Malinta Tunnel

Useful Information

photography — Floor plan, Malinta Tunnel, Philippines. Public Domain.

Location:	Malinta Hill, Corregidor Island, 50 km west of Manila. (14.3884763, 120.5919027)
Open:	closed. [2025]
Fee:	closed. [2025]
Classification:	World War II Bunker
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	yes
Bibliography:	Andrew Lohman (2018): Airborne Assault on Corregidor: A Study in Weather, Terrain, and Cultural Landscapes Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies 46(1). researchgate DOI
Address:	e-Philippines Adventure Travel and Destinations, WhatsApp: +63-917-684-0000, WhatsApp: +63-998-984-0000. E-mail: Corregidor Foundation Inc, Room 10, Bay Terminal, CCP Complex Roxas Blvd, Malate Manila, Tel: +63-288233281, Tel: +63-9776434819. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1922	constructions started.
1932	bunker completed.
30-DEC-1941	Manuel L. Quezon inaugurated for his second term as President of the Philippine Commonwealth in front of the West entrance.
06-MAY-1942	Corregidor surrendered.
23-FEB-1945	Japanese soldiers commit suicide when island is retaken by the U.S. army.
1988	ferry service by Sun Cruises Inc. started.
16-MAY-2020	Sun Cruises Inc. closed.

Description

The Malinta Tunnel is a system of parallel straight tunnels connected by a 255 m long main tunnel. This bunker was used as an underground hospital with a 1,000-bed capacity and a war command center. It is located on a small island called Corregidor, which lies in the entrance to Manila Bay and the harbour of the Philippine Capital Manila. The strategic position of this island nicknamed The Rock is obvious. Its name Corregidor is said to originate from Spanish times, when ships had to stop here before entering the bay, to get their documents corrected. The name Malinta is Tagalog for "many leeches".

Originally the abandoned quarry was reactivated by a public works project in 1922, only the Chief of Coastal Artillery knew it was intended as bombproof storage for ammunition. Some of the tunnels were top secret, their existence was disguised by telling only the necessary workmen, which were blindfolded when they were brought to work. In 1932, at the dawn of World War II, the works were boosted and the bunker completed. But its use had changed, it was now primarily a hospital.

From 1941 to 1942, during the Battle of Corregidor, an embattled force of Filipino and American soldiers fought one of the great delaying actions of World War II. On 30-DEC-1941, a simple and somewhat pathetic ceremony took place in front of the West entrance. Manuel L. Quezon was inaugurated for his second term as President of the Philippine Commonwealth, Sergio Osmeña for his second term as Vice-President. Malinta Tunnel served as the seat of Philippine Commonwealth Government, the president and his family had their quarters in a lateral beside the first lateral at the East entrance. General Douglas MacArthur acquired the third lateral from the East entrance on the North side, to set up the headquarters of USAFFE. The first lateral from the East entrance on the South side was the headquarters of the Harbor Defense Command under Major General George Moore. The place was safe, but with more than 4,000 occupants in tunnels which were not designed to quarter humans, the air was damp and poorly ventilated and morale was low. The people felt suffocated, helpless and trapped, being unable to fight.

On 06-MAY-1942 Japanese troops forced the surrender of Corregidor. At this time, the island was under the command of Lt. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright. The remaining American and Filipino forces became prisoners of war. But in 1945 the island was re-taken by U.S. forces. Gunfire from USS Converse (DD-509) blocked the entrance of the tunnel and the Japanese soldiers were trapped. They committed suicide by detonating explosives within the tunnel complex on the night of 23-FEB-1945. The collapsed laterals have never been excavated, for not disturbing their remains as much as for still working booby traps they left. Beneath 500 or more Japanese bodies they might also contain a rumored fortune of Corregidor gold.

As a result, the island is of great historic importance to Americans, Filipinos and Japanese. Nevertheless, it was actually closed for many decades. It’s not clear if it was a political decision, or just nobody was interested to see the island. But in 1986 the Ministry of Tourism and the Philippine Tourism Authority made a contract with the Ministry of National Defense. They leased the island for 50 years for one peso (P1.00) a year. They founded the Corregidor Foundation, Inc. (CFI) in 1987 as a non-stock, non-profit corporation. They restored the island over the next 5 years, created war memorials and operated a multitude of trips to the island. The most popular were full-day trips which started at your hotel and included pick-up, boat ride, a guided tour of the island and the return. There were also organized overnight trips and basic boat rides where you organize anything on your own. The island had a hostel and a hotel.

However, after several decades of operation it seems the island has lost visitors. In the last 10 or 15 years the visitor numbers declined slowly but continually. The ferry operator Sun Cruises, who organized and offered the trips on their own website, closed down in May 2020, so the tours were not offered any more. The reasons for the closure are unclear, but the lack of customers due to the Covid-19 pandemic was probably the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Day tours to the island were offered on weekends in summer 2022, and restarted in January 2023, but they were only offered on specific days. Also, they were obviously intended for groups, the prices for individuals are extremely high. There seems to be no official operator and no specific websites, even some websites created in 2022 and 2023 have shut down again. And finally in 2024 the Corregidor Foundation, Inc. (CFI) was shut down officially. In other words, there is now no official operator for the island any more, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) has started reorganization. There are still private ferry operators which offer return trips to the island, and the island is freely accessible, for a small fee. But all the other things, including tram tours, overnight stay, food and drink, and unfortunately also the Malinta Tunnel are closed. If you visit the island bring food and water for the day and prepare to do a lot of walking.