Mount Samat National Shrine

Mount Samat National Shrine, also known as Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor), is a national shrine atop Mount Samat in Pilar, Bataan, Philippines. Built to honor Filipino and American soldiers who fought in the Battle of Bataan in World War II, it features a 92-meter Memorial Cross with viewing gallery, a colonnade with war narratives and sculptures, and an underground museum. It is a major historical and pilgrimage site overlooking Bataan Peninsula and Manila Bay.

Visitors can expect a hilltop memorial complex reached by a winding mountain road. The site includes a large Memorial Cross with an elevator and viewing gallery offering panoramic views of Bataan, Corregidor and Manila Bay, a marble colonnade with relief sculptures and inscriptions depicting the Battle of Bataan, an underground museum with wartime artifacts, photographs and dioramas, landscaped grounds, and paved walkways connecting the monuments. The setting is elevated, open and exposed with stairs and inclined paths.

Built to commemorate the heroism of Filipino and American soldiers who fought and died during the Battle of Bataan in World War II in 1942. Construction began in 1966 and the shrine was completed and inaugurated on April 9, 1970, coinciding with Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor). The Memorial Cross and colonnade honor the defenders of Bataan and the Bataan Death March.

Designated as a national shrine, it serves as a national symbol of valor and sacrifice. It is the focal point for annual Araw ng Kagitingan commemorations on April 9 and is regarded as an important pilgrimage and educational site for remembrance of wartime history.