Photo Hunt/Zap and Advertising

Cine Corregidor in Corregidor Island zapped by Japanese bombardments during World War II.   Corregidor is one of the most important historic and tourist sites in the Philippines.

 An inflated advertising balloon at an event in the Mall of Asia.  Too much of this liquor can zap the brain cells and one's common sense.

 

Posting for two Photo-Hunts today---ZAP  for Sandy's Saturday Photo-Hunt and ADVERTISING for Gattina's Photo-Hunt.  Join us!

LP: Teknolohiya [technology]

Isa ang kanyon sa tatlong itinuring na tagumpay ng New Age noong Middle Ages---ang dalawa ay ang compass at printing press.  Unang ginamit ang kanyon ng mga Tsino noong Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE) at lumaganap ito sa Europe at sa Middle East sa pamamagitan ng Silk Road.  Magmula Middle Ages hanggang ngayon, patuloy ang paglikha ng teknolohiya sa mas makabagong armas.  Unahan ang mga mayayamang bansa sa pag-imbento ng pinakamalakas  at nakakamatay na armas---hindi lang mortar at baril, kundi pati na rin  sa larangan ng biotechnology. Nagsimula ang tao sa palakol at sibat, ngayon meron ng intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) na ang range ay hanggang 5,500 kilometers, at may  kakayanan sa biological and chemical warfare.  Nakakatakot isipin kung saan tayo hahantong dahil sa teknolohiya.

Sang-ayon ako sa sinabi ni Einstein:  "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."

Mga larawan ng mortars sa Corregidor na nilagay ng mga Americano at ginamit noong World War II laban sa mga Hapon.

During the Middle Ages,  there were three inventions that were declared the triumph of the New Age---the cannon, the compass and the printing press.  The cannon was first used by the Chinese during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE), and it made its way to Europe and the Middle East through the Silk Road.  Since the Middle Ages,  people continue to create innovative weapons technology.  Rich countries race in the  creation of  the most lethal and powerful weapon--not just firearms, missiles and mortars, but also in the field of biotechnology.  Humans started with axes and spears, now we have the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with a range of up to 5,500 kilometers, and have the technology for biological and chemical warfare.  It is scary to think where we are headed because of technology.

Einstein is right when he said, "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."

These are photos of mortars in Corregidor, installed by the Americans and were used during World War II against the Japanese.

Posted for Litratong Pinoy

Memorial [Photo-Hunt]

When I die, give what is left of me to children.
If you need to cry, cry for your brothers walking beside you.
Put your arms around anyone
and give them what you need to give to me.
I want to leave you with something,
something better than words or sounds.
Look for me in the people I have known and loved.
And if you cannot live without me, then let me live on in your eyes,
your mind and your acts of kindness.
You can love me most by letting hands touch hands
and letting go of children that need to be free.
Love does not die, people do.
So when all that is left of me is love...
Give me away.

~ The Legacy

Photos were taken at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes Cemetery), a memorial cemetery for Filipino military personnel from privates to generals, as well as heroes and martyrs, former presidents and statesmen. Among those buried in this cemetery are most of the defenders of Bataan, Corregidor and other battlefields fought during World War II. Located at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig.

http://tnchick.com

Words - Photo Hunt

 These words were found at the Pacific War Memorial in Corregidor Island.  Corregidor is an island in Manila Bay that served as a focal point of naval defenses during the World War II.  It is a significant historic and tourist site.  More about Corregidor here and here.

Inscribed on a bench at the Georgia Aquarium are these  words:

History is written by those who make the wake 

not by those who ride on it 

nor those who watch safely from the shore.

~ inspired by Billi and Bernie Marcus

Photo Hunt is hosted by TN Chick

Photo-Hunt: flags

Philippine flags at the Rizal Shrine, the national hero's ancestral home in Calamba, Laguna.

The modern design of the Philippine flag was conceptualized by Emilio Aguinaldo, a Filipino revolutionary leader, during his exile in Hong Kong in 1897, drawing inspiration from the flags used by the Katipunan, an anti-Spanish revolutionary organization, and the Cuban revolutionaries. The first flag was sewn by Doña Marcela Marino de Agoncillo with the help of her daughter Lorenza and Doña Delfina Herbosa de Natividad (a niece of the national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal). It was displayed in battle on May 28, 1898 and was formally unfurled during the proclamation of independence on June 12, 1898.

On June 12, 2009, the Philippines celebrated its 111th Independence.

A horizontal bicolor of blue over red, with a white equilateral triangle at the hoist containing three 5-pointed gold stars at its vertices and an 8-rayed gold sun at its center.

Philippine and American flags at a war memorial marker in Corregidor Island

The American Flag was used from 1901 to 1919 when the Philippines was administered directly from the United States.

Posted for Photo Hunt hosted by TN Chick.

Litratong Pinoy: Misyon [Mission]

Rizal Shrine in Calamba

Kung dati ka ng napadpad dito, malamang nakita mo na ang ibang litratong ito sa dati kong mga post. Naisipan ko lang na ang magiging misyon ng blog page ko ay ang mailarawan ang ganda at mayamang kultura ng Pilipinas. Kung isa kang Pinoy, nais kong magiging no. 1 fan ka ng Pilipinas at ipagmamalaki mong Filipino ka. At kahit maraming problema dito, sana hindi mo ipagsawalang-bahala ang mga kapuri-puring bagay sa bayan mo.

Kung dayuhan ka naman, gusto kong makita mo sa blogsite na 'to ang iba pang mukha ng Pilipinas---hindi lang kahirapan, katiwalian, at krimen ang makikita mo dito. Puno ng yaman ang buong kapuluan. Hindi man ginto o langis, kundi yaman ng pagkamalikhain, taos-pusong pagkakaibigan at tunay na kagandahang-loob. Gusto ko rin makilala mo ang marangal naming lahi, at kung ano man ang pagkakaiba ng ating kultura, kaugalian at paniniwala, imbes na pag-awayan, pintasan o batikusin, sana matuto tayong ipagdiwang ang ating kaibhan.

Navy cadets in Corregidor

World War II memorial---Brothers in Arms

If you’ve been to this blog before, you have probably seen these photos in my previous posts. I thought of re-posting them and make it this blog’s mission to show the beauty and the rich cultural heritage of the Philippines. If you are a Filipino, I’d like you to be proud of who you are and become the Philippines’ no. 1 fan. Our challenges seem to be never-ending but don’t let it blind you to the commendable milestones we have achieved as a people.

If you're a foreigner, I'd like this blogsite to show you another facet of my country. Philippines is not all about poverty, corruption and crime. This archipelago is a treasure-trove, not of gold or oil, but of creativity and talent, of sincere friendships and genuine hospitality. I would like you to get to know of our proud and honorable race. We may differ in culture, tradition and religion, but instead of nurturing conflict, let us celebrate our differences.

beach in Camotes Island

Silliman Hall at Silliman University

tranquil Balinsasayao Lake in Negros Oriental

serene Lake Kabalin-an

raging Dumacaa River in Tayabas

a friendly encounter with a cowboy in Tayabas forest

remembering Dr. Jose Rizal's heroism in Fort Santiago

our heirs

Posted for Litratong Pinoy

Litratong Pinoy: Gusali (building)

ruins of Cine Corregidor

Litrato ng mga gumuhong gusali sa Corregidor na binomba ng mga Hapon noong World War II. Ito ang natitira sa gusali ng Cine Corregidor na itinayo bago pa magsimula ang giyera at naging libangan ng mga Amerikanong sundalo at ng kanilang pamilya na naka-station sa isla.

Photos of the ruins in Corregidor, buildings destroyed by Japanese bombs during World War II. This is what remains of the Cine Corregidor that was erected before the war to cater to the entertainment needs of American soldiers and their families who were stationed in the island.

Ito naman ang nawasak na mga gusali ng dating Headquarters at Chapel ng USAFFE, at ng katabi nitong Bachelor Officers Quarters. Kahindik-hindik man ang mga pangyayari sa mga gusaling ito, kailangan nating balikan at h'wag kalimutan na ang mga ito ay bahagi ng ating kasaysayan. Sila ang magpapaalala sa atin sa kung ilang libong buhay na ibinuwis para makamtan natin ang kalayaan.

These are the ruins of the former Headquarters and Chapel of the USAFFE, and it's next door neighbor, the Bachelor Officers Quarters. However horrible the events that took place in these buildings, let's not forget that these ruins are part of our history. Let them stand as a reminder of the thousands of lives lost defending and taking our freedom back.

Posted for Litratong Pinoy

Corregidor: Gibraltar of the East (Weekend Snapshot)

One of the 56 coastal guns in Corregidor's defensive arsenal constructed before World War I. During Spanish colonization of the Philippines, Corregidor served not only as a fortress of defense and a penal institution, but also as a signal outpost to warn Manila of the approach of hostile ships, and as a station for Customs inspection. Corregidor comes from the Spanish word corregir, meaning "to correct." One story says that, due to the Spanish system wherein all ships entering Manila Bay were required to stop and have their documents checked and corrected, the island was called Isla del Corregidor (literally, Island of Correction). Another version claims that the island was used a penitentiary institution by the Spanish and came to be called El Corregidor.

In 1902, the island was organized as an American military reservation. By 1903, a convalescent hospital was established by the United States Army. In 1908, a Regular Army post was established on the island, designated as Fort Mills. By early 1909, the United States Corps of Engineers was assigned to Corregidor and started on the construction of concrete emplacements, bomb-proof shelters, and trails at various parts of the island. The pioneer engineer company left Fort Mills on March 1912.

Due to its location in Manila Bay, it has served as a focal point for naval defenses of Manila. Whoever had the control of the island had the complete control of the bay, and it was for this reason that the Japanese had to take Corregidor---to take control of Manila Bay, the finest natural harbor in the Far East.

Corregidor's defeat in 1942 marked the fall of the Philippines and Asia, but Imperial Japan's timetable for the conquest of Australia and the rest of the Pacific was severely upset, and Japan's advance was ultimately checked at the battle for New Guinea and at Guadalcanal, the turning point in the Pacific War.

The island was divided into 4 sectors. On the Middleside sector, the ruins of the Middleside Barracks are still standing. The barracks, built in 1915, were two 3-storey buildings that housed the 60th Coast Artillery anti-aircraft regiment of the US Army and the 91st Coast Artillery of the Philippine Scouts.

The barracks were constructed using advanced concrete construction technology of prefabricated and modular metal lathe reinforcements. The buildings were designed for tropical climate, with high ceilings, wide capiz shell sliding windows and perimeter galleries to allow good ventilation and protect the rooms from direct heat of the sun. The Middleside Barracks were destroyed by Japanese bombs on December 29, 1941.

One of the best and most effective defense of Corregidor during the Japanese seige was the Battery Way. A "battery" in military terms refers to a group of guns placed together in a given area. Battery Way was one of the coastal batteries in Corregidor. Set up of the Battery Way started in 1904 and completed in 1914. Armed with four 12-inch mortars, it was capable of lobbing a 1000-lb deck piercing shell or 700-lb high explosive shell 14,610 yards in any direction. This gun emplacement was equipped with anti-personnel firepower and designed to penetrate warships and any enemy entrenched on higher grounds in Bataan. It's firing elevation was from 45 degrees minimum to 70 degrees maximum, its rifled bore is 10 feet long and 14 men were needed to fire each mortar. Battery Way was the last of Corregidor's "concrete artillery" to cease firing before the surrender of Bataan.

Battery Way command center

two of the 4 mortars

thick concrete walls of the command center

ammunition storage

Standing for more than six decades as a war relic, this giant gun at Battery Hearn still looks scary. The sheer size of this cannon made my jaw drop. This cannon had a range of 17 miles, and used 1000-lb projectiles. During the seige of Corregidor, Battery Hearn pummeled enemy troops as far away as Naic, Ternate and Puerto Azul, as well as different areas in Bataan within its range.

Set up by the Americans in 1918 and completed in 1921, Battery Hearn has one of the largest guns in Corregidor. When it was test fired, it was said that every window in the island was shattered.

Entrenched in a hollow on Corregidor's southern coast, Battery Geary was instrumental in defeating a Japanese landing at Longoskawayan Point in Bataan, firing for 4 days. Battery Geary was invisible to the Japanese because of its position, but the Japanese aerial reconnaissance soon discovered its location. The Japanese opened a 2,600 round barrage against the battery and a 240 mm round penetrated the center magazine, detonating a massive explosion of 40 tons of explosives that totally destroyed the battery. Members of its crew were vaporized as the twin ton mortar barrels were blown hundreds of yards across the ridges, leaving a large crater where the magazine formerly was.

The big guns of Corregidor have been silent for more than 60 years. The ruins of barracks and structures tell a gripping story of a war that claimed so many lives. Indeed, freedom is never free.

Sources: Malinta, Wikipedia, A Battlefield Revisited, Corregidor Island

Posted for Weekend Snapshot