Last November 12, I went on a spontaneous trip with my mom and dad to Bataan. I would have to thank the long holidays that were declared in Metro Manila and Pampanga to make way for the ASEAN Summit. We've been really meaning to go out of town, however, we never find the time because of our busy schedules.
To avoid traffic, we left Metro Manila around 5 am, and before 6 am we were already cruising through NLEX. Surprisingly, we were already at Dinalupihan City Proper by 7:30 am.
This trip was supposed to be just a day trip, wherein we would still go home, but on impulse, I booked us a hotel with a beautiful pool. However, hotel check-in times are usually at 2 pm. So we still had a lot of hours to kill.
We decided our first stop to be at Mount Samat National Shrine. This stop was my dad's suggestion, for everyone who goes to Bataan or knows Bataan, this mountain with a very big cross is iconic for the province.
Mount Samat is located in the town of Pilar, Bataan. On top is the National Shrine to commemorate the brave men who fought during World War 2. The complex consists of a colonnade and a memorial cross as well as a museum, that was commissioned by Pres. Ferdinand Marcos.
The drive up the shrine proper is actually challenging, consisting steep roads and sharp turns. I could never have driven this myself. Hahaha. However, the view was breathtaking and the air was so fresh. We also saw a lot of people driving motorcycles, walking or jogging uphill. According to my dad, the summit is actually a "biking destination" where motorcycle clubs go to meet up.
But, that challenging uphill drive is so worth it, because you get to see views like these:
To access the summit, or where the shrine actually is located, you would need to pay an entrance fee and parking fee at the guard house, it is also inclusive of the entrance to the museum. They charge PHP 40.00 parking fee for big vehicles, and I think PHP 20.00 for small vehicles. And then PHP 30.00 for adults, and PHP 20.00 for students, senior citizens, and PWDs. A small price to pay to see stunning views and give local tourism a boost.
To actually get close to the cross, there is an extra uphill drive, for it is located on a different level than the museum and the colonnades.
The cross is pretty much straightforward, it's just a gigantic cross with sculptures of heroes.
To be really honest, I could see algae forming in the nooks and crevices of the sculptures. Hahaha.
Other than the cross, there is also a tree that is the home to a lot of monkeys in that place. There were no ropes or barriers, so you could really get up close to the monkeys at your own risk.
And of course, more breathtaking views.
My Tip: To really experience the fog and cool breeze, I suggest going up earlier, maybe at around 6 or 6:30 am. Also, a selfie stick is really useful for this one if you want to get selfies with the whole cross. Best angles are from a worm's eye view (or putting your phone near the ground)
You could only so much at the location of the cross, and then the next place you can visit is the museum, which is a drive downhill.
My tip: It's really fun to drive downhill with the windows open and you could really feel the cool and fresh breeze on your face.
From the museum level, getting a photo with the cross can be challenging, as the fog rolls in and out. So you have to have a perfect timing with that.
Once you climb the stairs, you get to see this mosaic wall or mural with a marble table that says it's an altar.
It's part of the colonnade, which is just a hall with a lot of columns, and both end walls contain narratives regarding World War 2, The Fall of Bataan, and etc.
After the colonnade, the last stop would be the museum. Note that the museum opens at 8:00 am. So if you get there earlier, you have no choice but to go up the cross first.
The museum's main attraction is the diorama of all the mountains in Bataan, showing the Filipino-American lines vs the Japanese Forces. The diorama is surrounded by different paraphernalia from the war such as old guns, canons, uniforms and even actual canons.
The pictures show how Manila was greatly affected by war and showed living conditions back then.
In summary, the trip to Mount Samat National Shrine was worth the climb (for the car hahaha) it gives the visitor a balance of a connection to the past and nature, which is a nice breather from all the stress in the metro.
Read about my other Bataan adventure here!
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