled with so much history, breathtaking (and creepy) ruins and tunnels. Needless to say, photography enthusiasts, like yours truly, will have a marvelous time, uh, taking pictures.
Among the ruins that we visited were the Mile-Long Barracks, which once had an Olympic-sized swimming pool, and the first hospital in Corregidor, built in 1912. I must say, the devastated hospital was really creepy,
especially when you get to the morgue and the operating room. Apart from its historical significance during the Second World War, it also served as the venue for the Javida Massacre during the Marcos regime.
The Malinta Tunnel, one of the highlights of the trip, is just an incredible structure. One will be amazed at how complicated the tunnel is. Aside from the lateral tunnels that became served as quarters to McArthur and other Filipino officials, it has a one thousand-bed hospital, where the victims were relocated after the Japanese bombed the first hospital. It was said that dried blood was one inch-thick on the floors and walls of the makeshift hospital. Traces of the past is certainly apparent with layers of explosion residue, shrapnel markings, and, believe it or not, human bones!
Being able to visit and experience Corregidor has enriched my sense of history and my being a Filipino. It made me appreciate our nation and our people more. I highly recommend this trip to all Filipinos.
Pictures here.