The Bessang Pass Natural Monument is a

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...

and memorial that commemorates the victory on June 14, 1945, by Filipino soldiers serving the U.S. Army Forces in the Philippines Northern Luzon (USAFIP-NL) over the

Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

in the

Battle of Bessang Pass The Battle of Bessang Pass (; ) was a major battle during the Philippines Campaign of World War II. It was fought from 9 January through 15 June 1945, Cervantes, a municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, located north of Manila. The area ...

which led to Japan's eventual surrender and end to

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. It covers an area of and a buffer zone of in the municipality of

Cervantes Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra ( ; ; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 NS) was a Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. He is best known for his no ...

Ilocos Sur Ilocos Sur (), officially the Province of Ilocos Sur (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the capital of Vigan, while Candon is ...

. The

mountain pass A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since mountain ranges can present formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human and animal migration t ...

was initially a component of the ''Tirad Pass National Park'', declared in 1938 through Proclamation No. 294 by then President

Manuel Luis Quezon Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (, , , ; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier, and politician who was president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 until his de ...

. On August 10, 1954, it was established as the Bessang Pass National Shrine with an area of by virtue of Proclamation No. 55 signed by President

Ramon Magsaysay Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay Sr. (August 31, 1907 – March 17, 1957) was a Filipino statesman who served as the seventh President of the Philippines, from December 30, 1953, until his death in an 1957 Cebu Douglas C-47 crash, aircraft disast ...

. The national shrine was finally declared and reclassified as a natural monument under the National Integrated Protected Areas System in April 2000 through Proclamation No. 284 by President

Joseph Estrada Joseph Ejercito Estrada (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor, who served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 until his resignation in 2001. ...

Description

Bessang Pass lies along Route 4, which is now known as the Tagudin–Cervantes–Sabangan Road (N205) in the

barangay The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...

of Malaya.Smith, R.R., 2005, Triumph in the Philippines, Honolulu: University Press of the Pacific, The pass lies on the southeast side of Langiatan Hill, which reaches a height of . South of the pass, Mount Namogoian rises to . East of Langiatan Hill is Magun Hill at . The park contains pine forests as well as mossy type forests. It is crossed by the Bessang Creek and Matukbo River which provides the water supply for Cervantes and other surrounding communities. The park is also the habitat of 29 bird species, 5 mammals, and reptiles such as the

monitor lizard Monitor lizards are lizards in the genus ''Varanus,'' the only extant genus in the family Varanidae. They are native to Africa, Asia, and Oceania, and West African Nile monitor, one species is also found in south America as an invasive species. A ...

and different species of snakes. A monument honoring the 1,395 USAFIP-NL members killed during the battle was unveiled in the park in 1954.

References

{{Protected areas in the Ilocos Region Natural monuments of the Philippines Mountain passes of the Philippines National Shrines of the Philippines World War II sites in the Philippines Geography of Ilocos Sur Tourist attractions in Ilocos Sur Protected areas established in 1954 1954 establishments in the Philippines

Description

See also

References