Mt. Samat, National Shrine, Bataan

We are on our last day of our Bataan trip and we decided to go to Mt. Samat. I cannot remember how far it was from Morong, except that it was kinda long winding trip.

On our way to Mt. Samat, we pay attention to the roads and views. There are only few establishments and a number of make-shift stores that sell cashews, which is one of the products of Bataan.

We used the ever reliable waze to help us navigate our way to Mt. Samat. Along the way to Mt. Samat, it gets steeper and turning on curves, there were few cyclists and motorists also.

There are markers of the 128 km long Bataan Death March that happened after the Fall of Bataan.

The Fall of Bataan as known in Philippine History happened on April 9, 1942, when Filipino and American soldiers hiding in Mt. Samat surrendered into the hands of the enemies. The surviving soldiers were forced to march from Bagac, Bataan to Capas, Tarlac which was called as the Bataan Death March

Just a brief background about Mt. Samat, from Wikipedia
Mt. Samat National Shrine or also known as Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valour) is a historical site that is located near the summit of Mount Samat in the town of Pilar, Bataan. The shrine was built in commemoration of the Filipino soldiers who fought during the World War II. 

Entrance to the Mt. Samat, National Shrine

There are available parking spaces and shaded areas where you can stay and wait awhile.

Inside the National Shrine, you can see the Colonnade and the huge Memorial Cross.  Right below the Colonnade is the museum where you can see the photos and actual World War II relics such as uniforms, maps, big guns, grenades and other stuffs that were used during the war. Taking of photos is strictly prohibited. We were not able to stay and view a little longer for the museum is about to close for lunch break.

We rested awhile and went to the base of the Memorial Cross by car. It will be a short hike for those who usually hike, but for us who are not, it is considered as a long and tiring hike, so we went by car.
When you reached the base of the memorial cross, you can see a great view of Bataan.

 
The Memorial Cross was built in memory to the heroic struggle of the Filipino soldiers who fought and died in the fortress of their freedom. The memorial Cross measures 555 meters above sea level, it has an elevator that can bring you to the viewing gallery which is the arm of the cross, which unfortunately we were not able to see due to we were caught up on a lunch break and we need to wait an hour. There are long queues and the heat of the sun intensifies, so we decided not to go up anymore.

At the foot of the Memorial Cross are sculptures that shows the history of the Philippines during the World War II

 

Going to Mt. Samat is like it have brought you in the past. It is good to learn our history,  commemorating and valuing what's been in the past for us to value more what we have right now.