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10 Best Ways to Experience and Enjoy Corregidor!

I've been to Corregidor more than 3x already and this is the first time that I enjoyed every moment of it with Rache and Aidan (for the first time). Thanks to Carlos Celdran for creating a very cool itinerary and for attracting the best company! I would like to share with you the 10 best ways to experience and enjoy Corregidor.

1. Sunset Cocktail. Carlos is brilliant! He asked all the participants to bring potluck items for our sunset cocktail party. We had our cocktail party at the Battery Grubbs. The Corregidor Inn provided the waiter service while the participants brought the cheese, crackers and cold cuts. Carlos brought some Chile wines perfect for the Corregidor Sunset.




2. Dinner Bonfire by the Beach. Dinner Bonfire at the South Beach is another brilliant idea. Someone in our group brought the pasta while some brought the dessert. We brought the Mary Grace Chocolate cake to the party. The background music was sounds of the 1940s.




3. Ghost Hunting at the Hospital. When I first came here, it was super scary because of the imposing Balete tree guarding the hospital. In Filipino beliefs, the Balete tree is the home of the spirits. A few months ago, they cut down the Balete and the Ghost hunting @ night was more bearable. It is better to bring point and shoot camera with a third eye to capture the floating "orbs" The hospital was used as the barracks of the Jabidah secret group. The names of our muslim brothers who died in the Jabidah Massacre were written on the hospital walls.




4. Exploring the Lateral Tunnels of Malinta, Finally, I was able to explore all the lateral tunnels in Malinta. I highly recommend it and it was not scary as you would imagine. When we did the lights out inside the tunnels, there were no negative vibes not unlike in the ghost hunting in the hospital.



5. Experiencing the Lost Corregidor. Corregidor is the greek-like ruins of the American Empire during the 1940s... It was a paradise if you were assigned in Corregidor. Before going to the Rock, please read the Corregidor accounts of Selma Harrison Calmes, M.D.. ( Link provided below). In the Corregidor museum, check out the table wares used in one of the last Thanksgiving dinner in Corregidor.


The Lost Corregidor. The Home Front Life Before WWII Part 1 | Part 2

My Corregidor

This is the first draft of my travel writing and photography project for our Filipinas Heritage Library class by Jay Alonzo and Kristine Fonacier. I plan to develop this into a full article so any feedback or critique would be very helpful. Thanks and hopefully this gets me back on the blogging grove after that refreshing weekend.

My Corregidor
by Anton Diaz, Our Awesome Planet

I realized that I never really knew Corregidor until my recent visit. I was acquainted with it in my past 2 visits but it never really became meaningful for me. It would take an actual interaction with history either through the actual letters and photos of the war or through actual stories of the surviving veterans of world war II, for one to feel the passion and glory of Corregidor. It was a privilege to hear the second hand stories of the world war 2 veterans from Pablito Martinez, a veteran Corregidor tour guide for 19 years. Watching the Light and Sound show by national artist Lamberto Avellana would make one feel the heavy bombardment and actual life inside Malinta Tunnel. One should read the Galleon guidebook Corregidor by Alfonso J. Aluit to eavesdrop on the dramatic conversations between Pres. Quezon, General MacArthur, General Wainwright and President Roosevelt leading to the fall of Corregidor on May 6, 1942.

Most of the young generations today don't even bother to know the rich history of courage and valor of Corregidor. The common excuse is that I don't like history. Our common definition of Corregidor is that it is an island escape to have fun through team building, company outings or an excursion. For photo enthusiasts, it is a chance to take dramatic photos of the picturesque scenes of the ruins or the silenced guns in the 23 batteries of the Rock. If you take an unofficial poll of our country's generation Y (born between 1977-1994) and ask them how many have visited corregidor, I'm afraid that it would be a disappointing percentage. No wonder you will see young people taking our freedom for granted by not exercising their right to vote in the National Elections. It is sad that most Filipinos, are neglecting Corregidor which is one of the greatest stories of courage, bravery and freedom in the Asia Pacific during the World War II.