Xavier D.

Domingo
04/25/22
HIST-1-H2

I admit that when I hear the word “history”, my initial impression is sitting in a boring lecture,
watching white and black colored documentary pictures and films, and memorizing dates and
names of people. But after some time in this class, I have realized that understanding and
learning about the past open doors to our future. Repeating the old cliché saying, “history repeats
itself”. There would be no hope for our future if we didn’t study our very own Philippine
History.

We couldn’t prevent the negative things from reoccurring without the knowledge of the past. We
become stronger if we recognize the failures in the past and prevent them from happening again.
As I look again and dig deeper into this class, it is not the same thing as I believe at the
beginning of the semester. It is not a passive study and is not about memorization. It is about
looking for answers and asking questions, not just accepting what is in front of you.

On April 21, 2022, we have been invited to a webinar series entitled Kagitingan: Historical
Webinar Lecture Series organized by the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office in commemoration
of the 80th Anniversary of the Start of WWII in the Philippines. It highlights the events that take
place throughout the Second World War in the Philippines. This aims to develop historical
awareness in Filipino youth and others, particularly during the time of Japanese occupation.

The said webinar composes of 6 main discussions namely, The Santo Tomas Internment Camp,
Benguet during the Second World War, Muntinlupa during the Second World War, Malabon
during the Second World War, Benguet during the Second World War, and Historical Notes on
Novaliches and North Caloocan During the Second World War. All of the topics are well
presented by the historians from our country’s leading universities.

In this paper, I would be reflecting on the discussion of the Santo Tomas Internment Camp
lectured by Dr. Marcelino M. Macapinlac Ph.D. from the Department of History at De La Salle
University. The discussion was divided into 3 parts; Utilizing Online Resources: Advantages and
Disadvantages, The STIC as a Physical Space, and Dealing with the Challenges of Life in an
Internment Camp. I would be focusing on a different angle of discussion, but still related to the
discussion of the STIC, particularly the untold contribution of Filipinos to the liberation of the
STIC.
Utilizing Online Resources: Advantages and Disadvantages

The mobility of researchers and students in conducting historical research was heavily affected
by the Covid 19 pandemic. Shifting their focus on utilizing Online Resources. One of the
primary benefits of conducting historical research is that you don't even need to get dressed to
find out what you need to know, you can make it work from the comfort of your home. Simply
opening a browser at any time of the night or day and looking for what you need may save you a
 Xavier D. Domingo
04/25/22
HIST-1-H2

lot of time. Also, several national archives now have an online presence that has a readily
available and easily accessible variety of historical documents online, although some files need
payment most of the time it is free of access. You can download articles and documents to save
time without worrying about borrowing fees and photocopying charges.

On the other hand, the drawback of utilizing online resources for your historical research is,
although convenient, it isn’t a foolproof source of historical information. Solely relying on online
resources will ignore a significant number of good sources. It can also be sometimes difficult to
determine if the source is reliable because, in this digital age, anyone can create a web page that
may consist of potential edits.
The STIC as a Physical Space
According to the camp newspaper, the liberation bulletin, The STIC has a total area of 195, 545
square meters that were divided into garden areas and 4 shanty areas. There is also a school of
approximately 700 children and young adults operated with permission but with no help from the
Japanese. The life of the internees in the internment camp was depressing, their separation from
the outside world, especially their loved ones was made more difficult by the problems of
malnutrition, lack of sanitation facilities, and health problems inside the prison camp.
Dealing with the Challenges of Life in an Internment Camp.

The greatest challenge faced by the internees was the shortage in the supply of food and other
necessities. This was discussed in detail in the diaries of two internees, Tressa Cates, and Lucy
Hardee Olsen. Looking at the STIC Central Menu, it can be observed that they were provided
only two meals per day, breakfast and dinner. They take the same kind of breakfast every single
day, crack wheat, milk, coffee, sugar, and cream and rolls. Dinner was a different story, dinner
served varied from day to day and was noticeably balanced. Another major challenge that the
internees have to deal with was the health conditions inside the camp. The vegetable garden in
the camp has poor soil and experiences frequent floods permitting only roughage greens: talinum
pechay and kangkong, circa 1942. In 1942, the Japanese allowed the internees to publish journals
and newspapers like “The Internitis”, but only for one year. The letters found in the internment
camp provide clues about the anxieties that the internees regarding the conditions of their loved
ones who lived outside the camp.
The untold contribution of Filipinos to the liberation of the STIC.
On February 3rd, 1945, over 3,700 civilians: American, British, Australians, and other allied
nationals were liberated from their imprisonment at Santo Tomas University in Manila,
Philippines. They were deprived of liberties and forced to endure a terrible ordeal of hardship,
privation, starvation, and even death. This is just a part of the larger story of the cruelties
inflicted on the civilians of Manila during the Japanese occupation.
 Xavier D. Domingo
04/25/22
HIST-1-H2

The Second World War in the Philippines was fought by the allied forces and Filipino Guerillas
with a unity of purpose, to liberate our country from the clutches of the Japanese Imperial army.
The narrative of the second world war in the Philippines is dominated by stories from the
American perspective, obscuring the actual role and contribution of Filipinos in liberating our
Country. Also, the efforts of the Filipino Heroes during the Japanese occupation were barely
reported. As many journalists abandon their vocation and look for other means to feed their
families and avoid the prying eyes of the invading forces.

Production of writing materials was also discontinued and archival documents, manuscripts, and
publications at the national library were also burned and destroyed during the liberation of
Manila. The destruction of hundreds and thousands of documents meant the loss of national and
cultural heritage and decades of written history. As a means to counter this problem brought
about by the war, the former president of the Philippines Elpidio Quirino issued executive order
no. 486 to collect and compile historical data regarding the Filipino resistance who help and
fought side by side together with the Americans. We are able to retrieve some semblance of a
memory of what transpired during and after the Japanese occupation from 1942 to the post-war
period 1951.

We should give some to contribute to the growing discussion of the lesser-known local stories
about the Second World War in the Philippines, upbringing to light the war accounts from
Filipino primary sources beyond what has been published by the western media.
This imparts serious research work on local history as a means to supplement the national
narrative, studies, and local history, told and untold stories of the war unfolded in the provinces,
towns, barrios, and cities that were directly affected by the war. With Filipino historians, we are
given the opportunity to learn more about our people’s experiences, what they went through, and
what they sacrifice to win our country’s independence. Noteworthy to mention the following
stories and significant contributions of the following.
1.) The Guerilla resistance, such as Hunter’s ROTC, the Marking Guerilla, and the Hukbong
Bayan Laban Sa Hapon (Hukbalahap).
2.) The story of captain Manuel Colayco, the first Filipino casualty during the battle for Manila.
3.) The 8th Cavalry assign to liberate the UST internment camp which housed 3,700 allied
civilians internees was led by 2 Filipino Guerillas, Captain Manuel Colayco and Lieutenant
Guytingco.

It will take a longer time before we can return to the practices that we are accustomed to.
Minimized visits to libraries and archives should not stifle us in our quest for more historical
knowledge and more historical research. Adjustments have to be made in order to adapt to the
conditions of the time. It may be depressing at first, but it will be a thrilling experience in the
long run.
Xavier D. Domingo
04/25/22
HIST-1-H2