Fiesta
Mood and Historical Markers
In
the 1950s, according to my grandfather, December 15 each year is celebrated
with fiesta ambiance. Children from both private and public schools all over
San Jose and the pioneering residents from all walks of life gather at the old
San Jose Town Plaza to celebrate the Mindoro Landing or what they call as “San
Jose Liberation”. Musical bands are all over providing music to stage plays
that depict the lives of our local town heroes like Fermin Baretto, Lawrence
Cooper, Ramon Ruffy, Sofronio Untalan and Vincent Fortune, Sr., and the rest of
the southern Mindoro guerrillas. These are stories that are indefatigably being
re-told by our folks to their young children. Click THIS compilation of Mr.
Rudy A. Candelario to know some of Occidental Mindoro’s war heroes and learn a
thing or two from them.
Though
my late grandfather, who came to Pandurucan (Read: San Jose) in the 1930s and
later told me stories about the war, never joined any armed resistance that time. He was a medical technician battling the dreaded infected female anopheles
mosquito, carrier of the killer malaria. He helped in curing the poor sacadas of the Sugar Central including those residents suffering not only from terrors of war but as well as horrors
brought out by the deadly disease.
As
early as 1906, the Philippine Bureau of Health established its Malaria Control
Division which was tasked to conduct researches and study, history and
epidemiology of malaria in the Philippines including control practices such as
annual spraying of all houses in areas affected by malaria. My grandfather is
one of those “soldiers” annihilating the tiny but lethal winged “enemy”.
Initiatives
from the Local Government
In
early 1960s, a statue is built at the entrance of the municipal compound to
commemorate the historic event including the marker at the site of the landing
at Aroma Beach some 2 kilometers away from the town hall.
The
last time we came across to an event leading to this historic commemoration was
in December 14, 2008 via a musical play held at the town plaza which was
directed by the late Prof. Gil C. Manuel dubbed “Mga Sulyap sa Kasaysayan ng
Occidental Mindoro”. This was a joint effort of then Gov. Josephine Y. Ramirez-Sato
and the Provincial Government, LGU-San Jose under Mayor Romulo M. Festin, and
the Occidental Mindoro Historical Society (OMHS).
In
2009 to mid of 2010, conjoining with the town’s centennial celebration, the
marker was rebuilt and had a make-over and this project was implemented by
Mayor Festin. The following year, on December 15, 2011, a full length program was
held right at the landing site featuring songs, dance and speeches. This was presented
by, again, the OMHS but this time initiated by then newly-elected mayor, Jose
T. Villarosa.
But
the people deserve more than that and sustainability is still the name of the
game.
Mindoro
Landing: A Look Back
Allied
forces landed on the shores of San Jose on December 15, 1944. Militarily, the
purpose of this landing was to secure sites for air strips providing forward
Air Corp bases to support later landings at Lingyen Gulf in Luzon. Without
airfields closer to Manila it would be nearly impossible to seize and maintain
air superiority in Luzon. Airfields in San
Jose would be much closer to the targets on the big island. San Jose, Mindoro is, roughly, 150 miles from
Manila.
1st
Lt. Donald “Don” E. Abbott was a paratrooper and Executive Officer of the “E”
Company of the 503rd Infantry Regiment of United States in his
article titled “Remembering Mindoro” wrote, “As
we came on deck well before the 0700 HR on ''U'' Day (15 Dec 44) the invasion
fleet had reached their assigned positions off shore. The LCI's were lined up in rows consisting of
the order they would be landing. Far to
the right, or South, were the landing craft bringing the 19th Regimental Combat
Team of the 24th Division. To the left,
North, of us were landing craft with the 1st Battalion of the 503rd who were to
land on the North side of the Bugsanga River and represent the Left Flank of
our invasion. Nearby were the LCI's of
the 2nd Battalion of the 503rd. Behind
us, further out to sea were craft with the 3rd Battalion, acting as Combat Team
reserve.”
Just
minutes after that historic landing, series of heavy bombardment followed.
Abbot continued, “As 0700 approached
landing craft, including LCI's rigged as Gun Ships began launching rocket
salvos. That was the first time I had
seen Gun Ships and their array of rockets.
Each gun ship would fire many rockets at a time. They would leave with a high pitched
swoosh!! The rockets could, clearly, be
followed all the way to the point of impact.
Hundreds of these rockets plastered the beach line and a short way
inland. I'd have hated to have been in
the shoes of anyone caught on the beach at that time.” And the rest is
history of forgetfulness. We have forgotten how our neighborhood heroes like Fortune,
Cooper, et al helped the American soldiers drove away the Japanese from the
island.
70th
Anniversary: Hopefully A Challenge
The
70th anniversary of Mindoro Landing is just 12 days away but nobody is excited
about it anymore. Sad to tell, many of our young people of today consider those
markers as mere dating places and picnic sites and fail to re-trace their
historical significance. Truth to tell, in this age of celebrities and movie
stars, we, especially the youth, lost our sense of history.
It
seems that among teachers, students and residents of this most important town of
Occidental Mindoro, the Mindoro Landing is not important anymore. The fiesta
mood was gone and the markers were watered down. There were initiatives both
from the government and private sectors, yes, but never been sustained.
There
are still enemies of freedom in our midst. They are those detestable cancerous
figures shamelessly manipulating and destroying the seeds of liberation that was sown
by our homegrown heroes.
We
do not need historical celebrations that are only confined to trivial
activities and only try to re-tell and explain the past or bring false hope. Much
more if we reduce history and heroism into a mere partisan political agenda. Here’s
to those in public service, academic circle and the media and all the authorities
who have clout and influence: Only in juxtaposition we could challenge the past
from the perspective of present experiences of helplessness of our people, and
challenge the present from the perspective of our memory of the past. Or else,
we will have no true legacy to pass on, or past meaningful events to remember....
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