REFLECTION PAPER ABOUT WORLD WAR II IN THE PHILIPPINES

World War II is one of the numerous violent clashes between the American forces and the Japanese
forces in the Philippines, this was called Battle of Manila of 1945. It lasted 29 days and caused
chaos on Manila, killing 100,000 people and destroying millions of pesos worth of heritage
monuments. This war was considered as the one of the greatest tragedies of the Second World
War. “The destruction of Manila was one of the greatest tragedies of World War II. Of Allied
capitals in those war years, only Warsaw suffered more. Seventy percent of the utilities, 75 percent
of the factories, 80 percent of the southern residential district, and 100 percent of the business
district was razed.”— William Manchester, author and historian, in American Caesar. Following
the Americans' success in the Battle of Manila, the Commonwealth was resurrected and regained
control of the Philippines. The Commonwealth's rebirth was critical to fulfilling the temporary
conditions of the Tydings-McDuffie Statute, the concession law that recognized Philippine
independence in 1946. This means that without the Battle of Manila, the Philippines could become
a Japanese exclave, and the Filipinos would be unable to form a de jure republic. As a result, the
Battle of Manila was the pivotal event that allowed Filipinos to fulfill their goals of independence
and sovereignty from foreign rule and even trust. In these days, there is a lot of massacres, rapes
and abuse happened. A lot of Filipino women was abuse and raped by the Japanese soldiers. To
extract information from both military and civilian prisoners of war, they were beaten, kicked in
the face, burned, and forced to hold contorted positions for lengthy periods of time until they lost
consciousness. There is a lot of brutality and ruthless tortured Japanese army did to the Filipinos.
“Three hundred Filipinos who took refuge in an open garage were tied by Japanese soldiers and
were shot. About fifty of this group survived.” – Report of the XIV Corp Inspector General’s
Office, 1945
The Battle of Manila is very important to our history, because this war reminds us how they
misjudge our country. All the battles that have occurred in our country are very important, in every
textbooks that teaches us when we are young, the study focuses on war leaders, but let should learn
that there is little empathy for every child's wrecked future, every woman's damaged dignity, and
every father who lost his chance to say even a farewell to his family. We shouldn’t just focus on
the leaders but most to those people who give their lives for its freedom.
“The enemy’s fury knew no bounds against those who defended the cause of our freedom. Being
a child, a woman or an old person was no deterrent to the bloody and murderous designs of the
barbarians of the Orient. Fortunately, all this has passed and I firmly believe that above these ruins
shall finally emerge the Filipino people, free and dynamic, who will work for their prosperity and
happiness, in complete peace and fraternity with all nations.”
— President Sergio Osmeña, interview with Antonio Perez de Olaguer, published in El Noticiero
Universal, Barcelona, Spain on June 22, 1946.
This quote reminds me that we should cherish our freedom, we should protect our state through
invaders and never let anyone destroy the future will be taking of the children for today’s
generation, we must learn and be strong. Imagine, if not because of the Battle of Manila, we are
still slaves of the Japanese, we may be suffering the same way other Filipino had experienced up
until now. In this battle, those Filipino who died brings us honor, and a lot of respect especially
for those soldiers who committed for its own country. Its lessons must be transmitted to the next
generation of leaders so that they can comprehend the immense sacrifices made by the 15 million
soldiers and 45 million civilians who perished, as well as the 25 million who were injured. If we
are serious about saving our children from the horrors of future wars, we must act now.

REFERENCES:
• Battle of Manila. (n.d.). GOVPH. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/featured/battle-of-
manila/
• BRIEFER: Massacres in the Battle of Manila | Presidential Museum and Library. (n.d.).
GOVPH. Retrieved July 16, 2021, from http://malacanang.gov.ph/75083-briefer-
massacres-in-the-battle-of-manila/
• M. (2020, August 31). Liberating the Philippines: 75 Years After by Cecilia Gaerlan. The
National WWII Museum | New Orleans.
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/liberation-of-philippines-cecilia-
gaerlan