Remembering the Battle for Manila

This year we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Battle For Manila. Today, actually, is the culmination of the month-long commemoration.

The official name should be Battle for Manila, not Battle of Manila. The image and text come from Malacañang Palace. So there.

While this, of course, does not call for any celebration, it is only fitting that we commemorate what was one of the bloodiest battles in World War II. It is often said that Manila wasn't able to recover from that war, and I have to agree. So many mayors have come and gone, yet all of them couldn't come close to putting back the old glory that was the Perla del Mar de Oriente. Even Malacañang Palace which sits on the site of the battle ground seems or has been rendered inutile to all this. I also dare say that Manila was more devastated than Warsaw, Poland because only a handful of buildings were left standing (including our country's first church and the Rizal monument in Bagumbayan), and thousands upon thousands of lives lost.

"Memorare - Manila 1945", inaugurated on 18 February,1995, commemorates the lives lost during the Battle for Manila (February 3 - March 3, 1945). It was sculpted by Pedro de Guzmán with a dedicatory inscription written by Nick Joaquín, National Artist for Literature. This monument is located at the "Plazuela de Santa Isabel" at the corner of Calle Real del Palacio and Calle Simón de Anda in Intramuros, Manila (photo taken during our family's Intramuros visit last 23 October 2013).

We have seen efforts of many cultural and heritage activists, travel bloggers, and tourism advocates in putting Manila back on the tourism map, but the task has been daunting as evidenced by many heritage crimes we've been hearing in the news lately. But still, we should not lose hope. While there is life, there is hope.

Left: Jefe sitting beside the small dedicatory monument at the center of the "Sala de Profundis" (now known as the "Cripta") inside the San Agustín Church and Museum. This monument is dedicated to the memory of the 141 prisoners of war who were mercilessly executed by the Japanese Imperial Army during the last few days of the Battle for Manila. Right: a list of friars who were among those executed (photo taken last January 11).

Manila was destroyed, leveled to the ground, pummeled and bloodied beyond recognition. But it still survived. Even in the midst of all the dirt and garbage and shanties we see in every dank alley and main road and heritage site, Manila is still there, merely waiting for people like us to lift her off her feet. Manila is only down  but not dead. Let us continue supporting Manila by visiting her together with our families. Let us continue patronizing her and enjoy what little beauty is left in her. Manila needs to be cheered up. Let us not forsake her. Manila is still worth saving!

In front of the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica, considered as our country's "Mother Church" (photo taken last January 16 right after the Papal Mass).

Before this day ends, let us all utter a short prayer to all the innocent lives, most especially to the families, lost during the Battle for Manila. May they all rest in peace. And may this senseless mayhem no longer happen in any part of the world.

Amen.