Manila American Cemetery and Memorial

The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial occupies a 152-acre plateau within the former Fort William McKinley, now surrounded by the towers of Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. Run by the American Battle Monuments Commission and dedicated in 1960, it holds 16,859 graves, the largest number of American military dead of the Second World War in any cemetery.

The headstones are arranged in eleven plots in wide circles around the memorial, and their scale is what most visitors remember. At the centre stands a white masonry chapel decorated with sculpture and mosaic. In front of it, two large hemicycles hold the Tablets of the Missing on limestone piers, carrying 36,286 names. The hemicycles also contain 25 mosaic maps recalling the campaigns of American forces in the Pacific, China, India and Burma, and the floors carry carved seals of the American states and territories.

A visitor centre opened in October 2019 with interpretive displays. Staff there answer questions, help relatives find graves and offer free guided tours, and there is an online database for searching burials before you go. A flag-lowering ceremony takes place 15 minutes before closing each day.

The cemetery is open daily from 9am to 5pm, including Philippine holidays, and closed on 25 December and 1 January. Admission and the visitor centre close 15 minutes before the gates. Entry is free and does not need booking, but you must carry valid photo ID. Parking is available behind the chapel, cars must keep to a 20 km/h limit, and bicycles are left at the front gate. Behave as you would at any war grave: quietly and respectfully.

Bonifacio Global City has grown up around the cemetery, and the contrast between the quiet lawns and the surrounding towers is striking. Bring water and a hat, wear comfortable shoes for the paths and grass, and remember that relatives still come here to pay their respects.

Allow an hour or so. The grounds are open and exposed, so the first hour after opening or the late afternoon are the most comfortable times. The cemetery is easiest to reach by taxi or ride-hailing car via McKinley Road, and it combines well with an afternoon in Bonifacio Global City. It suits history readers, veterans' families and anyone looking for a reflective hour away from the traffic.