Categories: AlbayDiscover the PhilippinesLuzon

The Japanese Tunnel Built in Albay During the War

Photo from: http://hellowkimmy.blogspot.com/2014/03/lignon-hill-legazpi-albay.html

The tunnel seemed to be 3 feet in height in most areas and 4 feet in some, so I had to bend down to my waist (I stand 5’7.5″) in the duration of my tunnel exploration which did not last more than 15 minutes. The caretaker shared that the L-shaped tunnel was originally longer back in WWII when it was said to stretch all the way to the city’s municipal hall. The Japanese soldiers just had to collapse the soil in that stretch to probably evade the American liberators or permanently bury their ammunition. This was because the tunnel was created by the Japanese to store ammunition and a few other stuff during the war. Read More: http://www.turistatrails.com/2013/01/revisiting-world-war-ii-inside-legazpi.html

Photo from: https://jessicadventure.wordpress.com/tag/legazpi-albay/

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. Read more: https://avzskylart89.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/its-more-fun-in-albay-philippines/

JAPANESE TUNNEL

Photo from: http://jeffponce.blogspot.com/2015/07/albays-japanese-world-war-ii-tunnel-in.html

The Japanese Tunnel in Legazpi, Albay was formerly used by the Japanese Imperial Army. It was a perfect site to put up an arsenal, because of its 40 meters long L-shaped and 7 feet deep ground features that the Japanese took advantage as a defensive line over the incoming Americans and Filipino forces. Read more: https://greedypeg.org/albay/Japanese-Tunnel-Albay.html

Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ryandayrit/7816595804