Trilobed Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the Philippines, is visible near the upper center of this east-looking, photograph of central Luzon, Philippines. The lake is more than 51 km (32 mi) long and covers 891 sq km (344 sq mi). Its outlet, the Pasig River, exits at the northwest corner of the lake, flows westward through Manila, and empties into Manila Bay. South of Laguna de Bay are the dark blue waters of Taal Lake, a filled caldera that surrounds Volcano Island. The island is home to Taal Volcano (300 m; 984 ft high) with a crater more than 2 km (1 mi) wide. The island of Corregidor, which served as the focal point in the defense of the city of Manila during World War II, is the tiny tadpole-shaped island at the entrance to Manila Bay in the center left. Photo courtesy of NASA.

The entrance to the Pacific War Memorial building on the island of Corregidor in Manila Bay.

Inside the Pacific War Memorial building, Corregidor.

Memorial altar in the Pacific War Memorial building, Corregidor. At noon on the 6th of May of every year, sunlight shining through the oculus (round ceiling opening) falls directly on the center of the altar, marking the time of the surrender of Corregidor and the Philippines to the Japanese in 1942.

On the grounds of the Pacific War Memorial, Corregidor. The sculpture is entitled the "Eternal Flame of Freedom."

The 3 m (10 ft) bronze sculpture entitled "Brothers in Arms" highlights the Filipino-American Friendship Park on the island of Corregidor. The park lies directly behind the Pacific War Memorial.

The Pacific War Memorial Museum on Corregidor.

Displays inside the Pacific War Memorial Museum on Corregidor.

A scale relief map of the tadpole-shaped island of Corregidor. The island is 6 km (4 mi) long and 2.4 km (1.5 mi) at its widest point, with an area of 5 sq km (2 sq mi) and a highest elevation of 121 m (397 ft). The island, part of an ancient volcanic caldera, divides the entrance to Manila Bay into two main passages, North Channel and South Channel. Construction of fortifications on Corregidor began as early as 1904 as part of the Manila harbor defenses and were primarily designed to meet a seaborne attack.

East entrance to the Malinta Tunnel complex on the island of Corregidor. Constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1922 and 1932, it was used for bomb-proof storage, as a command center, and a 1,000-bed hospital. The main east-west tunnel is 253 m (830 ft) long and 7.3 m (24 ft) wide, with 24 lateral tunnels, each about 49 m (160 ft) long and 4.6 m (15 ft) wide. A double track electric railway ran down the main tunnel. General Douglas MACARTHUR's headquarters and the offices of President Manuel L. QUEZON of the Philippines Commonwealth were located in laterals just inside this entrance.

Map of the Malinta Tunnel complex on the island of Corregidor.

Inside the Malinta Tunnel complex on the island of Corregidor. During the Battle of Corregidor (29 Dec. 1941-6 May 1942) one of the lateral tunnels served as the Headquarters of Gen. Douglas MACARTHUR, leader of the US Army Forces in the Far East, while another lateral served as the seat of government for the Commonwealth of the Philippines.

Certain lateral tunnels of the Malinta Tunnel complex present dioramas that show what life was like inside the tunnels. This display represents one of the hospital laterals and depicts the treatment of wounded.

This lateral tunnel of the Malinta Tunnel complex was part of an underground fuel storage area. The collapsed fuel tank sits on a concrete cradle. Some of the lateral tunnels were collapsed when Japanese defenders blew themselves up during the recapture of the island by US and Filipino forces (23 February 1945). These collapsed laterals have never been excavated.

A 12-inch seacoast gun emplaced at Battery Hearn on Fort Mills (Corregidor). Battery Hearn was one of the last fortifications built on Fort Mills prior to limitations of the Washington Naval Treaty taking effect in the 1920s. The 12-inch guns were the longest range weapons (27 km (16 mi)) on Corregidor and fired on Japanese forces on Bataan Peninsula. Following the surrender of Corregidor on 6 May 1942, Battery Hearn was the scene of a famous photograph of Japanese soldiers celebrating their victory on top of the guns.

A 10-inch coast artillery gun and a "disappearing" mount emplaced in Battery Grubbs on Fort Mills (Corregidor). This type of mount is designed to employ a hinged counterweight to raise the gun for firing above the parapet of the gun emplacement and then to recoil back and down under cover for reloading. Fort Mills had 23 batteries with 56 coast artillery guns and mortars, of which six batteries were equipped with disappearing mounts. In addition, there were 13 anti-aircraft batteries with 76 guns.

The Spanish first constructed a lighthouse on Corregidor in 1836, then rebuilt it in 1853 on the highest point of the island. The lighthouse was destroyed during the World War II battle, but reconstructed after the war.

Tour busses pause in the vicinity of the Spanish Lighthouse on the island of Corregidor. In the background, amid the trees, are the remains of one of the senior officer's family quarters.

A view of Topside - the highest area of Corregidor - taken from the vicinity of the Spanish Lighthouse. Shown are the remains of the "Mile-Long Barracks" barely visible above the trees. These main barracks on the Topside section housed the troops of the coast artillery battalions who manned the island defenses. The building was a three-story concrete structure designed to be hurricane proof while providing comfortable, airy accommodations in a tropical environment. Despite the fact it never was a mile long when built, the structure was considered the longest barracks in the world. In the background, across the North Channel, are the mountains of Bataan Peninsula overlooking Corregidor.

A crumbling old pier on the island of Corregidor.

The unusual geological formation known as the Chocolate Hills in Bohol. Almost 1,300 perfectly cone-shaped hills, all about the same size, spread over some 50 square kilometers. The grass covering the hills turns brown during the dry season, giving the hills their name.