Mount Samat National Shrine War Museum ~ What To See and What To Expect!

20170408_084958-01tThree months ago, my mom and I along with our churchmates went to Bataan for a pilgrimage in observance with the Holy Week. We went there on April 8, just a day before the Araw ng Kagitingan. Prior to the actual pilgrimage, we went to Mt Samat National Shrine or more popularly known as the “Dambana ng Kagitingan” (Shrine of Valor).
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President Rodrigo Duterte was expected to attend the 75th anniversary celebration of the Bataan Day and we witnessed all the preparation by the time we arrived in Mt Samat Shrine. The Shrine of Valor  was built to honor and remember the gallantry of Filipino and American soldiers who fought during World War II. The place is known for its huge memorial cross which is considered as the second tallest cross in the world. The cross is 302 ft tall with both arms expanding to 90 feet long.
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Witnessing the historical Memorial cross in Pilar, Bataan is not actually my first time. I went to Dambana ng Kagitingan a year ago as part of our Bataan tour where we visited the Las Casa Filipinas De Acuzar in Bagac. It was my first time to visit the shrine but unfortunately, the weather was not so cooperating that time which prevents us from getting access to the memorial cross. This time however, I finally made it to the foot of the Memorial Cross yet the upper deck of the cross was unfortunately not accessible that time but I guess that gave me another reason to go back!
IMG_0651tThe Colonade as viewed from the Memorial Cross. Reaching the cross was quite a challenge as you need to pass through the 14-flight, zig-zagging path on the mountain slope! Since I already blogged about the Shrine, allow me to focus on something else. Let’s focus more on the Cross and the war museum that can be found under the colonade!
IMG_0644tHere, you can also see a clearer image of the stained-glass mural masterpiece of Cenon Rivera that depicts some religious images. The mural was designed by Rivera and executed by Vetrate D’Arte Giuliani of Rome, Italy
IMG_0667tThe Memorial Cross! The Cross was actually situated at the highest point of Mount Samat which is 555 meter above sea level. The monument is made of steel and reinforced concrete with a lift and viewing gallery at the Cross’s arms. A staircase also leads to the gallery in the wings. The height of the Cross is 92 m from the base; the height of the arms is 74 m from the base, with each arm measuring 30 m (15 on each side). The viewing gallery is 5.5 m by 27.4 m, with a 2.1 m clearance.
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The exterior of the Cross is finished with chipped granolithic marble with notable sculptures etched on its base. This sculptural slabs and relief is entitled  Nabiag Na Bato which was created by the National Artist Napoleon Abueva. The sculpture depicts important historical figures and events like the execution of Jose Rizal,Lapu-Lapu and Antonio Luna.

The Mt Samat National Shrine War Museum
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Under the Colonade lies a simple yet historical war museum which can be accessed by visitors for free. The museum showcases a huge collection of paintings and photographs of the Philippine heroes and events during the Second world war and also it features a collection of armaments used by the Filipino, American and Japanese forces during the battle.
20170408_090557tOne of the most interesting highlights of the War museum is the huge diorama of Bataan depicting the events during the Second World War. Those blue led lights indicate the allied forces (Philippines and America) while the red ones are the Japanese Forces.
20170408_090819t A collection of photos hang on the wall showcasing the brutal events during the World War II.
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The most interesting part of the museum are the wide collection of armaments that were used by he Filipino, American and Japanese troops during the war. Bigger weapons and cannons were displayed outside the Shrine.
20170408_090758tBrowning Machine Gun
20170408_090937tHome made Pistol
20170408_090950tFlare pistol20170408_091210tHow about this huge bazooka? 20170408_091223tA collection of Japanese Invasion Money. These banknotes were issued by the Japanese Military Authority, as a replacement for local currency after the conquest of colonies and other states in World War II.
20170408_091058tA Japanese Soldier uniform and some documents in relation to world War II
20170408_091349tUS BP-7 Switchboard
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US Manual Generator
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20170408_091509tA collection of bullets and projectiles
20170408_091253tThere is also an upper floor but it was not accessible when we get there but as you can see, the walls were also filled by different pictures of Filipino heroes
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Things You Should Known About The Mt Samat National Shrine War Museum
►The museum can be accessed for Free! There is no entrance fee indeed but you still have to pay for the Entrance fee of Mt Samat Shrine. It is only Php20 per head
►The Shrine is open everyday from 8am to 5pm and so does the war museum
►Picture taking is allowed but refrain from using flash photography
►Some armaments can be touched for photo opps but not all
►Souvenir shops can be found outside
►Parking Fee can go from Php20-30 depending on the size of the vehicle

How to Get to Mount Samat National Shrine / Dambana ng Kagitingan
►If you are coming from Manila, simply take a transit bus bound to Balanga City (Bataan Transit or Genesis Bus – they have terminals in Cubao and Pasay). It’s going to be a 2 to 3 hours ride.
►From the Central Terminal of Balanga, take a jeepney bound to Cabog-Cabog and tell the driver to drop you off at Mt. Samat.
►From the drop off point, charter a trike that will take you to the actual site.

Where To Stay in Bataan?
There are many cheap and affordable hotels to stay in Bataan which are near to Mt Samat Shrine or other nearby tourist Destination. The Plaza Hotel in Balanga is a perfect choice or if you are looking for a luxurious staycation, you might consider booking rooms in Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar in Bagac. You can check out list of affordable and cheap hotels in Bataan in TravelBook and see which rooms suits your budget and taste!

12 thoughts on “Mount Samat National Shrine War Museum ~ What To See and What To Expect!

  • June 30, 2017 at 12:52 pm
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    Mt Samat is such a beautiful place to visit not only during araw ng kagitingan but anytime of the year. The place has so much to offer, history included. I just hope that the place is nearer in Metro Manila for schools to consider it as a place to visit during educational tour. Surely the kids would more than appreciate the heroism of our Filipino soldiers and understand more the meaning of Death March.

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  • June 30, 2017 at 1:17 pm
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    Such an impressive sculpture in marble by Napoleon Abueva.. War museums are important, as they showcase the sad part of our history. Batan seems to be worth a halt for tourists. This was quite an informative post and I learned so much abot Batan which I never knew earlier.

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  • June 30, 2017 at 6:55 pm
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    First, Thank you for this very informative post. It is very well-written. 🙂

    I had no idea we have these war museum and this should be part of the to-go places here in the country – a place full of history and wonderful artifacts. I hope they keep the entrance free so that anyone can visit. Will definitely recommend these family and friends going to Bataan.

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  • June 30, 2017 at 10:47 pm
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    This is the one of the places that i wanted to visit when i go to Bataan. I hope i can get to visit more of these places soon. My plan was to bring the kids sonthey could learn history not just from books but to see it in person. It makes a whole lot of sense than just reading it.

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  • June 30, 2017 at 11:39 pm
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    I badly wanted to go there last summer. However, old tradition here said that do not travel baby when he wasn’t Christened yet. So I am hoping that once we had free time, we will visit Shrine of Valor. I also heard from our principal that it’s best to go there during the Holy Week.

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  • July 1, 2017 at 1:42 am
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    Dang! Actually, when I was way younger, we went to Corregidor Island. This was supposed to be the next destination but we weren’t able. Time wasn’t on our side then. Now, my younger self wants to go here terribly!! OMG. You’re so lucky with this adventure!! Hope you could bring me with you to your historical travels. Haha!

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  • July 1, 2017 at 6:09 am
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    Wow, when I hear dambana ng kagitingan, it reminds me of text books and history class. Never imagined that there’s a lot to see! I love going to museums so Im sure I’ll love the tour. Las casas filipinas is on my list to visit, so I think I can do a side trip to check Mt. Samat. 🙂

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  • July 1, 2017 at 8:47 am
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    I want to have a field trip with my kids here in the future. Maybe next year or 2 years from now. This would be an interesting place for them to learn more about our history as a nation. I would love to check in and experience Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar. 🙂

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  • July 2, 2017 at 11:18 pm
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    It’s my first time hearing about this place so thank you for this. It’s great that there is a national shrine war museum put up for the soldiers who fought valiantly. Remembering their heroic acts and being reminded of the horrors of war pre-empts us from starting one. Hoping to head to this place soon.

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  • July 3, 2017 at 2:15 am
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    The historical Memorial cross in Pilar looks impressive! It definitely looks like it’s worth a visit. The mural is very beautiful. The museum looks very interesting as well. I visited a few war museums in Poland next year. They were also about the second World War. There was so much to learn. If I’m ever close enough, I’ll make sure to visit this museum.

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  • July 3, 2017 at 5:29 pm
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    I liked the tall columns of the hall in the second photograph. They reminded me of the Roman columns. Can you tell me about the religious symbols? I have often wondered about the Filippino culture and what it was before the arrival of christianity.

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  • July 4, 2017 at 1:04 am
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    That cross is really tall like the jesus the redeemer statue in natividad, pangasinan… At first, i thought you put samal but it’s not. I forgot about bataan already. Reading uour post kind of takes me back to our lakbay aral in our history classes to this memorial place… but i must admit i dont wanna go back to war museums any time soon…

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