DAMBANA NG KAGITINGAN
SHRINE OF VALOR IN MT. SAMAT

Bataan rises tall and proud, with the monuments built to honor the gallantry of the Filipinos who fought during World War II. The sentinel of Bataan- an awesome memorial to history: the SHRINE OF VALOR IN MT. SAMAT.

The “Dambana ng Kagitingan” or the Shrine of Valor, lies in an area approximately 73, 665 hectares. It was completed and inaugurated in 1970, consisting of a Colonnade and the huge Memorial Cross. Then President Ferdinand Marcos conceived of the Dambana ng Kagitingan as a fitting memorial to the heroic struggle and sacrifices of the Filipinos who fought and died in that historic bastion of freedom

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES:
The Shrine of Valor was originally conceived with a Memorial Chapel and Hall of Fame with concourses and other facilities. The Colonnade is a marble-capped structure with an altar, esplanade and museum.  There are several historical depictions on the Colonnade which include the following:

Stained Glass Mural behind the altar
19 Scriptural Marble at the Parapet
18 Bronze Insignias of USAFFE Division Units
2 Bronze Urns (symbolic of the Eternal flame)
18 Flag poles with colors of USAFFE Divisions/Units
Inscriptions of the “Battle of Bataan” 

The Memorial Cross is a towering structure (555 meters above sea level) of steel and reinforced concrete with an elevator and viewing gallery (arm of the cross).  The height of the cross is 92 meters from the base.  The height of the arms is 74 meters from the base.  The length of the arm is 30 meters (15 on each side).  The viewing gallery is 18 ft. by 90 ft. with a 7-foot clearance. 
The exterior finish of the cross at the base up to an 11-meter level is capped with “Nabiag Na Bato” sculptural slabs and sculptural bas-reliefs depicting significant battles and historical events by National Artist Napoleon Abueva.  Above the base, the Cross is made of “chipped granolithic marble.”
From the Colonnade to the Cross is a 14-flight zigzagging footpath on the mountain slope, paved with bloodstones from Corregidor Island.