Corregidor Island

Corregidor is a tadpole-shaped island located along the entrance of Manila Bay, 48 kilometers west of Manila.

Under the jurisdiction of Cavite, this island serves as a memorial to the valor, heroism and courage exercised by the Filipino and American defenders of the island fortress against the attacks of the Japanese invaders during World War II.

The island is about three miles long, and it's widest point measures 1 ½ miles.

It faces the China Sea and is sandwiched by the provinces of Bataan and Cavite.

Corregidor's tail has a land area of 9 km2 and is running eastward, thus, making the island a strategic location since the Spanish colonization period.

Corregidor has been a living witness to the history of the Philippines, and has been held as a significant and strategic site since the Spanish era.

The name of the island comes from the Spanish word corregir which means “to correct.” There live two versions of the story.

One story claims that during the Spanish colonization, a system directs all ships entering the Manila Bay to stop and have their cargoes checked and documented in the island called Isla del Corregidor (Island of Correction).

Another story tells that the island served as correctional institution or penitentiary during the Spanish period and was called El Corregidor.

Early 1900s, American soldiers, lead by army engineers of the “H” company, 2nd Battalion of the U.S. Corps of Engineers, focused on building fortifications on the island.

Bomb-proof housings were also constructed, as well as more efficient road system.

Aside from this, big guns were installed in 1941 to aid the Filipino and American defenders of Bataan against Japanese invaders.

These constructions were part of the Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bay, as American soldiers also realized how strategic the island of Corregidor was.

Physically, Corregidor undergone much transformations, but most remarkable of all is the momentous role that the island played in the history of the Philippines.