Mount Samat National Shrine
Mount Samat National Shrine | |
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Type | Memorial |
Location | Pilar, Bataan, Philippines |
Coordinates | 14°36′20.80″N 120°30′32.17″E / 14.6057778°N 120.5089361°E |
Area | 73,665 hectares (182,030 acres) |
Created | 1970 |
Operated by | Provincial Government of Bataan |
Open | year round |
Status | National Shrine April 14, 1966 |
Mount Samat National Shrine (Tagalog pronunciation:
Consisting of a Colonnade and the large Memorial Cross, the park was commissioned in 1966 by then-President Ferdinand Marcos,[1] for the 25th anniversary of World War II.[2] The white Memorial Cross stands as a remembrance to the soldiers who fought and lost their lives in the Battle of Bataan. The shrine complex also includes a war museum with a wide array of collections from paintings of the Philippine heroes, to armaments used by the Filipino, American and Japanese forces during the battle.
From the colonnade and the cross, there is a panoramic view of Bataan,
History
Along with the fortified island of
Bataan fell after three months of fighting when 78,000 exhausted, sick and starving men under Major General Edward P. King surrendered to the Japanese on April 9, 1942. It is the single largest surrender of U.S. soldiers in history. Together with the Philippine soldiers, they were then led on the Bataan Death March.
The scene of their last stronghold is Mount Samat, the site of Dambana ng Kagitingan. The shrine was conceived as a fitting memorial to the heroic struggle and sacrifices of the soldiers who fought and died in that historic bastion of freedom.[3]
The memorial shrine complex was started with the laying of the cornerstone by President Marcos on April 14, 1966.[4] Due to lack of funds, construction was unfinished for the 25th anniversary of the Fall of Bataan in 1967.[2] The shrine was completed and inaugurated in 1970, in time for the 25th anniversary of the end of World War II.
The shrine is where the Diocese of Balanga's annual celebration Mt. Samat Pilgrimage is held on November or December of the year since the tenure of Socrates Villegas as the diocese's bishop in 2004.
Architectural features
Located in an area approximately 73,665 hectares (182,030 acres), the park consists of the Colonnade and at the mountain's peak, the Memorial Cross. The shrine was designed by Lorenzo del Castillo and landscaped by Dolly Quimbo-Perez.[5]
Colonnade
From the parking lot, a wide three series of steps that narrows to the top lead visitors to the flagpole that holds the flag of the Philippines.[6] The last series of steps to the Colonnade level are bordered on two sides by two pedestals topped with bronze urns symbolising the eternal flame.[7]
The Colonnade is a marble-clad structure surrounded by an
In the centre of the Colonnade is the altar, behind which are three religious stained glass murals designed by Cenon Rivera and executed by Vetrate D'Arte Giuliani of Rome, Italy.[5] Four large bronze chandeliers hang from the ceiling, while inscribed in marble on the two lateral walls is a narrative of the “Battle of Bataan”.
A footpath that leads to the base of the Memorial Cross begins behind the Colonnade.
Memorial Cross
Shrine of Valor Memorial Cross | |
Location | Pilar, Bataan, Philippines |
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Designer | Lorenzo del Castillo and Napoleon Abueva |
Type | Historical landmark |
Material | Steel and reinforced concrete finished with chipped granolithic marble |
Length | 90 feet (27 m) |
Width | 18 feet (5.5 m) |
Height | 92 metres (302 ft) |
Beginning date | 1966 |
Completion date | 1970 |
Opening date | 1970 |
Dedicated to | Soldiers who fought for freedom in the Battle of Bataan |
The Memorial Cross is a towering structure at the highest point of Mount Samat, 555 m (1,821 ft) above sea level. The monument is made of steel and reinforced concrete with a lift and viewing gallery at the Cross's arms. A staircase also leads to the gallery in the wings. The height of the Cross is 95 m (312 ft) from the base; the height of the arms is 74 m (243 ft) m from the base, with each arm measuring 30 m (98 ft) (15 m (49 ft) on each side), making it the second tallest cross in the world. The viewing gallery is 5.5 m × 27.4 m (18 ft × 90 ft), with a 2.1 m (6.9 ft) clearance.[3]
The exterior of the Cross is finished with chipped
Gallery
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The War Memorial Cross
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The National Shrine in February 2017.
References
- ^ "Proclamation No. 25, s. 1966". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Archived from the original on December 15, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
- ^ a b Yu Jose, Lydia N. (2008). "The Past, Love, Money and Much More: Philippine-Japan Relations Since the End of Second World War", p.23. Ateneo de Manila University.
- ^ a b c "Bataan...A Raging Peninsula". Government of Province of Bataan. 2006. Archived from the original on December 27, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
- ^ "Mt. Samat National Shrine". National Registry of Historic Sites and Structures in the Philippines. Retrieved on June 8, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Memorials in the Philippines". Filipinos World War II US Military Service. Retrieved on March 27, 2011.
- ^ rhilton4u (March 9, 2009). "Memorial Steps: Mt. Samat Shrine". Flickr. Retrieved on 2011-03-27.
- ^ rhilton4u (March 9, 2009). "Base Memorial: Mt. Samat Shrine". Flickr. Retrieved on 2011-03-27.
- ^ rhilton4u (March 9, 2009). "Mt. Samat Shrine of Valor". Flickr. Retrieved on 2011-03-27.
- ^ rhilton4u (March 9, 2009)."Mt. Samat Shrine of Valor". Flickr. Retrieved on 2011-03-27.
- ^ "Mount Samat Shrine". Flickr. Retrieved on March 15, 2011.
- ^ pianoforte (March 15, 2010). "Mt. Samat Cross". Flickr. Retrieved on 2011-03-27.
- ^ pianoforte (March 13, 2010). "Mt. Samat Cross". Flickr. Retrieved on 2011-03-27.
- ^ pianoforte (March 15, 2010). "Mt. Samat Cross". Flickr. Retrieved on 2011-03-27.