Very nice place for history. Must visit….

February 15, 2023 1:48 AM

5.0^{/ 5}

Very nice place for history. Must visit. – via

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Relaxing place…

February 13, 2023 6:22 AM

5.0^{/ 5}

Relaxing place – via

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The World War II shrine (Dambana ng Kagitingan) serves as a …

February 5, 2023 11:56 AM

4.0^{/ 5}

The World War II shrine (Dambana ng Kagitingan) serves as a very strong reminder of the grim realities of war, and the most shining sacrifice and gallantry men can give, to gain freedom and peace. That is to give their own lives.

The shrine still stands majestically on top of Mt. Samat, since 1966. A worthy fete of engineering, since relatively new roads and bridges in the country today seldom last 20 years, even with all the innovation and technological advances in construction.

After 56 years of serving as a reminder, the shrine and the people responsible for its upkeep still has a lot to improve. With the pandemic slowly easing, the policies need to adjust. The foot traffic is yet to be adjusted to accommodate elderlies. Going to the “cross” is so painstakingly exhausting for senior citizens. I wonder how the surviving WW II veterans will feel when they visit the place. The cleanliness is commendable as food and eating on the shrine grounds are forbidden, and grounds maintenance and cleaners are doing a fine job.

The Shrine of Valor building which houses the museum and the Altar of Valor has seen better days. Streaks of black stains on the white marble surface are visible. The museum can use some repackaging. Perhaps some modern multimedia presentation and ample light can improve its present state.

Signages to direct and warn foot traffic will also be useful. I saw some shrine workers shouting at “out-of- course” local tourists as they gave instructions on which way they should go. Though not shouting out of anger, it sure is unsightly to see.

The toilets. The toilets can be improved to at least reflect some respect to the gallantry embodied o the shrine.

The uphill road. The twisting roads going to the top is being widened to accommodate a bicycle lane as the shrine is becoming more and more popular to cyclists to cyclists from neighboring provinces as well.

The elevator inside the cross, I’m sure something is being done to make it operational. Going to the top of the mountain is somehow lacking without the experience of getting inside and getting to the topmost chamber inside the cross.

I have been to this place a number of times with a good number of years in-between my visits. And to be honest, the good things I saw is somehow decreasing as time goes by. – via

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