Mount Samat — Local services in Pilar

We visited Mount Samat in 1978 and had a great experience so we decided to visit again this year (Dec 2022). When we arrived we had to sit through an "orientation" where we were told all the things we are not allowed to do. You know, all those bad things that people do while on vacation like take videos, flash photography, and no drones. What? No drones? I googled to see if drones were allowed here before going and saw lots of drone video. Great! So I thought. I asked the presenter why drones were not allowed and was told that the site was a military facility. Yes, clearly this site was a strategic and important element of the country's national defense and flying a drone would put the country at risk. I was also told that I could email the government and ask for a permit. Right.

I also want to mention that visitors are no longer allowed inside the cross. During our previous visit in 1979 we were able to go up inside the cross which was the highlight of our visit.

All in all we still enjoyed our visit and reminisced how good...

Nice view from the top. Interesting museum. Well maintained place. But very bad customer service. Not PWD friendly. My mom who has difficulty walking was not able to see the place that much because I was not allowed to drive my car to the viewing deck. I asked the guard if I could just drop my mom at the viewing deck and I will park my car at the parking area. I was told it was not allowed! So my mom had to wait at the visitor’s lounge while me and my 2 other friends toured the area. When we came back, another guard told us we can drive my car to the viewing deck. But it was too late already. The worst part was that several cars were at the viewing deck! The guards taking payment were also not friendly. The other workers were not helpful as well. Their customer service was better way back 1999 when I first...

My family and I did a day trip to Mount Samat from Lubao, Pampanga. The drive was very long - about 4 hours to Mount Samat and 3 hours coming back home. The monument was incredibly breathtaking. I marveled at the intricate carvings of the history surrounding Mount Samat and took many photos to commemorate the moment. It was incredibly windy at the top, which was expected due to high altitude. Be prepared and bring a light jacket or sweater.

I also saw people having a picnic near the monument and vendors selling souvenirs and snacks. Bring some cash if you want to buy something up here. I didn't see a restroom, so either hold it in or discreetly pee elsewhere.

Overall, I enjoyed the hour spent here. If it didn't look like it would rain, then I'm sure my family and I would have used the other...