32nd birthday; Corregidor!

Hi, today is my 32nd birthday. Feels great to wake up to a beautiful day and look straight to the eyes of the person i hope to spend the rest of my birthdays with.

I haven't done any reflection yet as i was busy touring with Fil the past few days (we already went to Corregidor and Intramuros) and today we will have a party at my parents' house and it will be the first time for Fil to meet my family. Wish us luck! :-)

Meantime, i'm writing about our trip to Corregidor. This will keep you busy for now. Welcome to your past, everyone! :-)

September 30, 2006. History should not be boring...and this was proven true by our english-speaking filipino tour guide, Armando, who kept on injecting funny anecdotes and trivias in between recitation of historical facts and figures as we cruised the interior of Corregidor island aboard the colorful tranvia bus. It was my third time in Corregidor but it didn't matter - i was as eager and interested as a first-time tourist.

While the whole of Luzon was suffering from a blackout caused by typhoon Milenyo, Fil, Gracie and I braved the big waves of Manila bay and pushed through with our trip. Not surprisingly, some parts of the island looked like they've been hit by a bomb: fallen trees, damaged roofs, broken branches, scattered leaves. Of course this was the doing of typhoon milenyo and if only for that i had to thank him because the chaotic look he created even made the island look more authentic :-)

Corregidor is known the world over for its role in war, bravery, and history. A rock island remarkably shaped like a tadpole at the entrance of Manila Bay, Corregidor's strategic location was vital in the defense of Manila during World War II. While it is geographically closer to the province of Bataan, Corregidor remains a part of Cavite. The name 'Corregidor' came from the Spanish word 'corregir' which means 'to correct', since the island was a checkpoint for vessels entering Manila Bay during the Spanish and American occupations.
The whole island is a national historic shrine. It has no local residents (no politics here!) and is maintained by about a hundred people composed of the hotel and museum employees, tour guides, drivers, gardeners, etc. During our day-tour, we visited the following sites: Battery Way, Battery Hearn, Battery Grubbs, Mile-Long Barracks, Pacific War Memorial Park and Museum, Eternal Flame, the Old Spanish Lighthouse where we were rewarded with a breathtaking view of the island including that of Cavite, Bataan and Manila, Japanese Garden of Peace, Filipino Memorial Park and the Lights and Sounds show at the Malinta Tunnel depicting the events in Philippine history covering the period 1941-1945. Each time we visited a site, our tour guide gave us a brief historical background then allowed us to disembark the tranvia bus to take pictures (my favorite part!).

Those who want to stay overnight will not be left with nothing to do because there are still a lot of activities to choose from. The island welcomes families with children, too. There is a hotel and beachfront, treasure hunts for kids, hiking trips, sunset viewing, an aviary and an evening light show at the Malinta Tunnel to make one's historical immersion almost complete. For those who simply want to be away from the polluted, noisy city, Corregidor is a beautiful island teeming with wildlife and lush, serene hills. We were thankful that while some trees did not survive the wrath of typhoon milenyo, the whole island has more than enough trees to cover up for its fallen comrades.

It's amazing how it only took a 75-minute boat ride from Manila to step back to history. It was a trip different from the others...a chance to experience history take on a vivid life. While the island is now silent, definitely the ruins of the batteries, barracks, structures and tunnels will continue to tell a very moving story of a war that has claimed so many lives and has seen so many heroism. Somehow it made me feel guilty that my purpose for coming here was not only to refresh my memory but mainly to practice my photographic skills. Hmmm, if only the walls could speak...
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