Grande Island History

Grande Island holds historical significance as a defense fort that protected the Philippines for four centuries.  It was first occupied by the Spanish Empire and in 1885, was fortified as an island fortress together with its port city, Olongapo.   Grande Island then became the key to the overall defense of Manila.  The Spanish ascertained that if Subic Bay was controlled by an enemy, it could easily be made into a support base which could expedite the attack and captivity of Manila.

The Spanish were correct in judging that Subic Bay was the key to protecting Manila.  In 1898, the U.S. Navy led by Admiral Dewey, attacked Manila Bay before the Spanish could complete their fortification of Grande Island.  The American gunboats Raleigh and Concord, together with Filipino insurgence troops, captured Grande and Subic.  With the signing of a peace treaty between Spain and the U.S., Subic Bay was then left largely undisturbed.

1n 1905, the U.S. Army purchased Grande Island and began arming it.  It was given the name Fort Wint in honor of Brigadier General Theodore J. Wint, U.S. Army.  Guns were mounted in the batteries.  The batteries were assigned the following names: Warwick (10-inch guns), Woodruff and Hall (6-inch guns), and Jewell & Flake (3-inch guns).  To this day, the remains of these batteries and some of their cannons can be seen on Grande Island.

On December 12, 1941, Japanese planes began to bomb Fort Wint and fired upon it with machine guns.  No personal injuries were suffered by any Fort Wint personnel.  It was later ordered abandoned on Christmas Eve.  All of the fixed Coastal Defense systems were rendered useless and left in place.

The Japanese then garrisoned Fort Wint with anti-aircraft guns and automatic weapons.  No efforts were made to repair the American guns or to build a new permanent fortification.

When Manila fell during World War II, the Japanese abandoned Subic Bay to protect Manila.  In December 1944, the U.S. captured Subic Bay without firing a single shot.  The Americans then developed it into a supply base.

During the post World War II period, Grande Island was abandoned and then rediscovered.  Many sailors and marines used the island as a rest and recreational center during the Vietnam War.

In April 1975 at the end of the Vietnam War, Grande Island was made into a haven for 43,000 Vietnamese and Cambodian men, women and children refugees. Grande Island served as a temporary housing area until the refugees could be transferred to a more permanent location. This was called “Operation New Life”.  One year later, the Grande Island Recreation Center was opened to military personnel and their dependents and was established as a Family Recreational Center.

Birth of a Resort

Grande Island is a tourism island estate located in Subic Bay, Philippines. It houses the Grand Island Resort, a property that is operated by GFTG Property Holdings Corporation.

Grande Island's total land area is 40 hectares, of which 14.2 hectares are being developed as a world-class resort location.  The remaining 25.8 hectares are forest areas. The island is accessible by ferry and is approximately 20 to 30 minutes away from the Subic Bay mainland.

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