The Island of Corregidor

Corregidor, also known as “The Rock”, is a tadpole shaped-island strategically located in the mouth of Manila Bay and directly facing the China Sea. It is historically important in that it was the setting for a very grim epic in human endurance and courage during World War II. It is now a major tourist attraction. At this spot, 12,000 grim, gaunt, and weary men stood steadily and fought gallantly for twenty-seven desperate days against the far superior strength of Japanese invaders.

Corregidor has had an extremely interesting history. Late in the seventeenth century it was suddenly occupied by the piratical inclined Limahong who made it the headquarters of his activities. During the Spanish era, Corregidor was a signal outpost, an undeniably strong defense fortress to warn the government about the coming of hostile ships. Later it became a penal colony for convicts who were condemned to hard labor. This is the origin of the name corregidor, which means “corrector”.

Apart from its history, Corregidor is a pleasantly attractive place. It has strikingly lush vegetation. The impressively tall trees and the vines growing thickly completely cover it, while birds and animals have made it their natural habitation.

Tourists and excursionists continually visit the island to see relics of what was once a strongly fortified position against Japanese invasion. Running deeply into the earth is the famous Malinta Tunnel which consists of a very spacious tunnel from which branches out 21 other carefully built lateral tunnels. Interestingly, this tunnel is guarded 24 hours a day.

The construction of the tunnel started on 1922 and it was completed on 1932. This was the headquarters of General MacArthur and the Philippine government during the Japanese invasion. Centrally located on the island is a towering eternal flame monument which pays a lasting tribute to the superlatively brave men who lived and died within its compass.

The Island of Corregidor also offers a lot of recreational activities on land or in water. The northern part of the island has lots of beaches where tourists can go water skiing, snorkeling, parasailing, scuba diving, and swimming. It also has lots of fishing spots where people can go fishing. The bottom part of the island is comprised of large area of land which gives tourists a venue for picnic, camping, field sports, kite flying, and outdoor games.

With no doubt, the island of Corregidor is a tourist spot in the Philippines not just because of its history but also because of its beauty.

[Tags]Corregidor, Philippines, Tourists, Tourism, Travel Philippines, Tourist Spot[/Tags]