The Trails of General MacArthur in the Philippines

General Douglas MacArthur was a celebrated World War II hero that played a significant part in Philippine history as he led the American troops against the Japanese army. I read about General MacArthur in the pages of history books but I haven’t so much paid attention to his life in the Philippine soil. But through my travels around the country, I have come to encounter the shadows of General MacArthur, tracing his footsteps as General MacArthur left an indomitable mark in these places.

General MacArthur in Corregidor Island

I have visited Corregidor Island three times, yet every tour around this tadpole-shaped island always reveals a new interesting facet of this island-fortress. It was during my second visit when I caught sight of a large statue of the general near the Lorcha Dock.

There he stood at the Gen. MacArthur Park, named after him, his hand outstretched as if waving to incoming visitors and bidding farewell to departing guests. Beside his statue was inscribed his famous line “I Shall Return.”

A waving General MacArthur is an interesting sight at the Lorcha Dock.
A waving MacArthur is an interesting sight at the Lorcha Dock.
Inscribed, "I Shall Return".
Inscribed, “I Shall Return”.

MacArthur made Corregidor as the headquarters of the Allied Forces where he set up office inside the Malinta Tunnel before he set off to Cagayan de Oro and eventually flew to Australia where he uttered his quotable line. A light and sound show reveal certain events that took place inside the tunnel, including that of MacArthur leading his army during the war.

The Malinta Tunnel has a light and sound show of the WW II events.
The Malinta Tunnel has a light and sound show of the WW II events.

General MacArthur room in the Manila Hotel

Never have I thought that a suite is named after General MacArthur at the over 100-year old Manila Hotel. The hotel itself speaks volumes of stories as it bore witness to the changing landscape of Manila.

The MacArthur Suite's receiving area.
The MacArthur Suite’s receiving area.

Yet, when I have come to work in this prestigious hotel, I was also ushered into the doors of the luxurious MacArthur Suite. For six years (1935-1941), MacArthur and his family made the penthouse atop Manila Hotel’s fifth floor as its home. A trivia in the hotel’s website revealed that: To handle the cost of MacArthur’s suite, he was given the honorary title of “General Manager”. He attended the monthly meetings. He, however, ignored the figurehead status and instead took control of hotel management. MacArthur’s favorite food at the hotel was lapu-lapu, a grouper fish native to the Philippines, wrapped in banana leaves.

The office of General MacArthur in the Manila Hotel, now a study room.
MacArthur’s office, now a study room.

To date, the suite holds the many memorabilia of Gen. MacArthur, including one of his military caps and replica of his medals. MacArthur suite has a master bedroom with a dressing room; one guest room; two baths and one powder room; a study room; formal dining room overlooking the bay; well-equipped kitchen; and a balcony with a stunning view of the Manila Bay. Famous personalities, such as former US President Bill Clinton, stayed in this suite.

The master's bedroom.
The master’s bedroom.

General MacArthur’s shrine in Palo, Leyte

Finally, I was able to step on the very ground where MacArthur landed upon his return to the Philippines. It was unfortunate though that it was raining at that time, which afforded us with very limited time to enjoy the place. We were there for a Volunteer Vacation so we didn’t miss the opportunity to visit this historic landmark.

The inscription at the memorial.
The inscription at the memorial.

Larger-than-life bronze statues of MacArthur and six of his men behind, stood at the Red Beach of Candahug, Palo. It marked the historic October 20, 1944 landing of the Allied Forces.

The landing memorial of General MacArthur. Photo by Cherry Viernes.
The landing memorial. Photo by Cherry Viernes.

The bronze statues also felt the wrath of super typhoon Yolanda as one of them fell. The monument was restored and MacArthur and his men once again stood tall at Leyte’s beach.

Description about the memorial.
Description about the memorial.

There are other areas in the Philippines where MacArthur has set foot on throughout his years in the country. I may be able to visit them someday or I may chance upon MacArthur’s trail in places where I have never been before.

42 Comments

  1. Pretty cool! I like the idea of following around a hero like that.

  2. SO much appreciated… thanks for the sharing your best views. all are so much nice…

  3. I will visit corregidor soon. And i cant wait to see and learn our history

  4. Such scenic and historic place! Corregidor was actually one of the place I wanted to visit because of it’s historic importance.

  5. I admire this man, strong to his word.

    • I’ve read about him and watched documentaries on his life but when I was there in his room in Manila Hotel, I could picture the man himself living there. He’s such a formidable man.

  6. Elizabeth O.

    He’s an awesome historical figure, to be honest. I enjoyed learning about him. I didn’t know he has a lot of statues and references in different places!

  7. I’ve forgotten the story about Gen. MacArthur. Will there be a movie featuring him next time (just like Hen. Luna and Bonifacio)?

  8. Beautiful place with rich history. I was still a kid when I visited there but I do have a pretty clear memory of that place. I would love to visit again soon. I’m definitely going to make that a goal. Great post Claire. Keep it up! 🙂

  9. i haven’t heard of this place before! but i’ll love to visit if possible. it’s always good to visit such places to learn about the country’s history when travelling.

  10. Loved the eye-soothing pics. Also, this place has a history. Wish I could visit this one day.

  11. This is another side of Gen. MacArthur that’s new to me – being the hotel GM that is. Of course the other stuff that I know about him were from school text books and learnings from Carlos Celdran’s tour. I wonder how or what it was like having him as General Manager of the hotel.

  12. Wow Corregidor is a beautiful and relaxing place. I was amazed by the Gen. MacArthur Suite at Manila Hotel. It was so lavishly decorated.

  13. Love it when there is a history behind each place and especially if it’s within the hotel grounds like this, don’t have to travel so far for a history lesson 😛

  14. Places in history are always worth to visit. I would love to visit this one soon. The tunnel looks cool. Can we pass through it?

  15. Thanks for sharing this tale. It’s something the world needs to know!

  16. Pooja Kawatra

    This place so beautiful and specially your first photo is gorgeous. Thanks I didn’t even know such place exist and good that it is ope to public where we can explore and know more about this place.

  17. I have also been to Corregidor, and I do like where they put their MacArthur statue near the sea. Very picturesque. I do wish I can get the opportunity to visit Tacloban though. Their MacArthur monument looks so good in photos.

  18. corregidor is a great place to visit and would love to visit it sometime.Thanks a llot for thiis wonderful share,truly appreciated.

  19. I was curious to know howit is a memorial of a fulfilled promise. Thank god you had it clear, even though it wasn’t easy reading the font!

  20. Wow. The world wars had taken a toll all across the world indeed. I was recently exploring the world war memorials in London, the post is coming up.
    101 year old hotel? That’s a heritage by itself!

  21. I was lucky enough to visit Corregidor and Leyte to appreciate Mc Arthur’s part in history. It’s really great to look back to those times and learn history.

  22. A refreshing post about Philippine history. I’m glad to know that the statues in Palo, Leyte is complete again after the onslaught of Yolanda.

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