Mt. Samat at last!

I keep a mental note of places that I should visit and tick off my bucket list. A few years back, I promised myself that my feet should touch the three main group of islands in the Philippines (Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao) before I continue exploring other countries. I did just that when I went on a trip with my office mates to Bohol, Camiguin and Cagayan de Oro and left the then-stormy Manila for about a week in July of 2005. I went to a few more places after that (Palawan, Boracay, Vigan, Cebu - excluding my trips abroad), yet somehow there's this one place that remained elusive.

It's ironic that for someone who hailed from Bataan and whose own grandfather was among those who survived the Bataan Death March of World War II, I have never been to Mt. Samat - Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor)... that is until last month.

As kids, we grew up listening to Tatay (Filipino term for father, but in this case, Tatay is my grandfather) and his war stories, including the Death March. I could almost see his eyes sparkling and hear his booming voice as he relived the events. Listening to Tatay's WWII stories sure beat reading about it in history books. (I miss Tatay...)

We would always pass several Death March markers along the highway whenever we go and visit my grandparents, but it was the big white cross on Mt. Samat that never failed to catch my eye. It's just there, standing proud, asking me when I would finally visit the hallowed grounds.

When my uncle told us that he would be going with a group to Mt. Samat, I knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity. I tagged along with them.

The paved road leading to Mt. Samat slowly inclined upwards until we reached the enclosure. We paid Php20.00 (about half a US dollar) per head, paid the parking fee at the gate and continued going upwards until we reached the foot of the cross.

The grounds were covered with greenery and visitors could choose between driving until you reach the foot of the cross or trekking the winded path from the museum that led to it.

Battle of the Pockets wall art at the base of the Shrine of Valor museum  

Detail of wall art at the base of the cross at Mt. Samat.  The sculpture at the bottom center shows Dr. Jose Rizal being shot by a firing squad. 

Detail of marker from the wall art at the base of the cross. My rough translation of the text: On this historical place at Mt. Samat, within Pilar, province of Bataan (lay) buried the stone foundation for building the Shrine of Valor, during the incumbency of President Ferdinand E. Marcos. 14th of April 1966. 

One of the two markers within the foot of the cross that lists some details on its rehabilitation. 

Marker within the foot of the cross that lists the main movers who originally built the cross.  

The Mt. Samat Memorial Cross was as high as a 35-storey building. We rode a small elevator up to the viewing decks. From the two white washed viewing decks, you could see the Philippine Sea as well as the surrounding hills. After getting our fill of the view, we went down the cross, took a few more pictures panning the cross, and then traced the winding path to the museum below.

Inside one of the two viewing decks in the cross. I'm not sure which wing this was as the wings were identical. 

Jing takes a photo of the view from the rose window on one of the viewing decks in the cross. 

Mt. Samat Memorial Cross. 

Me and my green thongs on Mt. Samat.

The winding path at the foot of the cross led to the museum below.

The museum as viewed from above. The frame on the wall to your right enclosed a map sculpture that traced the Death March.  

We didn't get to go inside the museum (downstairs) as it was closed for lunch, but we did go to the top floor where there was a map sculpture that traced the Death March as well as an account of what happened.

I would have shown you pictures of the WWII cannons and other big guns installed at the grounds of the museum, but my phone's battery went dead. So after buying a few souvenir shirts we went on our way back home.

The Mt. Samat Memorial Cross and Shrine of Valor can mean many things to different people, but mainly they serve as a reminder of our country's rich history, the horrors of war, the many unsung heroes and the lessons that we should all learn from them. For me, seeing the Mt. Samat cross, even at a distance would mean this: I am home and I've got my grandparents and your grandparents to thank for it.