Malinta Tunnel

It's almost lunchtime but we still have one more stop to make so we boarded our tramvias for our short trip back to the bottomside of the island. The view along the way was worth the discomfort I was feeling because of the heat. In fact I was really praying hard for a cool breeze in lieu of a dip in the waters sorrounding Corregidor.


We are heading to the east of Bottomside on hill that rises abruptly to an elevation of 390 feet called "Malinta. To facilitate passage and to create a bombproof shelter, the Americans drove a shaft from a rock quarry at Bottomside directly through the hill, creating the famous Malinta Tunnel. Construction of the tunnel took about 10 years. Work was initially started in 1922 and it was substantially completed in 1932. The 835 feet long East-West passage served as the main tunnel which is 24 feet wide and the height at the top of its arch is 18 feet. Branching from it are 13 laterals on its north side and another 11 laterals on the south side. Each lateral averaged 160 feet and 15 feet in length and width, respectively. A double-track electric trolley line used to run through the main tunnel which is reinforced with concrete walls, a concrete floor, and overhead arches. Blowers were installed to allow the circulation of fresh air.

The tunnel had been dug through solid rock and offered complete protection from artillery or air attack. Command communications and medical units were located there. Gen. MacArthur set up the headquarters of USAFFE inside the tunnel where men and women would live and work during the siege of Corregidor. The tunnel was originally designed to house huge quantities of ammunition, food and supplies, and an underground hospital with a 1,000-bed capacity. The location of the tunnel beneath Malinta Hill made it ideal as a bomb-proof headquarters for the embattled Filipino and Americans defenders of Corregidor during World War II. During the siege of Corregidor, a number of shops and storage areas were added.


To have a better feel and understanding of the significance of the tunnel to our nations history I strongly suggest to everyone to take the optional 30 minutes Malinta Light and Sound Show entitled "Malinta Experience" scripted by national artist and film director Lamberto Avellana and sculptures made by national artist Napoleon Abueva, the show is a re-enactment of World War II’s dramatic events.

For those staying overnight, a night tour of the tunnel allows visitors to see for themselves the different laterals of the 1,000-bed capacity Fort Mills Hospital which was used during the siege of Corregidor. A guide will accompany those brave enough to explore the pitch dark laterals of the Malinta with only a flashlight to light your way around. The said tour can be creepy since some Japanese soldiers committed suicide inside rather than surrender to the advancing American forces.