Caballo Island, one of the four guarding the mouth of Manila Bay, as seen from Corregidor. It used to house an American military installation up to the Second World War.
The landmass beyond is Mariveles, Bataan.
January 27, 2010
January 26, 2010
Bay Cruiser
The MV Bay Cruiser, one of the ferries servicing Manila-Corregidor route, is moored at the south dock of the island. The trip takes about one and half hours.
January 25, 2010
The Guns of Corregidor
Corregidor was not a fortress island for nothing - it's armed to the teeth. The United States spent hundreds of millions of dollars fortifying its defenses just before the war. In fact, it and 3 other islands in the Bay (Caballo, El Fraile and Carabao Island), plus Grande Island in Subic Bay in the north, constitute the harbor defences of Manila and Subic.
Scattered all over the island are 23 batteries - named after US servicemen - such as Battery Crockett and Battery Geary. These batteries are self-contained structures with 14-inch anti-ship artillery and their own magazines and ammunition stores.
Some of these batteries were destroyed, such as this one below, which suffered a direct hit from a Japanese bomber.
When the Japanese took over the island, they also installed weapons, including this anti-aircraft gun, below.
January 24, 2010
History Lessons
Corregidor Island is one of the historical spot at stone's throw from Manila that I haven't visited yet, due to the fact that "it's not going anywhere." That changed this weekend when I finally was able to visit the "Rock."
The island - used to be a Spanish signal outpost and fortress due to its strategic location at the mouth of Manila Bay, and about 26 miles from Manila - played an important role in the second world war. Used by the American forces as a base (together with 3 other islands on the bay), it was the last parcel of land to surrender to the Japanese invaders. It became the headquarters of Gen. Douglas MacArthur and the seat of the government of Philippine president Manuel L. Quezon during the war.
Due to the placement of a network of tunnels, fortifications - 23 batteries in all - and anti-ship guns, it delayed the conquest of the Philippines by Japan. After its fall, it was occupied by Japanese forces for 3 years, and was then recaptured by Allied forces in February 1945.
Today, Corregidor holds testament to the horrors of war with the presence of ruins and and the remnants of the pockmarked walls and guns of the 23 batteries in the island. The Malinta Tunnel- a bomb-proof network of bunkers and tunnels - also stood as a grim memory to what the Allied forces had endured during the war.
A memorial to the fallen - the Pacific War Memorial - was built on the island to honor those who died in WW2.
[pics, from above: the Malinta tunnel, one of the anti-ship guns in the Battery Geary, the outer shell of a building destroyed during the war, the Pacific War Memorial, dedication to the heroes who defended the island from Japanese invasion]
How to get there: Suncruises offers a daytrip to the island, for PhP1990, via a 1.5-hr ferry ride. Package includes transport, entrance fees, and buffet lunch. An overnight stay in the island's only hotel would cost an additional PhP500.
January 22, 2010
Hide and Seek
A grouper hiding in the corals, just off Dive & Trek resort, Bauan, Batangas.
[12/5/09, using Olympus 795SW]
January 19, 2010
January 18, 2010
Bellini's
Craving for Italian food when you're in Metro Manila? Head to Bellini's, an authentic Italian restaurant tucked in a small corner in Marikina Shoe Expo in Cubao, Quezon City. After eating there, you can head to the several art galleries and antique shops in the area.
[recommendations on what to order here]
January 15, 2010
UP North Science & Technology Park
One of the newest technology hubs in Metro Manila, the UP North S&T Park is located just beside the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman, Quezon City. It hosts high-tech companies, including IBM and Convergys.
January 14, 2010
Tri-sikad
This is the tri-sikad (portmanteau of tricycle and Visayan word sikad, to kick), a human-powered cab used as a popular mode of transportation in the provinces.(Pic taken in my hometown, Kabasalan, last December)
January 10, 2010
Shangri-La Hotel, Makati
had the chance to workout at the fitness center of Shangri-La Hotel in Makati this weekend. The gym is well equipped with machines and weights, and swimming is also an option, as the hotel has an Olympic-size one on the fourth-floor deck. The jacuzzi and sauna is a great way to cool down after a workout.
Shangri-La Hotel is located in Ayala Avenue, Makati
[pics, from top: the pool, the hotel's facade, the jacuzzi right next to the men's locker room
January 8, 2010
January 7, 2010
Starfish Island
This is Starfish Island, one of the islets dotting Honda Bay in Puerto Princesa, Palawan(photo taken by Jef during our barkada trip there)
January 6, 2010
Updated Holiday Schedule for 2010
To facilitate easy vacation planning, here's the updated Philippine holiday (non-working) schedule for 2010:
Regular Holidays
- Jan 1 - New Year's Day
- Apr 1 - Maundy Thursday
- Apr 2 - Good Friday
- Apr 9 - Araw ng Kagitingan
- May 1 - Labor Day
- June 14 - Independence Day (Monday nearest June 12)
- Aug 30 - National Heroes Day
- Nov 29 - Bonifacio Day (Monday nearest Nov 30)
- Dec 25 - Christmas Day
- Dec 27 - Rizal Day (Monday nearest Dec 30)
- Aug 23 - Ninoy Aquino Day (Monday nearest Aug 21)
- Nov 1 - All Saints Day
- Dec 24 - Additional non-working holiday
- Dec 31 - Last day of the year
- Feb 22 - EDSA Revolution Day (Monday nearest Feb 25)
Fantasyland
Saw this theme park - Fantasyland, I think is it's name - on our way to Bauan, Batangas during a dive trip last December. It looks abandoned or half-finished.
January 5, 2010
January 4, 2010
January 1, 2010
Revelry
New Year celebration in the Philippines would be incomplete without fireworks and firecrackers (so much that government advisory against them remains unheeded, and hundreds get injured every year) and a feast fit for a king (or at least a king-sized appetite).
pics, from above: fireworks from our neighbors, lighting up a baby rocket, the feast prepared for media noche, eaten after midnight
Happy New Year!
2009 has been a good year for Kin's Ant Farm: five countries in three foreign trips, plus a trip to different local destinations almost every month since the beginning of the year. As the year closes, I would like to wish everyone a prosperous 2010, and more opportunities to explore the world!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)