It’s more fun in Albay Philippines=)

 

Historic Japanese tunnels will be the next tourist attraction in Camalig Albay Camalig,Albay – The local government of unit of Camalig,Albay together with Office of the Municipal Tourism of Camalig, Albay is embarking on its eco-historical tourism project showcasing it’s quaint yet rich historical past particularly during the World War II. This time the Japanese tunnels will feed the minds of a visiting tourist of how the conscripted soldiers engenuity worked in the war that was.

 

Aside from its iconic “Pinangat”, “Hoyop-Hoyupan and Calabidongan Caves” unknown to many, Camalig, Albay has it’s own piece of historical contributions during the World War II. The footprints of Japanese Imperialism simply points the trails leading to the Japanese Tunnels that are secretly lying underneath the famous Mount Kitwinan. A bragging rights of every full-blooded Camaligueños.

 

These Japanese tunnels were created using manual labor and hundreds conscripted soldiers of the Japanese Imperial Army who were utilized to dig and excavate the tunnels during the Japanese occupation of Albay. The reason is obvious, during the World War II, the Japanese found the use of tunnels as an effective means of transporting their equipment and mobilizing their troops, as it made it more difficult for the Americans to locate them.

 

After the liberation of the Philippines from the Imperial Army, the tunnels of Mount Kitwinan has generated a lot of stories from the local folks focused on the bloody war that was. Some were so engrossed with the tales and gossips depicting the local guerillas exploits and the war materials that were possibly left including treasures buried by the Japanese soldiers in one of the tunnels of Mount Kitwinan.

 

Interests of some treasure hunters were also drawn and became part of the telltales up to the present, however the most reliable truth is the presence of vintage bombs that abounds underneath which are being accidentally dug in Mount Kitwinan – is an occasional occurrence.

In the Philippines, the City of Davao was the first to open their Japanese war tunnels to tourism and these are located in Matina District. The local government of Camalig, Albay under the leadership of Mayor Carlos Irwin G. Baldo is launching the tourism master plan of Camalig this February 2012.

Mr. Jed L. Villanueva, the Municipal Tourism of Camalig informed The Sorsogon Examiner about the soft launching of the war tunnels of Mount Kitwinan this February while working with the National Historical Institute in doing parallel research of the documents about Mount Kitwinan.