Zf455. This is the location of the Corregidor Foundation INC office at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Complex in Manila.
Corregidor News from, for this time period.
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A visit to the Corregidor Foundation Inc. visit on the 15th Dec. 2021. I wanted to try out my new car and the Skyway and find out the latest about visiting Corregidor. I talked to a Miss Rowena; I think she was running the office. She was the only one who remembered my name, there were about 6 employees and everyone had a desk. The guard had to show me the office door, it was not marked and it was kind of hidden.
Because the boats from Bataan are so outlandish expensive, I was thinking maybe in the future I drive down here ( I live in Olongapo) and hop on a scheduled boat trip from Manila.
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Zf456. This is the front of the building where the CFI Office is located
Miss Rowena told me that Corregidor is open for visits but there are no scheduled trips. There is a craft available if enough visitor’s sign up for a visit. I did not ask what the minimum count of visitors has to book the trip.
But that answered my question re driving down here and visit Corregidor from here, so back to plan B, taking a boat from Bataan.
Two Important new points:
-The Corregidor ferry boat leaves from this location, the CCP Complex and not from the Mall of Asia (MOA) for right now.
-If I wanted to, I could park my car over night in the parking area in this complex, for pay and it is guarded.
Zf457. The zoomed Corregidor Visit/contact info portion of the last image:
CFI Contact URL, click here:
CFI URL, click here:
Corregidor Foundation Inc. Address and Tel Numbers
Room 10, Bay Terminal,
CCP Complex Roxas Blvd,
Malate Manila,
Philippines
· +63 288233281
· +63 9776434819
· à info@corregidorisland.com.ph
PS: A Corregidor Visit is scheduled for the 26th Dec 2021, in a few days and I signed up for it. It is a one day visit and will go via Cabcaben on Bataan. 6 people have signed up for it. A very enterprising, licensed Manila/Corregidor tour guide, Marianito Malacaman, organized it. This is the 2nd time I’m taking advantage of his organized Corregidor trips.
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Corregidor Tour by a former Guide, 26th Dec. 2021.
I posted these 192 images of that tour that only a knowledgeable person about Corregidor may get an idea how Corregidor looks like now, on the 26th Dec. 2021. The pictures were not edited nor have descriptions. This is the URL, warning many, many pictures, click here:
Here are some of my observations:
Mr. Marianito Malacaman (He said, call him Mart), a licensed guide, organized this Corregidor Tour via Facebook messenger. We met in Cabcaben. 6 people signed up including me. We used Villa Carmen boats. Because of the virus, the boats only load 50% capacity, so two boats had to be hired. The guide told me he paid 4K peso for each boat. We parked at the Villa Carmen Beach, we were 3 PUVs. Another group beat us to the boats; only 2 boats were available, so we had to wait our turn. No problem, Mart had the trolley and only driver reserved, so the first group had to wait for us and we used a trolley jointly and shared the cost. There was no driver for the only van on Corregidor (cheaper) and we were prepared to pay the higher cost of the trolley, so things worked out for both parties. The North Channel had the typical NE wind and swells, so going over no problem, coming back we got wet.
I paid 2700 for everything, the boat, the trolley, the entrance fee. Mac Arthur Café is closed, the former proprietor works there now as an employee and food arrangements have to made prior via the CFI office. Mart shared a hamburger with me; he had brought over, great guy! Overnights are available with prior arrangement at the MacArthur Café and one needs to discuss what one wants to eat, prior via the CFI Office. The power will stay on during the night with overnight guests, otherwise the power, right now, runs from 6pm to 9 pm. The Hotel is still closed. The CFI staff is reduced but many familiar faces are still there, the nurse, the cashier, the Mac Arthur Café entrepreneur, now an employee though. This was Sunday but saw maybe an 8 men sweeper crew.
The Philippine Navy and Marines have small detachments on the island, they will get relieved on the 27th Dec. so the teams don’t miss both Holyday seasons, and one guy said the detail lasts 3 month. Everybody on the island cares for their own food, bring, or get it yourself, Menard the boat food delivery from Bataan is still available but less often. Interestingly the Navy team had a monkey and was allowed to climb on people. The sailor said, they got it as a baby on Corregidor and it will go with them when relieved. Both outfits are located at the Bottomside south beach. The Coast Guard is still there, the roof is beginning to need repair. The roof over the outdoor area at Mac Arthur Café is hurting also.
I asked and Villa Carmen boats said, this month, so far they had 10 round trips, the Cabcaben Boat CoOp, I don’t know. The Coast Guard or Navy and another enterprise were over here, this month, but with their own transportation. Also I don’t know whether CFI with their 15 passenger craft had any trips this month, and remember they leave from the CCP in Manila now.
On this trip the guided tour was like normal and the pictures in the album are in sequence and tell you that everything on the tourist route looks the same as before. We skipped Battery Grubbs and Battery Crockett and did not get off the trolley at the Philippine Hero Memorial. The guide and I did sit down at the Mac Café while we waited for the boats when they took the first bunch back which had beat us to the punch today. I walked thru the chapel, it is beginning to hurt. The Malinta Hill Tunnel, we walked just into the west entrance and were cautioned about the rocks falling down sometime, outside the entrance.
I’m glad I made the trip and it helped me to prepare myself for my next trip in Feb. 2022. And I appreciate all the effort the tour guide Marianito Malacaman put into this and he travelled up here with his motorbike.
Here are 10 sample images:
Zf459. We had a Corregidor tour guide, Mr. Marianito Malacaman, a trolley with driver and he was the best tour guide on Corregidor Island. He said, his joke, because he was the only guide on the island.
Zf460. Battery Way on Corregidor Island, we visited all the normal tourist sites, they are kept presentable, even with the limited CFI staff. Our tour skipped Battery Grubbs and Battery Crockett.
Zf461. The guided tour trolleys on Corregidor need some attention; the lack of recourses is notable.
Zf462. On the Corregidor guided tour, we not only had the normal trolley and a qualified tour guide, CFI went out of their way, started up the generator Topside and even the souvenir shop was open and I’m wearing my new Corregidor shirt right now.
Zf463. This is the foundation of the eternal light on Corregidor, dedicated Pease on earth. The solar power system recently got renovated and the light is on all day. One has a great view of the Malinta Hill and the Tailend of Corregidor. We also walked to the end and one has a better view from there. The ashes of one of our Corregidor Friend Tom Aring have been put here by his family, “RIP Tom”.
Zf464. This is the lounge of the Corregidor Foundation Inc (CFI) Admin Building, which was built as a replica to a Spanish Building that once stood here. Notice two library shelves have been put in place. So, for any overnighter, one can read books here now about the history of Corregidor and more.
Zf465. The Corregidor Sweeper Gang, on a break or between sweeping assignments. I’m glad to see them that they are still around and keep at least a bare minimum of historical places presentable. Today was a Sunday and they were on the job!
Zf466. This is the General Wainwright and Nurses (some of the nurses were Filipinos) Memorial. Whenever I can I have a look at this Memorial, I like to be sure that this Memorial is not forgotten.
Zf467. This is a member of the Navy Security on the island. This fellow said they got this monkey as baby. It will leave the island on the 27th Dec. The Security team will change so both teams have at least one of the holyday periods at home or at their station.
Zf468. The Marine security was camped at the building near San Jose Point, South side of Corregidor Island. Apparently one of their troopers just came back with a fishing boat. So, Both, the Navy and the Marine Security Teams are camped out at the Corregidor South Shore and stay about 3 months and rotate then with other teams.
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The first Flag, 16th Feb. 1945 on Corregidor, Anniversary Detail
Zf545. The dramatic image of the WWII image of Paratroopers raising the first US flag on Corregidor on the 16th Feb. 1945. T/5 Frank Guy Arrigo accompanied by Pfc Clyde I. Bates raised the flag. Photo – courtesy of Corregidor.org
Zf544. The first Flag, 16th Feb. 1945 on Corregidor, Anniversary Detail is connecting the 48 Star Flag to the new metal flagpole Topside on Corregidor on the 77th Anniversary, the 16th Feb. 2022.
Corregidor Friends
The first Flag, 16th Feb. 1945 on Corregidor, Anniversary Detail has returned to the home bases, today the 18th of Feb.
We have to take care of personal and family matters before we send, post pictures and report. So, this is a short Statement.
The three visitors were Mr. Gerald Randy Anderson, the creator of the Hell Ships Memorial in Subic Bay: Rhonie Dela Cruz, the owner of the Bamban Historical Society and Bamban Museum of History; and I.
We received a very friendly and comradely reception by CFI, their staff and all the other people on the island.
The CFI Staff had everything prepared helped us get up there, we went as a team and together we held the flag raising ceremony. CFI then opened the museum and the souvenir shop per our request.
We took a lot of pictures and many will be posted later but for this presentation it will be only one. You will notice that the flagpole has been changed to a metal one. The on-island supervisor Mr. Fidel Delosa showed me some pictures of the old power pole was completely rotten and was falling apart.
Notice, I have a shirt on with the Army on it. That is to honor all the Rock Force Personnel but particular the Army. I had one particular Paratrooper on my mind, Dick Adams, a hell of a great WWII Soldier, Hooyah! Dick, don’t know whether the Army uses that term but you know what it means.
The Bamban Historical Society and Bamban Museum of History is a lot more experienced and posted much already at this Facebook page, click here
Our food preparation was more than outstanding, the former proprietor of the MacArthur Café, really cooked as some outstanding and plenty of cuisine meals. Her name is Miss Jhing.
The weather was outstanding and the water condition in the North Channel was calm every day.
The CFI staff did not tell me and so it came to a very pleasant surprise, many areas and trails, roads are cleared for people and even vehicles.
The areas, trails, roads I noticed are:
-Roads and batteries to Battery Wheeler and Cheney.
-The hospital, all around, the external steps between the wings and some areas inside are blocked for safety.
-The road around the Commissary to the hospital is cleared, which last year was blocked.
-A mower was cutting grass Bottomside and the Topside Parade Ground.
-The shortcut trail from Middleside down to road was super cleared and another short section was added and that connected to a trail that was not used during my 20 years of visiting. It is trail that runs from the Middleside trail thru or around the Stockade Level, the Spanish Fort and ends at the War Memorial entrance near the hotel. I’m sure I didn’t cover them all.
I also had a look at the 3 Philippine Scout grave stones, all cleaned up and readable.
We three visitors were happy campers and like to thank the CFI organization for teaming up with us and helping us in more ways than one, Salamat Po to all the CFI Staff and all the Corregidor residents.
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CFI Fixed the Flag Pole Problem, 2022-01-18
The flag pole at the Corregidor First Flag Memorial was becoming unstable in the last year, 2021. For the 77th First Flag Raising Anniversary on the 16th Feb. 2022 something had to be done.
The Corregidor Foundation Inc (CFI) made a decision and replaced the flag pole with a metal one. CFI accomplished the job on the 18th of Jan. 2022.
These pictures were provided by CFI, 2 pictures of the accomplished job were shot on the 13th of Feb. 2022. Knowing that CFI is always working with limited recourses, it was a job well and swiftly done.
I posted 8 images of this replacement of the flagpole at the Parachute Infantry Regiment 503d First Flag on Corregidor 1945 Memorial at these two sources, take you pick:
Uploaded to the forum (8 images), Current Affairs, First Flag -16th Feb.-77th Anniversary, click here:
Uploaded to Photobucket (8 images), Corregidor at Random, CI 2022 First Flag Anniversary, click here:
If you like to know more about the history of the Parachute Infantry Regiment 503d First Flag on Corregidor 1945 Memorial; this is the URL, click here:
For this news presentation, I chose these 3 images:
Zf555. This is the Parachute Infantry Regiment 503d First Flag on Corregidor 1945 Memorial. The old flag pole had become rotten, unusable and needed to be replaced. CFI got right on it and replaced it with a metal one in Jan. 2022. This is a CFI image.
Zf556. This is the Parachute Infantry Regiment 503d First Flag on Corregidor 1945 Memorial. The old flag pole had become rotten, unusable and needed to be replaced. CFI got right on it and replaced it with a metal one in Jan. 2022. This is a CFI image.
Zf557. This is the Parachute Infantry Regiment 503d First Flag on Corregidor 1945 Memorial. The old flag pole had become rotten, unusable and needed to be replaced. CFI got right on it and replaced it with a metal one in Jan. 2022. This is a CFI image.
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WWII Coastal Artillery Guns are being installed in Manila Bay
Zf650. Screenshot of a Manila Bulletin Facebook Video: Workers rush to install the ‘The Heritage Cannon’, a World War II relic, in the Remedios area of the Dolomite beach as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources plans to reopen the Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach on June 12, Independence Day. (MB Video by Ali Vicoy)
Manila Bulletin posted this video on its Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin/videos/2100801973414817/
DENR published this article on the 31st of May 2022.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Acting Secretary Jim O. Sampulna said the Manila Bay Dolomite Beach will be reopened to the public on June 12 coinciding with the country’s celebration of Independence Day.
Initially scheduled to reopen in May, the DENR has moved the date as some infrastructures have yet to be finished in the area.
“We are excited to open the dolomite beach to the public again on June 12. This is the good legacy of the Duterte administration, that’s why we really aim to open it before President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s term ends,” said Sampulna.
According to DENR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, and International Affairs Jonas R. Leones, the 500-meter beach nourishment project, which started in 2020, has withstood rains, typhoons and floods yet remains intact.
“This proves that the dolomite beach, thanks to the assistance of the Department of Public Works and Highways and the other agencies, is stable and will prevail,” he added.
Leones bared that the opening of the dolomite beach beside the US Embassy in Manila will be held with the unveiling of the World War II Heritage Cannon in the Remedios area “to encourage patriotism among the public and to signify that the battle to cleanup Manila Bay is not yet over.”
The Heritage Cannon is one of the original World War II cannons from Fort Drum Island situated at the mouth of Manila Bay.
Even after the current administration, Leones said the Manila Bay Dolomite Beach will remain part of the rehabilitation approach in cleaning Manila Bay in accordance with the writ of continuing mandamus issued by the Supreme Court in 2008.
Meanwhile, Manila Bay Coordinating Office Executive Director Jacob F. Meimban clarified that the beach reopening is only for visitation, walking, and sunset viewing, and not yet for swimming as water quality is still not within the 100 most probable number per 100 milliliters (MPN/100 mL) standard fecal coliform level.
Meimban is positive that the water quality will further improve by the end of the year as one station in the dolomite beach is already at 920 MPN/100 mL coliform level, as of May 13.
Before the start of the rehabilitation efforts, waters near the Manila Baywalk have registered an average coliform level of 5.75 million MPN/100 mL, based on the MBCO’s data in 2019.
Once it reopens, the DENR will allow 1,500 to 3,500 persons at a given time inside the 500-meter span of the dolomite beach to ensure that the minimum health protocols are strictly followed.
Meimban added that online pre-registration is not needed under Alert Level 1, but encouraged visitors to be fully vaccinated before their visit. ###
Published: 31 May 2022
From Karl, 4th of June 2022: At this moment it is not clear to me where the guns came from, will work on that!
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The new guns of Manila Bay, 7th June 2022
These new guns were recently installed at the Dolomite Beach in Manila Bay next to the Roxas Blvd., close to the U.S. Embassy. The two gun barrels, gun tubes, came from Battery Hearn and Battery Crockett on Corregidor. They are being enclosed now to look like one of the two Gun Turrets on Fort Drum, the El Fraile Island, in Manila Bay. I just booked my next visit to Corregidor Island at the Corregidor Foundation Inc. (CFI) Bay Terminal at the CCP Complex and decided to have a walk to the Dolomite Beach and have a look. See the above entry about this DENR project.
Some people think, say, it was not a good idea to remove these important WWII Battlefield relics from the Pacific War Memorial Zone on Corregidor; see the www.
I suggest they call this new gun turret: “Battery Manila”.
Zf659. The new gun emplacement in Manila Bay on the 7th June 2022; this is a project of the DENR Department. This project is shaping up like the one of the two Gun Turrets on Fort Drum, the El Fraile Island, in Manila Bay.
Zf660. The new gun emplacement in Manila Bay on the 7th June 2022; this is a project of the DENR Department. This project is shaping up like the one of the two Gun Turrets on Fort Drum, the El Fraile Island, in Manila Bay.
Zf661. The new gun emplacement in Manila Bay on the 7th June 2022; this is a project of the DENR Department. This project is shaping up like the one of the two Gun Turrets on Fort Drum, the El Fraile Island, in Manila Bay.
Zf662. The new gun emplacement in Manila Bay on the 7th June 2022; this is a project of the DENR Department. This project is shaping up like the one of the two Gun Turrets on Fort Drum, the El Fraile Island, in Manila Bay.
Zf663. The new gun emplacement in Manila Bay on the 7th June 2022; this is a project of the DENR Department. This project is shaping up like the one of the two Gun Turrets on Fort Drum, the El Fraile Island, in Manila Bay.