What about Bataan?
Historical Background:
World War II was one of the most unforgettable events happened in the world- and Philippines played a big role regarding the event. I was April 9, 1942, when the Fall of Bataan happened. Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) marks the annual commemoration of the event and respecting the bravery of Filipino and American soldiers during the campaign against invading Japanese forces during World War II.
Facts:
The Bataan surrender is the largest in Philippine and
American history. Roughly 60,000 Filipino troops and around 11,000 to 15,000 US
troops surrendered to the Japanese. Since the Philippine Commonwealth Armed
Forces is part of the US military, this marks the largest surrender of US
troops since the American Civil War in the 1860s.
Bataan Day is also celebrated in Maywood, Illinois,
USA. It is the hometown of the members of the 192nd Tank Battalion, a
US Army unit that participated in the Battle of Bataan. The town, however,
does not celebrate Bataan Day on April 9, as their ceremonies and parades are
usually held every second Sunday of September.
Former president Ferdinand Marcos ordered the Mt Samat
Shrine to be built. The Mt Samat Memorial Shrine was ordered constructed
in 1966 by then president Marcos in Pilar, Bataan. The shrine stands on the
site where some of the fiercest battles of the Bataan campaign were fought.
Construction of the shrine was completed in 1970. The shrine also houses a museum that commemorates the Battle
of Bataan and the Death March.
PH posts Guinness record for ‘largest dance fitness class’
in Bataan.A
total of 16,218 participants joined the fitness dance class surpassing Mexico’s
record set on Mar. 25, 2012 with 6,630 participants which was held on March 2016 at Balanga, Bataan.
PH posts Guinness record for 'most number of trees planted in an hour" in Bataan. Based on Guinness records, the most number of trees
planted simultaneously in a single location is was achieved by Talwandi
Sabo Power Ltd (India), in Mansa, Punjab, India on October 30, 2015 where
208,751 seedlings were planted. A total of 5,928 participants took part in this
record-breaking activity. Bataan surpassed this record on June 2016 held at
Orion, Bataan.
About the Province:
Languages Spoken:
- Tagalog
- Pampango/ Kapampangan
- Ilocano
- English
Famous Foods:
- Tinapa or fish preserved through the process of smoking
- Galunggong
- Cassava Leche Flan Cake
- Coco Jam
- Beakris House of Goodies - Polvoron
- Araro (bread)
Must-See Places:
- Bataan National Park
- Ambon-Ambon Falls
- Limutan Falls
- Dunsulan Falls
- Pasukulan Falls
- Mt. Natib
- Morong Coast
- First Abucay Catholic Church
- Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar
- Mount Samat - Shrine of Valor
- Zero Kilometre Death March Marker
- Bataan First Line of Defense
Highlight of Bataan: Mt. Samat
Mount Samat National Shrine or Dambana ng
Kagitingan (Shrine of Valour) is a historical shrine located near the
summit of Mount Samat in
the town of Pilár, Province of Bataan, in the
Republic of the Philippines. The memorial shrine complex was built to
honor and remember the gallantry of Filipino and American soldiers who fought
during World War II.
Consisting of a Colonnade and the large Memorial
Cross, the park was commissioned in 1966 by then-President Ferdinand
Marcos, himself a War Veteran, for the 25th Anniversary of WW2. The
white Memorial Cross stands as a remembrance to the soldiers who fought and
lost their lives in the Battle of Bataan. The shrine complex also includes
a war museum with a wide array of collections from paintings of the Philippine
heroes, to armaments used by the Filipino, American and Japanese forces during
the battle.
From the colonnade and the cross, there is a panoramic view
of Bataan, Corregidor Island and on a clear day, the city
of Manila situated about 50 km (31 mi) across Manila Bay.
It's Memorial Cross is the World's Second Tallest
Cross. The Memorial Cross is a towering structure at the highest point of
Mount Samat, 555 m above sea level. The monument is made
ofsteel and reinforced concrete with a lift and viewing gallery
at the Cross's arms. A staircase also leads to the gallery in the wings. The
height of the Cross is 92 m from the base; the height of the arms is 74 m from
the base, with each arm measuring 30 m (15 on each side). The viewing gallery
is 5.5 m by 27.4 m, with a 2.1 m clearance.
The exterior of the Cross is finished with chipped granolithic marble.
The base until the 11 m level is capped with sculptural slabs
and relief titled Nabiag Na Bato also by Abueva,
depicting important historical figures and events like the execution
of Jose Rizal, Lapu-Lapu and Antonio Luna.
My Personal Experience:
Back when I was a child, around 9 or 10 years old, my family
went to Mount Samat. Since cars can travel up to the mountain, at the foot of
the cross, it is much easier for access. But, many vigil walks every first week
of April, people from Bataan gather and walk up the mountain to pray, to
commemorate, to pay respect for the soldiers who fought against Japanese
invasion. Up there was peaceful- you can see a spectacular view. You can unwind
because it is quiet, it is peaceful and it is beautiful. Visitors have access
to the cross. You can ride the elevator so that you can get inside the cross
and take a look of Bataan. At morning, you can see fog inside the cross- the
windows are open and you'll feel like you're in heaven. It's not that high like
Mt. Everest, but, you're inside a cross that's 555m above sea level! If you
come and visit Bataan, you should really see Mount Samat.
