Special Feature

Manila1945: “Was the Destruction Necessary?”

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One of the talks that were held in the midst of the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Manila in 1945 was a lecture held last February 12 at the Ortigas Foundation Library which asked the question that lingers on after 70 years: “Was the Destruction Necessary?” Dr. James Zobel, (not related to the landed … Read more

Remembering Manila1945 at the Ayala Museum

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Truth be told, it has been a crazy period lately for the Urban Roamer. With so much going on, it is unfortunate that I could not get to attend some events that were being held, or could not get to hang out long enough to check out some events up close.

It is especially unfortunate especially that so many events and exhibits have been going on around the metropolis on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Manila. But as the commemoration of #Manila1945 draws to a close, I could not miss out at least one exhibit about it, which in this case would be the exhibit at the Ayala Museum entitled “Manila: My City at War”

scale model of the Memorare – Manila 1945 monument in Intramuros

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Manila1945: Death at De La Salle

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As the Battle of Manila raged on with bombings and killings happening around the city, some people sought refuge at the campus of what was then known as the De La Salle College. Throughout the war, the school was allowed to operate despite the fact that a portion of the campus has been taken over by Japanese forces, thanks in part to its location which at that time was already considered the city outskirts, away from the activity going on in Intramuros and Downtown Manila. It also helped that some of the Christian Brothers were of German nationality, whose country is allied with Japan, giving them and the school a safe pass.

When the battle first began, the Christian Brothers (the Catholic teaching congregation that runs De La Salle) gladly took in some families who hoped that being in the campus would insulate them from the bloodshed and destruction going on outside. They, as well as the Christian Brothers, believed then that given the free rein the Japanese gave to De La Salle throughout the war, the campus and the people taking refuge there would not be touched. Sadly, that would not be the case.

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Manila1945: Wrecked and Rebuilt

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The Battle of Manila that raged from February 3-March 3, 1945 decimated a lot of structures in the city. With the limited resources available for disposal in those times, not all of them managed to be rebuilt after the war, some of them even took a long while for them to be completed. As we continue the #Manila1945 series here, we will be taking a look at some of these structures that were destroyed and have managed to rise again from the ashes of war, though some of them never looked the same way as before.

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