Fort Santiago

Fort Santiago was built by the Spanish between 1589 and 1592.

Fort Santiago in Manila like Fort Stotsenbergh in Northern Luzon was already a military camp of the 26th Cavalry U.S. Regiment also known as Philippine Scouts. This camp was under Lt. Moses B. Mohammed, U.S. Army. When the Japanese attacked the Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, the Japanese subsequently attacked Manila, occupying most of the buildings in the city of Manila. Fort Santiago was then abandoned by the 26th Cavalry U.S. Regiment officers and men. Then most of them found refuge in Northern Luzon and engaged as guerrillas. Major Edwin Price Ramsey, also of the 26th Cavalry U.S Regiment was also dispersed from Stotsenbergh and then like the rest, also engaged in guerrilla warfare against the Japanese.

During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, it was used as prison and the dungeons for torture of the inmates. The fort was heavily damaged by U.S. artillery fire during the Battle of Manila (3.2.1945 - 3.3.1945).

The fort today:
It was restored after the war and now it is a tourist attraction. It is possible to visit the dungeons.

The group of piled up grenades were left behind by the Japanese forces after the Battle of Manila in 1945.

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Source

• Text: Kaj Metz & Mel Mohammed
• Photos: Erich Schmid (1) & Wikimedia Commons (2)