#P13 image is one of the first 3 pictures of our return ride, leaving Grande Island. #P13 shows the former US Army, Ft. Wint Wharf as we depart. #P14 shows Camayan Point, the former ammunition wharf but is now a beach resort and the famous Ocean Adventure Park. #P15 image shows the former Nabasan ammunition wharf which is now a maritime training area for international ocean sailors and it is also a resort.
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This album is only of the views, going and returning there by boat, views of the coast line of Subic Bay and SBFZ. The trip was with an Aussie Friend, to visit an US Friend, staying there overnight. This time, a daytrip to Grande Island cost about 3000 pesos, includes a welcome drink, a lunch meal, a guided tour and the boat rides.
This presentation has only 17 images; the picture numbers and descriptions sequence are based on these: all 30 images can be viewed here and in high resolution, click here:
The Philippine-US History interests me; here are some Grande Island History Bullets:
-The Spanish retreated to Grande Island during the Spanish American War, when the Filipino resistance fighters rose.
-A German war ship gave the Spanish on Grande Island support.
-General Aguinaldo reported that to Commodore Dewey.
– Commodore Dewey sent a US warship and challenged the German war ship, which departed then.
-The US warship turned the Spanish over to the resistance fighters.
-The US took procession of Olongapo and Subic Bay during the Philippine American War against Philippine resistance. The US built the famous US Olongapo Yard and then the Subic Bay Naval Base. A captured gun used by the Filipinos Resistance is now in a San Francisco Park.
-The US Army built the Coastal Defense Fort Wint on Grande Island.
-In Dec. 1941 the US Army and US Navy abandoned Olongapo and Subic Bay to defend Bataan and Manila Bay. There was anti aircraft defense and a Japanese boat was sunk. Olongapo and Fort Wint were bombed by the Japanese; US Navy aircrafts were sunk. The US Marines were ordered to man the Corregidor Island defenses.
-In Jan. 1945 Olongapo and Subic Bay were recaptured and liberated by the US Armed Forces and Filipino Guerrillas. The hard two week Zig-Zag Battle was fought outside Olongapo towards Dinalupihan against tough Japanese defenses.
-A rumor exist that Grande Island was used by the CIA for an unknown reason, after WWII.
-In the 1950s the Cubi Point Naval Air Station was established. Grande Island became a US Navy recreation area.
-In 1968 the Navy transferred the two 10 Inch coastal defense guns to a park in Washington State.
-In the 1975 time frame Grande Island became a temporary refugee camp for the boat people from Indochina.
-In Nov. 1992 it was a “Sad Good Bye Subic Bay” for us sailors and many Filipinos.
-In Nov. 1992 the former Subic Bay Naval Base became the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ) and expanded greatly to all kinds of commercial enterprises.
-In about the 2000s, on the Redondo Peninsular, the landmass separating Subic Bay from the ocean, became a shipyard which is now called; “Agila Subic Shipyard”. This area also houses the Philippine Navy Operating Base.
-In the 2000s Olongapo and Subic Bay became a national and an international tourist area and an important Freeport area.
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#P01 to #P06 plus #P09 & #P10 & #P30 images are of the boat landing or boat terminal area, to go Grande Island or to land when returning from Grande Island. It is located at the West end of the ex Subic Bay Naval Base and the present Subic Bay Freeport Zone Head Quarter Building #229. This area used to be the ex Naval Base Officer Boat Landing, right near the former Officer Bachelor Quarters and the Officer Club. The two big white ferry boats were acquired by the first Grande Island investor around the mid 1990s, were used for a while but are now moored to this boat landing, unused and maybe not in operation. These Grande Island boat landing facilities were built by the investors and are now being renovated. #P06 image show 2 other boats, the Grande Island investors use now and they have more. #P09 shows the former Naval Base Officer Club and #P10 is the Grande Island boat terminal.
#P01.
#P02.
#P06.
#P09.
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#P07 image is a view of the geographic Cubi Point which in the past was the Naval Base Officer Beach and the carrier Leyte Wharf. It is now a Container Port and the former Leyte Wharf became a bulk grain port with many silos and a large bulk warehouse.
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#P08, #P11 & #P12 images are a view across Subic Bay and it shows the present Agila Subic Shipyard with the Philippine Navy Operating Base at the North end. Before it was the Hanjin shipyard, an oil platform construction site, the US Marine training area Green Beach and before that the Agusuhin Valley, -River, and -community. All the way to right we see the Lighthouse Resort, located at the mouth of the Kalaklan River and Kalaklan Point (out of view).
#P11.
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#P13 to #P15 images are the first 3 pictures of our return ride, leaving Grande Island. #P13 shows the former US Army, Ft. Wint Wharf as we depart. #P14 shows Camayan Point, the former ammunition wharf but is now a beach resort and the famous Ocean Adventure Park. #P15 image shows the former Nabasan ammunition wharf which is now a maritime training area for international ocean sailors and it is also a resort.
#P13.
#P14.
#P15.
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#P16 image shows a view into the Triboa Bay. In this valley were built many villas for 1996 APEC Meeting which are now leased out. Deep in the woods, we see a high-rise, actually 2, which were built for the Korean Hanjin engineers but are now used for the US military personnel when here for training. There are 2 closer high rises they are rising now for residential purposes. We also see from left to right, the All Hands Beach, the former Cubi control tower, hangars and barracks on top of the hill. Then dungaree beach which is now a resort and more beach villas.
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#P17 image is a view ahead and we see the Olongapo Harbor, the former Naval Station and the mountains inland of Olongapo City. At right we see the new Container Port at the former Cubi Point Officer Beach, the new grain port at the former Leyte Carrier Wharf.
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#P18 & #P19 images show us the All Hands Beach (yes, still the same name), New residential structures around the former Cubi Point Officer Club (still stands, out of picture & unused) and the previously mentioned new high rises at the mouth of Triboa Bay.
#P19.
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#P20 to #P23 images the new container port and the bulk grain port at the former Carrier Leyte Wharf.
#P21.
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#P24 image shows, left to right, the former Naval Cubi Point Hangar, now the Subic Bay International Air Port Terminal, the new residential structures around the former Cubi Point Officer Club (still stands), a small cove with big yachts (during our time small sail boats) and then the new container port.
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#P25 to #P29 images are of the coast line of the former Subic Bay Naval Base, left to right, the mouth of Kalaklan River, Kalaklan Point, the Olongapo Cemetery, the former Naval Station, the former Ship Repair Facility (SRF), and the former Naval Supply Depot (NSD, still called that) and the former Naval fuel pier (still in use and maybe more so). A US Military Sealift Command (MSC) Ship is moored along the Rivera Wharf, I understand that the Alava Wharf is not being used anymore, perhaps not a safe wharf anymore; always had large fishes under it though, we divers knew and harvested some. And we see the mountain profile, inland of Olongapo City; did you know there is a BIG Copper & Gold mine behind those mountains? It closed though in 1996 when heavy rain caused the open pit mine terraces to collapse and buried all the dewatering facilities.
#P25.
#P26.
#P27.