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11 Historical Places in Bataan to Take You Back in Time
Here’s a blast from the past as these Bataan’s historical places take you through its history!
By: Corabelle Guevarra | June 23, 2023
On these sites, revisit history in full color!
Images: Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar (L); Bataan World War II Museum (R) Facebook pages
Learning about the history of a place should include more than just reading textbooks or looking it up online; you have to visit the site where everything transpired.
It is teeming with historic venues that will take you to various wartime periods that the country underwent. These historical Bataan landmarks signify the different acts of bravery and heroism of Filipino and American soldiers who fought for our nation’s freedom and democracy. Here is a list of the various historical places in Bataan to guide your learning journey.
1. Bataan World War II Museum
Address: Jose Basa St., City of Balanga, Bataan
The Bataan World War II Museum gallery tells the story of World War II in Bataan.
Image: Bataan World War II Museum
Get your first glimpse of the country amidst World War II in the Bataan World War II Museum, one of the tourist spots in Bataan that you can visit. Aside from housing a gallery, this place in Bataan used to stand as the headquarters of the leader of the Japanese Imperial Army in the Philippines during World War II, Gen. Masaharu Homma. This historical place in Bataan houses informative story panels narrating the events from pre-war peacetime to the nation’s liberation. War artifacts are also displayed at this Bataan’s historical places, and a doll diorama reenacting the Death March.
When you visit this museum, the Entrance fee is PhP50 for regular visitors and PhP40 for students.
How to get there: Take the bus to Balanga and head to Balanga Integrated School via jeepney or tricycle to reach the museum.
2. Mount Samat National Shrine
Address: Mt. Samat Road, Pilar, Bataan
The Shrine of Valor is one of the iconic symbols of Filipino heroism in Bataan.
Image: Mt. Samat National Shrine - Dambana ng Kagitingan
At Mount Samat National Shrine sits the 92-meter concrete cross or the Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor), one of the famous historical places in Bataan. This historical landmark in Bataan serves as the country’s national memorial to those who fought in the Battle of Bataan during World War II. This also serves as the default venue of the Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) rites celebrated every April 9.
Inside the place, there is also a World War 2 museum that commemorates the events that transpired in wartime Bataan. The cross atop the mountain serves as Bataan’s landmark and has a viewing deck for visitors to have a good view of the mountainous landscape of the province. For the adrenaline junkies, this historical place in Bataan also has the Treetop Adventure, an ATV ride rental, and a zipline if you want a more exciting descent from this tourist spot in Bataan.
The entrance fee to this Bataan historical place is PhP30 per person.
How to get there: You can reach Mt. Samat National Shrine by bus bound for Balanga City. From Balanga central terminal, take a jeepney going to Cabog-Cabog. You can hire a tricycle to go directly to the shrine.
3. Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar
Address: Brgy. Ibaba, Bagac, 2107 Bataan
You’ll see one of the ancestral houses in Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar that lets you relive the colonial period in the Philippines.
Image: Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar
Next in our list of historical places in Bataan is departing from the significant sites of a wartime Bataan, Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar lets you feel and imagine what life looked like during the Spanish colonial era. The open-air museum and heritage park comprises reconstructed ancestral houses with materials from different parts of the country.
Currently, 27 heritage houses at this historical place showcase the look and feel of a colonial village. These houses were physically transplanted from their original location, but they managed to maintain the actual look and design of houses built in Spanish times. This historical places in Bataan is open for day trip visits, overnight stays, and special events.
The day tour entrance fee ranges to this Bataan’s historical place from PhP2,500 to PhP2,900 per person.
How to get there: Take a bus to Balanga and then ride a mini-bus or a Tamaraw shuttle to Bagac. From Bagac, take a tricycle that will take you directly to Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar.
4. Flaming Sword Monument
Address: Governor Joaquin J. Lina Highway, Pilar, Bataan
This towering landmark symbolizing bravery is impossible to miss as you pass by the national highway in Pilar, Bataan.
Image: Troy Sunga
The Flaming Sword Monument is next on our list of historical places in Bataan. A significant historical Bataan landmark along the national highway in Pilar depicts a hand holding a flaming sword that thrusts right up in the air. It symbolized Filipino and American patriots’ courage when they fought against the Japanese forces during the Battle of Bataan in World War II. It sits where it is now, in the Kilometer 42 point, because it is in this junction where USAFFE soldiers who were captured from the Bagac and Mariveles fronts converged for the iniquitous Bataan Death March. Add this historical place in Bataan to your list to visit now!
How to get there: To reach this Bataan’s historical place, take a bus to Balanga City and a jeepney to Pilar Municipal Hall. The monument is just in front of the municipal building.
5. First Line of Defense Marker
Address: Layac Junction, Dinalupihan, Bataan
The First Line of Defense Monument depicts the Filipino and American war heroes as allies in the battle against the Japanese army.
Image: Gilbert Dizon
The First Line of Defense is another historical landmark that echoes the valiant history of Bataan. The marker depicts the first vital line of defense of the combined Philippines and USAFFE (United States Army Forces in the Far East) troops against the Japanese invasion during World War II. This historical place in Bataan stands in the center rotonda of Layac, Dinalupihan, Bataan.
How to get there: Take a bus to Balanga and pass by the marker at the Layac Junction in Dinalupihan.
6. Fall of Bataan Marker
Address: Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan
The Fall of Bataan Marker is an honorary milestone for soldiers and civilians who fought in the Battle of Bataan in 1942.
Image: Bataan Government Website
Next in our list is dedicated to the memory of the brave Filipino and American soldiers and civilians who fought against the Japanese forces in World War II, the Fall of Bataan Marker. This historical place in Bataan gets its name from history. On April 9, 1942, the Battle of Bataan ended when the Filipino and American army led by General Edward King surrendered to the Japanese.
How to get there: If taking public transportation to this Bataan’s historical place takes the bus to Balanga and head to the Bataan Provincial Capitol of Balanga, the marker of this historical place in Bataan is just inside the compound.
7. Diwa ng Bataan
Address: Diwa, Pilar, Bataan
This is the commemorative statue of Gen. Edward King, his staff officers, and their Japanese captor, Col. Motoo Nakayama.
Image: Bataan World War II Museum
In our seventh spot of historical places in Bataan is the Diwa ng Bataan (Spirit of Bataan), formerly known as the Surrender Site Marker, commemorates General Edward King’s surrender to the Japanese Imperial Army. This historical Bataan landmark is found in Balanga Integrated School, just outside the Bataan World War II Museum. Here you’ll see the statue of Gen. King with his staff officers sitting around the table facing their Japanese captor, Col. Motoo Nakayama. A heartfelt statement is written in its marker: “Let this memorial be not a reminder of defeat but a symbol of freedom’s triumph over foreign aggression. Let us heed the message: In all wars, there can never be winners.”
How to get there: For commuters visiting these historical places in Bataan, take the bus to Balanga and head to Balanga Integrated School, where the marker is found.
8. Zero Kilometer (KM) Death March Marker
Address: Bagac, Bataan and Mariveles, Bataan
This is one of the two, Zero Kilometer Death March markers located in Bagac, Bataan.
Image: Leonard Hastings
Next, our list of Bataan’s historical places is The Zero Kilometer Death March marker; this historical landmark in Bataan indicates the starting point of the Bataan Death March that happened on April 10, 1942. In history, the Japanese imperial forces forcibly transferred the Filipino and American prisoners of war from Bataan to Camp O’Donnell in Capas, Tarlac. In this historical place in Bataan, an estimated 70,000 soldiers had to endure a grueling 160-kilometer walk, where 5,000 to 18,000 Filipinos and 500 to 650 Americans died before reaching their destination.
There are two Zero Kilometer Death March markers in Bataan; one is in Bagac, and the other in Mariveles. Of the 138 Death March markers, 100 are found in Bataan, 31 in Pampanga, and seven in Tarlac.
How to get there:
Mariveles Marker: Going to this historical places in Bataan, Take a bus going to Mariveles. It is beside the Municipal Hall of Mariveles. It is within walking distance from the Mariveles mini-bus terminal, or you can ride a tricycle from Genesis or Bataan Transit terminal to the marker.
Bagac Marker: Going to this Bataan landmark, take a bus to Balanga and alight in Balanga Central Terminal. From there, ride a jeepney going to Bagac. Hire a tricycle to take you to the actual Bataan historical place.
9. Philippine-Japanese Friendship Tower
Address: Gov. J.J. Linao National Road, Bayan ng Bagac, Bataan
This is one of the two Zero Kilometer Death March markers in Bagac, Bataan.
Image: Hydlyde Van Gob
Next on our list of historical places in Bataan is in Bagac, the Philippine-Japanese Friendship Tower; this historical landmark symbolizes the period of reconciliation, peace, and friendship between the two nations after the war. Rissho Kosei Kai Group, a Japanese Buddhist religious movement, built the tower in 1975, and stands around 200 kilometers from the site of the Bataan Death March. The lowest section of this tourist spot in Bataan is a hanging bell embossed with intricate dragons, knobs, and Japanese writings.
How to get there: Going to this historical places in Bataan by land, it should take about an hour to reach the province of Bataan via Dinalupihan. Ride a bus going to Balanga, and once there, you can ride the mini-buses and tricycles that ply the area to the nearby town of Bagac.
10. Abucay Church
Address: Brgy. Laon, Abucay, Bataan
The Abucay Church courtyard is where the Filipino-Dutch battle took place on June 23, 1647.
Image: @edzgm
Abucay Church is one the Bataan’s historical places, also known as Saint Dominic Parish Church in Abucay, Bataan, another historic place in the province of Bataan. Still, unlike the other historical places in Bataan that imbibe different narratives from WWII, the church is a silent witness to a different battle. On June 23, 1647, Filipino defenders fought the Dutch invaders in an intense and prolonged battle in the church courtyard. In the fallout, more than two hundred deaths and casualties were tallied, which included forces from the Kapampangan army and Spanish friars and leaders. While this historical place doesn’t pose itself as a prominent Bataan landmark, the story rings true through the stories through the locals when you enter its premises.
How to get there: Going to this historical places in Bataan, take a bus to Balanga. Take a jeep or a tricycle from the central bus terminal to Abucay Church.
11. Democracy Marker
Address: Barangay Balsik, Hermosa, Bataan
The Philippine flag symbolizes our country’s democracy, which was fought for by our heroes during the war.
Image: Balay Cela Una
Last on our list of Bataan’s historical places is the Bataan Democracy Marker stands in Barangay Balsik, Hermosa. Like the other monuments and landmarks in Bataan, it tells its beholders how Filipinos and Americans battled side by side during WWII in 1942 and emerged triumphantly. It marks the role of Bataan in the fight for freedom and preserving democracy in the country and the world.
How to get there: Metro Manila has various bus terminals going to this historical places in Bataan, whose daily trips pass by the municipality of Hermosa.
May 2023 Update: Bataan Democracy Marker is temporarily closed.
More than just mere sightseeing, a trip to the nostalgic province of Bataan allows you to learn about our heritage and history. Indeed, ours is a story of many sources, echoing through the walls and floors of these great sites: of heroes, nobles, and allies at a time when they’re most needed. Revisit the past through the province of Bataan, and appreciate your being Filipino.
Visit Yoorekka Magazine to see more historic sites in Central Luzon, where you can learn about the country’s history!
Stay safe as you travel! Make sure to follow social distancing protocols and observe health precautions. For now, keep safe!
This article was initially published in Yoorekka on April 7, 2018.
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About Corabelle Guevarra
Corabelle, outside her full-time job as a Digital Marketing Manager in Clark, she still makes time for her hobbies, be with her family and friends, travel, and work on a side business. Someday she wishes to fulfill her travel goals by being able to visit all the beautiful islands of the Philippines and see the sights of the different countries in Asia and the world. Just like anyone who has that wanderlust gene, Corabelle’s mantra is: “work, save, travel… repeat.”
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