2 Churches to Explore in Bataan

The city’s church and convent were built in 1714 by Dominican Fr. Agustin Esquivel and renovated by Fr. Benito Rivas who strengthened the church by raising and fortifying its wall. During World War II, the cathedral was used by the Japanese 14th Army as an artillery emplacement to bombard Mt. Samat, where the Filipino-American troops were making their last stand. It is one of the historically important palce in this area and it is always crowded by the tourists.

The Memorial Cross is a towering structure at the highest point of Mount Samat, 555 m above sea level. The monument is made of steel and reinforced concrete with a lift and viewing gallery at the Cross's arms. A staircase also leads to the gallery in the wings. It is located beside a historical shrine located near the summit of Mount Samat in the town of Pilár, Province of Bataan. The memorial shrine complex was built to honor and remember the gallantry of Filipino and American soldiers who fo