Of all the commemorations being celebrated every February, perhaps the most overlooked is one that commemorates the Battle of Manila of 1945. Which is quite unfortunate considering how this sad and bloody chapter in the history of Manila transformed the city and the country on a macro perspective, causing destruction to so many cultural treasures in the city and death to more than 100,000 souls.
On one hand, the horror of this event may have been a factor as to why many choose to, understandably, forget what happened. On the other hand, this preference to forget is seen as the cause as to why Manila today has lost its soul in the midst of the progress and urban chaos that has adversely affected what was once known as the “Pearl of the Orient.”
It is the concern for this particular “forgetfulness” that tour guide/performance artist/cultural activist Carlos Celdran decided to hold an annual event to celebrate Manila before the war and remember the souls and treasures lost in the war called the Manila Transitio 1945, the recent being held last Saturday night at the Fort Santiago grounds.
