World War II monuments and memorials in the Philippines



The Philippines being one of the major theaters of World War II, has commissioned a number of monuments, cemeteries memorials, preserved relics, and established private and public museums, as well as National Shrines, to commemorate battles and events during the invasion, occupation, and liberation of the country. The United States and Japan also has established a number of memorials in the country.

The National Historical Commission provides national level oversight for national shrines. However, there are local and private initiatives to commemorate battles, massacres, and local heroes.

The events of World War II has forged a national identity for the country, as well as established traditions for the Philippine military.

Background
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Philippines being a commonwealth colony of the United States of America, was attacked by Japan on December 8, 1941. The attack was followed with landings made by the Imperial Japanese Army's 14th Area Army under Gen. Masaharu Homma in northern Luzon, Lingayen Gulf, and Davao. Gen. Douglas MacArthur lead the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) which absorbed the Philippine Army. While the rest of Southeast Asia capitulated to the Imperial Japanese Army's southern advance, American and Filipino forces withdrew to Bataan peninsula and Corregidor Island and held out for the next few months. Gen. MacArthur and Pres. Manuel L. Quezon was later directed by Washington to escape to Australia, where the former were to lead the American forces in the Southwest Pacific, and the latter to establish a government-in-exile in the United AStates.

Due to the lack of reinforcement and supplies, and continuous Japanese onslaught, the USAFFE in Bataan under Gen. Edward King surrendered on April 9, 1942, which saw the largest surrender of American forces on foreign soil and lead to the infamous Bataan Death March where more than 16,000 of the 80,0000 American and Filipino POWs died. This was followed by Gen. Jonathan Wainwright's surrender of Corregidor on May 6, 1942, completing the occupation of Japan over the Philippines.

The POWs were then incarcerated in the Camp O'Donnell, where the IJA was ill-prepared to handle the numbers. The lack of supplies and basic needs has brought to 400 deaths per day among the POWs.

For the next 3.5 years, the Philippines came under Japan's Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. While there were a number of leaders who collaborated with the Japanese authorities, some opted to resist through guerrilla warfare. The Filipino and American guerrillas provided critical intelligence to Gen. MacArthur's headquarters, and harassed Japanese forces during their occupation. The Filipino general public meanwhile suffered under oppressive Japanese retaliations, aside from the economic hardship brought about by the war.

Gen. MacArthur returned to the Philippines on October 24, 1944, with the largest amphibious operation in the Pacific Theater in Leyte Island. This was followed by the invasion of Mindoro on December for the establishment of air bases for Gen. George Kenney's Far East Air Force to cover the invasion of Luzon in January 1945. In the next few weeks, Gen. MacArthur's Sixth and Eighth Army moved from Lingayen and Batangas on a pincer move towards the capital, culminating in the Battle of Manila. In the next few months, the rest of the Philippines was liberated by both armies in successive battles.

After the surrender of Japan in September 1945, the American forces began establishing cemeteries around the country to commemorate the fallen American and Filipino troops, as well as civilians. When the Philippines gained independence on July 4, 1946, the country continued with the establishment of memorials, monuments, and commemoration of events during World War II.