Honoring our Heroes

The Second World War produced thousands of heroes but very few of them were known. Unlike in the Philippine Revolution and Fil-Am War where the concentration of large-scale fighting was in the 8 provinces around Manila, with some in various provinces, resistance to Japanese invasion and occupation was from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi. After the war, …

NHCP approves historical marker for Kagay-anon Patriot

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines has approved the installation of a historical marker to honor the late World War II patriot Antonio Julian Montalván. Signed by Dr. Rene R. Escalante, NHCP Chairman of the Board, the approved text in Pilipino reads: Antonio Julian Montalván y Corrales (Feb. 8, 1906 – Aug. 30, 1944) was …

Oro Creative & Cucina Higala : Heritage Groups partner for Kabilin

Two of Cagayan de Oro’s heritage advocacy groups have joined hands to present a complementary presentation of their respective genres in one show. Dubbed Kabilin (for Legacy), the art exhibit is the brainchild of Oro Creative and Cucina Higala and will open at 5PM on Friday, April 16 and will run up to Sunday, May …

The Live Or Die (LOD) Unit of the Mindanao Guerrillas

By Raul B. Ilogon In time for the celebration of Araw ng Kagitingan, I would like to honor a group of patriots whose small but dangerous organization was credited to have contributed materially to the eventual defeat of the enemy during World War II. The heroic story of these young men and women must be …

The Guerrilla Navy in Northern Mindanao

Two of the Second World War’s largest naval battles were fought in the waters off the Philippines. These were the Battle of the Philippine Sea on June 19-20, 1944, considered the largest carrier-to-carrier battle in history, involving 24 aircraft carriers , deploying roughly 1,350 carrier-aircraft ; and the Battle of Leyte Gulf on October 23-26, …

Peace to tap Liguasan, other Mindanao potentials—exec

Peace, or a steady climate of political stability, will help unlock the hidden assets of Mindanao, long touted to be the Philippines’ “Land of Promise.” And among these assets is Liguasan Marsh, one of the more biodiverse wetlands in Southeast Asia, according to a statement by Naguib Sinarimbo, spokesperson for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in …

The Mindanao Death March

During World War II, there were two (2) death marches in the Philippines that were presented at the Tokyo War Crimes Trials as evidence of the inhuman treatment of prisoners of war (POWs). These were the “Bataan Death March” and the “Iligan Death March”, also referred to as the “Mindanao Death March” or the “Dansalan …

Heroes de Bataan: Death March Survivors fight again in Mindanao

United States Army Forces Far East (USAFFE) soldiers from Northern Mindanao who fought in Bataan and survived the Death March  managed to find their way back to Cagayan de Misamis and joined the guerrillas to continue the fight against the Imperial Japanese Army garrison troops. We feature some of their stories to commemorate our Araw …