|
Corregidor
Island, damaged by typhoon
May 2006
Typhoon "Caloy", the summer storm that spoiled
the travel plans of tourists in the Philippines in the
second week of May, hurt local tourism and caused damages
on one of the country's most famous heritage sites.
The Department of Tourism reported that the typhoon,
with the international codename "Chanchu",
destroyed facilities at the historic Corregidor, a tiny
rocky island situated 48 kilometers west of Manila.
"Corregidor, the island fortress that stands as
a memorial for courage, valor and heroism for Filipinos
and Americans and one of the premier tourist destinations
of the country, succumbed to the thrashing winds and
heavy rains brought about by typhoon Caloy," the
DOT's Office of Tourism Information said.
The three-mile-long island was the last fortress of
the combined forces of the Filipino and American troops
defending the Philippines against the invasion of the
Japanese imperial army during World War II.
Caloy, which packed winds up to 150 kilometers per hour,
crossed Visayas and the southern parts of Luzon over
the weekend, leaving a trail of destruction on lives
and properties. More than three-dozen people were reported
dead as a result of heavy rains and strong winds.
The typhoon has since then moved towards Hong Kong and
the southern coast of China where it also caused heavy
floods, forcing the evacuation of more than half a million
people.
In its initial report and assessment of the damages,
the Corregidor Foundation Inc. (CFI), which administers
the island, revealed huge damage on pier fender piles
and structural posts, breakwater breaches, building
roof breakages and uprooted forest trees.
It said that one of the last remaining World War II
structures ever created, the Mile-Long Barracks and
Middle Side Barracks, sustained extensive damage while
the historical edifice suffered collapsed walls and
once-standing posts.
The Foundation said it will need all the financial and
technical assistance it can get to restore and prevent
further degradation of "this remarkable and oft-visited
historical landmark and Philippine heritage site."
Typhoon Caloy halted one of the hottest summers in the
Philippines, which sent flocks of foreign and local
tourists to tropical hideaways like the white-sand beaches
of Boracay, Bohol, Cebu, Davao and Palawan. Roderick
T. dela Cruz
|
