Corregidor

On Sunday I went on a day trip to Corregidor, a beautiful island with an awful history. The island is located at the mouth of Manila Bay, an hour’s boat ride from the city and was the site of fierce battles between US and Japanese forces during WW II.

Our very wise and funny guide who proudly boasted that he had conducted tours for all the Philippines’ Presidents (and a couple of American ones too!) taught me a lot about the history of the island. He took us around the major sites; the Malinta Tunnel, Battery Way , ruins of the US officers quarters and the Pacific War and Filipino Heroes memorial. The tour was very interesting but I was frustrated by the glorification of General MacArthur and the very one-sided picture we were presented of the conflict. We didn’t even stop to look at the Japanese peace memorial and were regaled throughout the tour with stories of American heroism in contrast to the inhumanity of the Japanese soldiers. I am not denying that the Japanese committed truly hideous war crimes and atrocities in the Philippines but I would have liked to hear a more complete picture of the conflict. The trip reminded me a little of my visit to Gallipoli a few years ago..the difference there was that you saw both the Turkish and Allied sites so you could really appreciate the casualties and horror each sides experienced. And in both Gallipoli and Corregidor the beauty of the place was such a juxtaposition to the futility of war.