Dambana ng Kagitingan - Pilar, Bataan

The Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor) is a national shrine near the summit of Mt Samat in Brgy Diwa, Pilar, Bataan.  The Memorial Cross which is 92 meters in height with arms at 30 meters in length is a commemorative of our fallen Filipino soldiers during World War II. It was an uphill climb in a long trail but quite manageable.  It was one of those crazy moments when you climb up a hill and so exhausted when you reach the summit but too late to find out the there's another way that we could have driven our car to the top. I was amazed by the intricate and elaborate carvings at the base of the cross.  We went up the cross via an elevator which can accommodate less than 10 people. I was awed by the view of the landscape and of the Mariveles Mountains and of Manila Bay. 

The Memorial Cross stands proud

Mt Samat from afar

Entrance to Mt Samat

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES: ( http://www.bataan.gov.ph/ragingpeninsula/dambana.html)
The Shrine of Valor was originally conceived with a Memorial Chapel and Hall of Fame with concourses and other facilities. The Colonnade is a marble-capped structure with an altar, esplanade and museum.  There are several historical depictions on the Colonnade which include the following:

Stained Glass Mural behind the altar
19 Scriptural Marble at the Parapet
18 Bronze Insignias of USAFFE Division Units
2 Bronze Urns (symbolic of the Eternal flame)
18 Flag poles with colors of USAFFE Divisions/Units
Inscriptions of the “Battle of Bataan” 

The Memorial Cross is a towering structure (555 meters above sea level) of steel and reinforced concrete with an elevator and viewing gallery (arm of the cross).  The height of the cross is 92 meters from the base.  The height of the arms is 74 meters from the base.  The length of the arm is 30 meters (15 on each side).  The viewing gallery is 18 ft. by 90 ft. with a 7-foot clearance.
The exterior finish of the cross at the base up to an 11-meter level is capped with “Nabiag Na Bato” sculptural slabs and sculptural bas-reliefs depicting significant battles and historical events by National Artist Napoleon Abueva.  Above the base, the Cross is made of “chipped granolithic marble.”
From the Colonnade to the Cross is a 14-flight zigzagging footpath on the mountain slope, paved with bloodstones from Corregidor Island.

The Memorial Cross with the blue skies

The museum

The spiral trail going up the cross

The museum viewed from the cross

Almost there

The Memorial Cross

Intricate bas relief

Inside the cross

Inside the cross

Bataan mountains

Kuya Jim having fun in this big cannon

To get here from Manila, we drove via NLEX and exited in Mabalacat, Pampanga which leads to SCTEX then exited in Dinalupihan and turned right at the Roman Highway.  Upon reaching the Samat intersection after 24 kilometers,  we turned right to Mt Samat. 

Click here for more of my Luzon travels