DAMBANA ng Kagitingan, which literally translates to “Shrine of Valor” in Pilar, Bataan is a historical, cultural, and heritage tourism zone that commemorates the heroism of Filipino soldiers and likewise features the relics of World War II.
The Mt. Samat National Shrine is located at the summit of Mount Samat itself, and it can be reached via a winding road, which can take you directly to the huge Memorial Cross, which is the highlight of the historic shrine. The total land area covering the shrine is 194 hectares.
The commemorative plate on the foot of the cross reads: “On this historic place on Mt. Samat, located in the town of Pilar in the Province of Bataan, was buried the cornerstone for the construction of the Shrine of Valor, during the leadership of President Ferdinand E. Marcos.”
After nearly six decades of wear and tear, the Dambana ng Kagitangan, cherished by his father, enhanced and upgraded by the son, another president, this time Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in memory of the historic Bataan Fall that captured the sacrifices and heroism of the Filipino and American soldiers.
The towering War Memorial Cross at the Shrine of Valor is the world’s second-largest memorial cross and is visible across Manila Bay, especially at night when illuminated.
The Mt. Samat National Shrine stands on 194 hectares of land. The aesthetic lighting of the Shrine of Valor’s Memorial Cross and Colonnade aims to further increase the number of tourists in the historical site.
President Marcos, through the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), ordered the immediate installation of lights and other miscellaneous materials needed to upgrade the site.
Aside from the aesthetic lighting of the Shrine of Valor’s Memorial Cross and Colonnade, the projects include the linear lighting of the facilities, which aims to further increase the tourists in the historical site after the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic and to “jumpstart the nighttime operations” of the Memorial Cross and Colonnade at the Shrine of Valor.
The aesthetic lighting project was started on March 23, 2023 and was completed in less than two months on May 18, 2023, in time for the 81st anniversary of the Araw ng Kagitingan on April 9, 2023, where he remembered the gallantry of the Filipino soldiers.
“We convene here at the Mount Samat National Shrine—built during my father’s time to memorialize the heroic struggles of Filipinos and their allies during the war, particularly during the Fall of Bataan some 81 years ago,” President Marcos declared.
President Marcos dismissed the notion by certain quarters that the Fall of Bataan was ill-advised because it ended in a most agonizing defeat.
“We lost great men and women during that time, ending with the Death March. Our most important triumph, though, was that we kept on fighting and that we never lost hope. It has been said that it is inappropriate that we celebrate such loss. For although we lost the battle, the Fall of Bataan marked the beginning of the Filipinos’ resurgence as a fighting force to defend and to take back the land of their forefathers,” President Marcos emphasized.
TIEZA said the lighting will help promote the heritage site and encourage tourists to explore the new development in the shrine site, including the underground museum augmented reality exhibit.
The Mt. Samat Memorial Cross aesthetic lights will also serve as a remembrance for the people who served in World War II.
Marilou Inopia, a balikbayan from London, said he and her family enjoyed their visit to the Shrine of Valor, but they wanted to experience the evening here. “We will see to it that on our next visit here, we will stay till the evening to feel the sense of heroism of our fallen soldiers at night,” she said.
Inopia noted that she never expected the charm and beauty of the historical site this grandiose. “History and beauty combined is a complete treat for the visitors,” she said.
Retired Brig. General Restituto Aguilar, chief of the Veterans Memorial and Historical Division of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, said he could no longer remember the memorial cross being lit since its construction was completed in 1970.
He said he was assigned in Bataan as an Army officer, and he had not seen the cross illuminated. “This lighting is our offering to those who sacrificed here during the times of war. Bataan is so famous in history not only in the Philippines but also in the whole world,” Aguilar said.
With the aesthetic lighting of the Mt. Samat Memorial Cross, tourists will be encouraged to explore other new developments in the heritage site, including the recently launched underground museum augmented reality exhibit.
History records showed that Mt. Samat stands as the site where the most harrowing chapter of the Filipino-American soldiers’ war against the Japanese army unfolded during the height of World War II.
Filipino and American soldiers, in 1942, faced immense challenges and fought relentlessly against the invading Japanese forces. After enduring three grueling months of combat, over 78,000 Filipino and American soldiers gathered in Bataan, displaying unwavering bravery in their resistance against the Japanese soldiers.
Mt. Samat became their final sanctuary. However, on April 9, 1942, they ultimately surrendered to the Japanese imperial army, making the beginning of the infamous Bataan Death March, from Bagac, Bataan to Capas, Tarlac.
According to the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO), the construction of the War Memorial Cross under the late President Ferdinand Marcos began on April 14, 1966, and was completed and opened in 1970. It was made of steel and reinforced concrete, finished with chipped granolithic marble. It is 92 meters high, 27 meters long, and 5.5 meters wide.
The Mt. Samat Shrine of Valor was designated as a Flagship Tourism Enterprise Zone by the TIEZA in 2017, aimed at introducing more developments in the shrine to make it a world-class heritage site qualified for the recognition of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.
The aesthetic lighting of the Memorial Cross and colonnade of the Shrine of Valor has been implemented under the TIEZA-approved Comprehensive Tourism Master Plan (CTMP) through the inter-agency partnership of the FTEZ stakeholders of TIEZA–the PVAO, the provincial government of Bataan, and the municipal government of Pilar, and in line with Marcos administration’s Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028. (Radyo Pilipinas)
