On October 20, 1944, General Douglas MacArthur as the head of the largest US fleet of transport and warships, accompanied by Commonwealth President Sergio Osmeña and Gen. Carlos P. Romulo, landed on Palo, Leyte to reclaim the Philippines from the Japanese invaders.

Gen. MacArthur made true his famous vow “I shall return” promise following his escape from Corregidor on March 11, 1942, to Australia together with his wife and four-year-old son, and others on orders of President Franklin D. Roosevelt to avoid being overrun by Japanese Forces.

“I shall return” is the last phrase of his statement before reporters:

“The President of the United States ordered me to break through the Japanese lines and proceed from Corregidor to Australia for the purpose, as I understand it, of organizing the American offensive against Japan, a primary objective of which is the relief of the Philippines. I came through and I shall return.”

With his feet finally back on Philippine soil, and his pledge at last being fulfilled, MacArthur spoke with great emotion just moments after he waded ashore:

“I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God our forces stand again on Philippine soil — soil consecrated in the blood of our two peoples. We have come, dedicated and committed, to the task of destroying every vestige of enemy control over your daily lives, and of restoring, upon a foundation of indestructible, strength, the liberties of your people.”

“At my side is your President, Sergio Osmeña, worthy successor of that great patriot, Manuel Quezon, with members of his cabinet. The seat of your government is now therefore firmly re-established on Philippine soil.”

“The hour of your redemption is here. Your patriots have demonstrated an unswerving and resolute devotion to the principles of freedom that challenge the best that is written on the pages of human history. I now call upon your supreme effort that the enemy may know from the temper of an aroused and outraged people within that he has a force there to contend with no less violent than is the force committed from without.”

“Rally to me. Let the indomitable spirit of Bataan and Corregidor lead on. As the lines of battle roll forward to bring you within the zone of operations, rise and strike. Strike at every favorable opportunity. For your homes and hearths, strike! For future generations of your sons and daughters, strike! In the name of your sacred dead, strike! Let no heart be faint. Let every arm be steeled. The guidance of divine God points the way. Follow in His Name to the Holy Grail of righteous victory!”

Other landings were made in Mindoro, Batangas, and Lingayen in subsequent months.

On February 3, 1945, the bloody Battle of Manila began.

Before this battle, Manila was considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Overlooking a tranquil bay, the so-called “Pearl of the Orient” was home to a unique culture drawn from four continents. No stranger to conflict, the city had been seized by the Spanish in the 16th century, attacked by the Chinese in the 17th, occupied by the British in the 18th, and taken by the Americans at the end of the 19th. But even this tumultuous history could not have prepared the Filipinos for what happened in February to early March of 1945 when Manila was utterly destroyed.

Amphibious landings and air attacks were made in various parts of the Philippines that were still in Japanese hands. MacArthur, who had taken over the government as Military Administrator, turned over the reins of the civil government to President Sergio Osmeña.

On July 4, 1945, he proclaimed the liberation of the entire Philippines from Japanese invasion.

Accordingly, MacArthur proposed that war be brought right at Japan’s door — bombing occurred day and night in mainland Japan, important Japanese ports and cities like Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Kure as well as the deadly atomic bomb unleashed in Hiroshima, killing thousands of inhabitants.

On September 2, 1945, Japan unconditionally signed the terms of surrender on board the battleship Missouri at Tokyo Bay. Hence, MacArthur, one of the best-known American military leaders of World War II led occupation forces in the reconstruction of Japan.

Sources:

MacArthur’s Speeches, People and Events, American Experience, pbs.org

Philippine News Agency archives

(Filed by JR AMIGO/ai/mnm)

On October 15, 1866, Manuel Artigas, a biographer, bibliographer, historian and journalist, was born in Barrio Panalaron Tacloban, Leyte to Miguel Artigas y Rodriguez, a Spaniard from Cadiz, Spain, and Soledad Cuerva y Molina, a Bulakeña.

When his father died in 1874, Artigas moved to Manila, pursued his studies and worked in several colonial government agencies.

Artigas worked for Administracion Central de Impuestos Directos, Almacenes de la Aduana de Manila, Administracion Central de Loterias, Intervencion General de la Administracion del Estado, and the Administracion Provisional de Manila.

While working in the government, Artigas pursued his interest in journalism. He wrote for the Diario de Manila and later for El Amigo del Pueblo.

In 1891, his first book, Manual del Empleados, was published. In 1892, he was publisher and editor of the bi-monthly local government review, El Faro Administrativo.

In 1894, he published El Municipio Filipino 2 Volumes and Diccionario Tecnico-historico de la Administracion de Filipinas.

Artigas setup his own printing press on Calle San Jose in Intramuros. He bought the press that used to print the Periodical El Eco del Sur in Camarines.

At the height of the revolution in early 1897, Artigas sold the press and evacuated his family to Spain. There he continued writing for some periodicals. He founded the periodical La Voz de Ultramar, through which he exposed the abuses of Spanish authorities in the Philippines.

He became acquainted with prominent Spaniards who sympathized with the Filipino cause like Señores Moret and Quiroga Ballasteros, who employed him in the Junta de Publicidad del Ministerio del Ultramar, which he served from January to June 1898. In Barcelona, he became adviser and chronicler of Sub-comite Revolucionario headed by Tito Acuña. Artigas later became its director.

In 1899, he founded the El Filipino.

Artigas returned to the country in 1902, resumed his works in journalism, and joined political groups. He was editor-in-chief of El Grito del Pueblo published by Pascual Poblete. In 1905, he joined La Democracia for a short while.

Artigas served as general secretary of the Nacionalista Party (1902 to 1905) and the Asociacion de Maquinistas Navales y Terrestres de Filipinas (1903-1909). He also published the latter’s periodical El Maquinista (1903-1904).

Before the elections in the First Philippine Assembly, Artigas switched party from the Nacionalista to Federalista and ran for the seat of the third district of Leyte but lost to Florentino Peñaranda.

In 1907, he was appointed assistant librarian in the Philippine Section of the American Circulating Library. Through his initiative, Act No. 1849 creating the Philippine Public Library, was passed by the Philippine Assembly.

As acting chief and later director of the Philippine Library, he was able to increase the Filipiniana collection that became one of the most complete collections in Philippine studies.

Artigas died of heart ailment in Manila on April 2, 1925. He was survived by his wife Luisa Losada y Mijares by whom he had 12 children.

Source:

Philippine News Agency archives

Web Archive (archive.org)

Pambansang Komisyong Pangkasaysayan

(Filed by JR AMIGO/ai/mnm)