Tragic February

Landscape
Gemma Cruz Araneta

The Battle for Manila which took place in the whole month of February in 1945 was fought by the advancing armed forces of the United States of America and the defending Japanese Imperial forces towards the end of World War II. That infamous battle killed one hundred thousand (100,000) non-combatant civilians and destroyed almost the whole of the city of Manila, then considered the "Pearl of the Orient".

For many decades, that battle was referred to as the Liberation of Manila but a few years ago, the National Historical lnstitute officially changed that to the "Battle for Manila". Although that was a historically and politically correct decision, many Filipinos still do not appreciate its importance, nor comprehend the difference between "liberation" and "battle for (not of)".

Manila is fortunate to have a mayor who has a sense of history and who respects history. Mayor Alfredo S.Lim has assigned the Manila Historical and Heritage Commission, headed by Mrs. Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil, to organize the formal commemoration of the 63rd Anniversary of the Battle for Manila. During the meetings of the ad-hoc committee, it was evident that the tragic February in 1945, after more than half a century is still an extremely emotional and controversial issue. Should the commemoration be a memorial to a nation's profound bereavement or should it be a festive accolade, an amnesiac embracing of former foes in the spirit of globalization? Let us forgive but never forget!

What we seem to have forgotten, or more precisely, what we have systematically been made to forget is another tragic February of more than a century ago. On 4 February 1899, the Philippine-American War broke out, lasted for thirteen years during which a million Filipinos died and the first republic in Asia was crushed.

It can be argued that both Februaries were devastating to the life and future of the Filipino
nation. We lost lives in the most horrendous fashion during the Battle for Manila and the Philippine-American War, not only that, we also lost heritage structures, public works painstakingly built, entire towns and cities disfigured by hamletting and "reconcentracion"; we also lost institutions, the "brains of the nation", " la crema y nata" or the best and the brightest.

Most painful is our memory loss, national amnesia now chronic and in epidemic proportions. Very few Filipinos do not even know what they should remember of the two tragic Februaries. Let us commemorate both at the Freedom Triangle of Manila's City Hall, at eight o'clock this Sunday.

(gemma601@yahoo.com).