News is slowly filtering its way out of Corregidor. Typhoon Glenda which struck Corregidor as well as here on Bataan on the 16th of this month, hit with more than a little force. Almost all roads on Corregidor are blocked by fallen trees. Water lines supplying living quarters to many of Corregidors vendors and employees have been broken due to uprooted trees. The main dock on Corregidor has collapsed and some of the ruins at bottomside and middleside have also collapsed. This is a very serious blow to the island which is managed by the CFI. (Corregidor Foundation Inc.) CFI has asked to quit Corregidor as the destruction is beyond their means to repair. Who, if anyone, will take their place? Tours will continue and the hotel is open. The hotel sustained minor damage. When the roads will be cleared for tours is unknown. This being said, I ask...is Corregidor doomed? Since I arrived here, I have heard rumors that the Philippine Govt. wants to take over management of the island. With their lack of stellar performance at other tourist spots, such as Mt. Samat, who knows what will come. I have heard that Suncruises, which ferrys people to and from Corregidor are not happy with the numbers of tourists visiting the island and want more attractions to bolster the money they are making and a Casino is a possibility. These are rumors but not out of the realm of possibility. Unfortunately there is a steady decay in the interest, not only in Corregidor but the war in general. Lets face it, its been almost a quarter of a century since the war began. After living in Bataan for over two years, I have not only seen the lack of interest of many here but the ignorance of the war as well. It is not rampant here in Bataan because of the many memorials and the huge yearly celebration on Mt. Samat, but it is noticeable. What are we to do and what can be done to stop the erosion of interest. I do not know. There are ancillary problems with the collapse of the CFI. They are the ones who come to Bataan and Pampanga to erect new Death March Markers and repair ones that have been damaged. The obelisks which sit on the base of each marker are constructed on Corregidor and then brought to the mainland on a boat by a CFI crew and they construct a new base on the spot with cement and sand. There may be other problems associated with their demise, I do not know those either. It does worry me though.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 23:50:41 +0000
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