One thing that I have learned about the Philippines is that the information online is not always so reliable. I arrived at Mariveles finally and settled down in my hotel. I had lunch at Mang Inasal, which is a fast food chain. I had my first Filipino food there, and it was really quite good. This was also my first meal since I arrived in the Philippines the day before. I went all in and ordered the max combo for one, and topped it up with Halo Halo, which is also a favorite dessert for the locals.

The town was not too busy and the weather was good. I learned from the front desk that, to get to the Villa Carmen Resort tomorrow for the Corregidor tour, I should take the bus. She told me to avoid the tricycles because they might overcharge me. I also learned that there was simply no GRAB in this part of the Philippines.

By then, I already had the impression that I would get overcharged by the tricycles, and I didn’t know what to do about my plans to visit the Sisiman Cove. I was wary of the tricycles already. But since it was only a 15-minute ride to the Sisiman Cove, at 4pm I decided to head out there by calling a tricycle.

The Disappointment at the “Sisiman Beach”

When I looked up Mariveles, I thought the Sisiman Beach was the only spot that I would like to visit. According to online sources and Google Reviews, the Sisiman Beach is supposed to be a proper beach where people can hang out at the shore with soft sand. I was dressed in full swimming gear.

The first tricycle driver refused to take me there, and I didn’t know why at the time. He helped me haul another tricycle, and that driver took me there. We passed by a Filipino village that had very lively vibes. At the end of the village lied the entrance to the Sisiman Beach. As he was dropping me off, he said to me, “it’s closed.”

At that moment, I was nearly shocked, “huh?”

Let’s just say that the beach is no longer there. I went through the broken inner netting of a closed gate to get into the Sisiman seaside area. When I was walking around, I saw a tractor working on the ground. By all measures, the leisurely beach was no longer available. I was the only soul there in an early summer afternoon.

The Sisiman Cove during WWII

I took a slow walk in the area and soaked in some interesting views there. I came upon the lighthouse, and it was picturesque. I could not locate the relevant sources that explain the history of the lighthouse. But most sources say that this current lighthouse was an iteration of the original one, which was destroyed by a severe typhoon in 2011. That much is known about the lighthouse.

All around me there were just some really rough rocky beaches, where one certainly would not entertain the idea of swimming. I then began to appreciate this spot as the docking and launching area for the PT boats during the Pacific War. That its historical significance was still there for me to ponder.

The Sisiman Cove lies at the western entry of Manila Bay in the West Philippines Sea (otherwise known as the South China Sea). At the Sisiman Cove, it is close enough to see, though a bit afar, Corregidor and its group of five relevant islands that made up the harbor defense of Manila Bay. Its geographical location made it, as well as all of the Bataan Peninsula, the major warfront against the invading Japanese forces in 1941 – when Manila’s defense position had to be abandoned.

The Defense of Manila by the PT Boats

Meaning Patrol Torpedo Boats, the PT boats served a critical role in the Philippines’ war of resistance against early Japanese advances on the country during WWII (as well as playing a similar critical role in the home warfront in Pearl Harbor). The PT boats were used as attackers at sea mostly for their agility, ease of maneuver and inexpensive costs of construction. They were built of wood. At its conception in 1938, the PT Boats were motor torpedo boats used by the Navy. In the beginning of WWII, “they were hampered by ineffective torpedo and limited armament.” The PT boats’ “hull design borrowed from offshore powerboat racing, and by using multiple lightweight but more powerful marine aircraft-derived V-12 engines, which were able to grow in both size and speed.” (PT Boats Inc)

The first Philippines confrontation involving the PT boats took place in Manila Bay on December 10, 1941. The team of PT boats consisted of 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 41. Although consisting only a half squadron (some of the PT boats didn’t make it to the Philippines due to the Pearl Harbor attack), these six PT boats maximized their intended effectiveness against monolith war instruments. This first confrontation was against a group of five twin-engine bombers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was claimed that three Japanese attackers were shot down at Cavite in this confrontation, 2 by PT 31, and 1 by PT 35.

At the time, Cavite, being a historical naval base as early as the Spanish colonial times, was the site of the U.S. Navy, especially its naval shipyard. The Japanese air force engaged in a sustained campaign against this key naval infrastructure. The Japanese forces had landed Luzon. As they made their way through to Manila, the American defense of Manila failed. As a result, the PT boats that were patrolling the Manila Bay had to find a new base. They found Sisiman Cove, off of a then-abandoned (but long since re-populated after the War) village.

At this juncture, the PT boats had the directive to “ serve as fast messenger and passenger couriers between the various command posts at Corregidor Island; Mariveles, just east of Sisiman Cove; and Manila, and patrol along the Bataan coast north of Manila Bay and in waters south of Manila along the Batangas Peninsula and as far as Verde Island.” (Earning Glory in a Forlorn Defense) Bataan Province and the Corregidor Island were the very last warfronts standing between the U.S. forces and the Imperial Japanese forces in the Pacific War.

The PT Boats were confined to night patrol only in their mission. In one instance, they were called out to rescue the USS Corregidor, a Filipino ship that was taking evacuees from Manila to Mindanao. The USS Corregidor touched a mine and it was sinking. “PTs 32, 34, and 35 rescued 282 survivors, 196 of them by PT-32.” (Earning Glory in a Forlorn Defense)

War Stories of the PT Boats

The PT Boats were agile but they did frequently encounter unfortunate problems. There were occasions where the torpedoes were stuck. Due to the poor quality of fuel, sometimes even the engines refused to start during critical operations.

On 19^th January 1942, the PT Boats made a heroic night raid against a Japanese vessel at Binanga Bay. The intelligence received concerned four Japanese vessels, including a destroyer and a large transport. The command was to launch an attack with two PT Boats. PT 31 and PT 34 headed out to Subic Bay from Sisiman Cove. With PT 31 at the point of rendezvous at Subic Bay after a patrol in the area, eventually the commander John D. Bulkeley decided that only PT 34, on which he was aboard, would launch the attack. Only one Japanese vessel, a freighter, was spotted there. With careful maneuver, PT 34 readied itself for aiming the two torpedoes. At this critical moment, the Japanese ship illuminated PT 34 at the bay. Two torpedoes were fired at the vessel right away (and it turned out that one was stuck in its tube), then the PT Boat spun the wheel to the hard right and at maximum throttle sped away. The Japanese vessel was blown up and set in fire.

PT 31 had the task of patrolling the eastern entrance of Subic Bay. Soon enough, its central engine failed to start. As it was caught by the coral reefs, the crew had to abandon it. Ten members of the crew that swam to the shore made it to safety. Three crew men that remained on the evacuation craft were captured by the Japanese and they would not survive the war.

The Evacuation of General MacArthur

“I came through and I shall return.”

General MacArthur’s declaration after he safely landed in Australia, upon his evacuation from Corregidor, is likely his most famous saying.

The PT Boats were widely praised for escorting General MacArthur and his family on their first leg of the evacuation to Australia, a journey that lasted for two days in the open seas. In the Philippines, the American forces had abandoned Luzon and Manila by March 1942. The American defense of the Philippines was confined to the Province of Bataan, with Corregidor as the base of command for General MacArthur. The plan was to hold out against the Japanese for 60 days.

The attack on Corregidor was inevitable. General MacArthur was a star general in the United States military. The higher level of command (essentially, President Roosevelt) determined that he would be of no use if Corregidor fell and he ends up being kept as a prisoner of war. After Singapore fell into Japanese hands, the President himself ordered General MacArthur to leave the Philippines— although the General had prepared for the (best case scenario) surrender to the Japanese in Corregidor.

On March 11, 1942, General MacArthur and his family were evacuated from the North Dock of Corregidor. Between a submarine and PT Boats, General MacArthur opted to take the PT Boats (which belonged to the navy, while General MacArthur was an Army General – this point had political significance). On board PT Boat 41 were General MacArthur, his wife and his young son. PT Boat 41 was overseen by none other than John D. Bulkeley himself. Three other PT Boats would travel along, as the cover and protection operators.

The PT Boats’ role in this evacuation was movie-grade dramatic (the PT Boat film to watch is They Were Expendable (1945)). The Japanese fleets and air force were patrolling in the seas in the Philippines and beyond. There was one instance during this first leg of evacuation that PT Boat 41 spotted a Japanese vessel. PT 41 made a sharp turn at full speed and, for whatever reason it was, it managed to flee undetected and unscathed.

Two days later, PT Boat 41 made it to Mindanao. Even in Mindanao there were Japanese forces. A pair of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses flew the parties to safety to Darwin in Australia. From Darwin, they flew to Alice Springs, then took the railway, eventually making it to Melbourne. General MacArthur was handed the command of the Southwest Pacific when he would take the helm for the American defense in Asia in Australia.

Back in the Philippines, the Battle of Bataan raged on, the Death of March would soon to take place after General MacArthur’s evacuation. Then the Battle of Corregidor would seal the fate of the Philippines, as Japan assumed dominion over all of the Philippines.

Annoyances

I took in the history lesson at the Sisiman Cove and debated whether I should make the trip worthwhile by staying a little while longer for sunset viewing. I thought climbing the Grotto Hill right by the village would enable a nice panoramic view of the cove from a vantage point. As I headed back toward the village, I came across village dogs.

Really, not a good idea. They were aware of me being a stranger and they were barking nonstop. I could hear them in a five-minute walk away. Some already started running in my direction. I waited for the whole pack of dogs to drop out, until just one lone dog remained in the watching position. I then stealthily went through the broken gate and made it to the village safely.

Perhaps the Sisiman Beach should not be visited at all. I have learned from online sources that it now belongs to a private property developer, and it is, indeed, officially closed to the public.

Sources

PT Boats Inc.

Colonel Richard D. Camp (Retired), Earning Glory in a Forlorn Defense, United State Naval Institute.

The Wikipedia on Douglas MacArthur’s Escape from the Philippines.

I had a fabulous first trip to the Philippines. In fact, the experience was in the ranks of being miraculous, even as measured against my years of experience as a travel writer.

“Hey, do you want to join me in Manila?” My friend was attending a business trip in Manila and I jumped on the opportunity with a resounding yes to her invitation. Manila has been in my plans since last year, when I learned about the Intramuros from another friend that visited.

At the heart of my concern with traveling in the Philippines is the KK Park that runs the business of trafficking and scam. There have been Hong Kong tourists that were kidnapped in various countries in Southeast Asia and sent there. I almost never have travel companions, and so going to the Philippines alone for the first time was not a good idea.

On my bucket list for this trip is a visit at the Corregidor Island (pronounced cor-RE-idor, the “g” is silent). And in a later entry I will discuss in greater detail the downlow on how to join that tour.

Flying from Hong Kong to Manila takes only a little more than one and a half hour. Both flights to and from Manila were pleasant with no delays. My friend and I arrived in Manila in the latter half of the afternoon. She took me through a flyover from the airport to the airport hotel hub before she called GRAB for a driver. The GRAB waiting area in the airport is somewhat chaotic.

Manila is the name of a plant that is native in the Philippines and in abundance in the Manila Bay.

Itinerary

In this five-day trip I would be visiting the Corregidor Island, the historical U.S. military base that played a critical role in the defense of the Philippines during the Pacific War. It is about three hours by drive from Manila. That tour alone, counting in the traveling time to and from Manila, already takes up two full days. I then really only had one and a half days more in Manila.

Due to some arrangement issues I visited the Intramuros three times in order to get through all the things I wanted to see there. The Intramuros is the only remaining historical site in Manila that was mostly built during the Spanish colonial rule. A whole lot of the original structures were destroyed during the Battle of Manila before the Pacific War ended. But the aged vibes are still there and it is definitely a must-visit site for visitors of all interests.

In the rest of the Manila tour, I went to the San Sebastian Basilica, the Escolta Street, then to the oldest Chinatown in the world. That was about it. I did not get to visit the BGC district (see below), which was a pity. For shopping, my friend recommended the Greenbelt by Ayala Malls, although I also did not have time to visit.

Currency

I always exchange currency upon arrival, before I exit the airport and get into the city. There was a currency exchange at the arrival hall. The rates were not too bad.

Connectivity

In the Philippines, connectivity comes with a couple options. You can purchase an eSIM from online vendors before you leave your home country, and activation is by a QR code that you scan on your phone upon arrival. This is simple enough, but there are two caveats. First, my iPhone is an iPhone 13 Pro, and the vendor did not list clearly on the website the technical specs required to activate the eSIM. An iPhone 13 Pro is too old to be able to do that. As a result, I requested a full refund for my eSIM purchase.

Second, an eSIM would not enable you to make regular calls with your phone, and sometimes it is necessary to call people to ask questions about arrangements. Therefore, a physical SIM does have its advantage.

Both eSIM and physical SIM are options that you can find at the arrival hall. The problem is, the options that were shown to me were very expensive. The vendor at the airport seemed to only offer 30-day plans (for 1,000 pesos). I was going to be there for only 5 days.

In the end, I inquired at the hotel and the staff told me to go to the Glorietta Mall, which is about 8 minutes by walk from the Peninsula Manila, to get a physical SIM set up at a proper mobile service operator. At the Glorietta, both SMART and GLOBE would be able to set that up for you. I ended up visiting GLOBE and it was quick, easy, and cheap. GLOBE does offer 7-day connectivity plans for about 160 pesos.

Accommodation

We stayed at the Peninsula Manila. Generally speaking, the Makati and the BGC (the Bonifacio Global City) are very tourist friendly districts. The Makati district is somewhat older, but the streets are pleasant, well maintained and safe. The BGC is new, and my friend told me that it is almost futuristic there, a cross between the Central and West Kowloon areas of Hong Kong. For first time visitors, these are my recommendation for accommodation. The hotels will be pricier there, but it is worth it.

Essentials

It is early summer and it was very humid and hot when I first landed in Manila. The summer weather in Manila comes with intermittent (but often heavy, stormy) rain and it serves to taper the heat significantly. Essential items for a trip to the Philippines are definitely sunglasses, sunscreen, hat and a handy umbrella that you should take with you wherever you go.

In terms of other personal items, you likely will find everything you need from the local drug stores or convenient stores.

VISA

Please check your country’s foreign affairs department for entry requirements to the Philippines. For U.S. passport holders, there is no VISA necessary for a stay up to 30 days in the Philippines. However, all visitors must get on the eTravel website to do a declaration. You will have to create an account with login information, and enter your flight and hotel details, in order to acquire a QR code for entry into the Philippines. The QR code will be sent to your email immediately upon approval (I don’t imagine them denying you the declaration).

Getting Around

Before you arrive in the Philippines, you should install the GRAB app on your phone and hook it up with your credit card. Certainly get that set up before you leave your home country, so that when you need the app you don’t have to mess with installation and payment issues. The GRAB app is very efficient. It shows you quickly where your driver is when they accept your order, you can choose amongst different comfort and seating options for different prices, and all along the route the map will show you where you are. It is the safest and most reliable transportation, even for the locals.

My friend did say that for a really local experience I should do the jeepney at least once, which is a distinctive feature of the Filipino urban life. I was in too much of a rush in this trip to learn the routes and so I did not get to try it. There is also a metro in Manila, but at the end of the day, GRAB is much more efficient, safe and foreigners can afford it any number of times within their trip.

In terms of getting around, Manila is notorious for its traffic jams. Very often, a mere 3km in distance can take up 20 minutes in the car. The GRAB app takes care of that. You are charged a set price before you get in the car, regardless of the actual conditions of the traffic (unlike a taxi). However, if you are going to the airport, be sure to allow for delay on the road due to traffic. The same leeway is advised for planning your itinerary within the city.

The Makati district is just about a half hour from the airport. We arrived into the luxury of the Peninsula Manila. The hotel itself has a storied past, and that is coming up next.