LIBERATION – ARRIVAL OF THE AMERICANS
On September 21, 1944 the arrival of the Allied planes drove the civilians wild. It was the first dogfight seen in Magalang. Allied planes used Mt. Arayat as their guide in moving towards Camp Stotsenburg (now the Clark Air Base).
Anxious to hear news from Allied countries, the people managed to sneak a portable radio into town. It was brought by guerillas on Sept. 26, 1944 and almost every night the people secretly listened over the short wave. This heightened the moral of the people.
On Oct. 11, 1944, the people were very glad to see the first American since the beginning of the war. It was Gerard Wade , a pilot rescued by the guerillas. He dived secretly at the Lingat’s.
When the bombing of the Allied planes began, the Magalang Social Service League was organized thru the initiative of Mayor Isidoro Ayuyao to relieve the situation. The following were the officers and chairpersons of different committees:
Loreto M. Pinto – President
Nunelon Ayuyao – Secretary
Carolina Vega – Treasurer
FIRST AID – Dr. Patrocinio Mendoza - Chairman
Dr. May Tayag – Vice-Chairman
FINANCE – Eugenia Lising – Chairman
Florencia Ayuyao – Vice Chairman
RECEPTION OF EVACUEES – Nunelon Ayuyao – Chairman
Purita Narciso – Vice-Chairman
VOLUNTEER WORKERS – Dr. Wenceslao Magbag, Ceferino Tayag, Claro Ayuyao and Ricardo Tayag
On Jan. 3, 1945 American advance artillery units reached Barrio Sta. Maria. In the afternoon of that day they fired three cannon shots towards the town. One (75 mm) hit a corner of the house of Mrs. Leoncia Morales hitting the walls of one room piercing thru the walls of the sala, passing thru the post and to the cemented grill of the back porch. The said bullet did not explode completely so due to the fear of the Morales family, it was buried under the ground. The people left the town and few civilians were left. Japanese tanks were scattered in the yards of Nicolasa Q. Luciano, Leoncia Morales, Teodoro Ordonez, Lorenzo Gueco, Felix Naguit, Alfonso Manaloto, Pablo Luciano, Juliana Cruz, and the cockpit. Japanese officers occupied the houses of Leoncia Morales, Teodoro Ordonez and Alfonso Manaloto.When the American liberating forces landed in the Phils. Japanese soldiers were ordered to retreat. Before they left, the Balitucan school which they made as their headquarters was set on fire. The chapel was also razed to the ground. However, nobody in the barrio was victimized by the retreating Japanese soldiers. Guerillas who conferred with the American soldiers decided to attack the Japanese garrison in the town. They made a firing line from Mitla to San Miguel, bordering the Quitangil brook, with a few Americans riding in a jeep. Not knowing that Japanese tanks were in town, they began the assault but retreated after a short fight. The jeep with all the foodstuffs in it was captured by the Japanese. The Japanese however lost two soldiers one of them a captain. They were killed in the fight that ensued. At about 11 PM all the Japanese left the town. On Jan. 6, 1945 at about 2 PM , two American fighter planes dropped bombs to the houses near the Kitangil bridge, Three houses were hit and many others destroyed. Those killed were Feliza G. Perez, Florencia de Leon, Jose de Leon, and a carabao owned by Abelardo Liwanag. Those who were wounded were brought to the Municipal building and received first aid treatment by the First Aid Unit.As soon as the Japanese left, a handful of daring youths of the town entered the deserted church and climbed to its belfry. They rang the church bells continuously to announce to all within hearing that liberation was near. About an hour after that, guerillas with lighted torches marched into town. The first of them brought an American flag which they put up for a short while at the top of the church belfry. Before noon of Jan. 24, 1945, the Americans entered the town amidst the rejoicing of all who were present. Old women offered the U.S. soldiers boiled camotes and saying “Apu ku pung Amerikano salamat pu” The Americans occupied the rice mill of Mrs. Manuela Feliciano (now a nursery school), the Baluyut Rice Mill, the market and the railroad station. Their ranks were all scattered around the town. The people who evacuated in the barrios returned to the town and started to build life anew.
To help the civilians in their needs, the U.S. Army established the Phil. Civilian Aid Unit or PCAU. Its supplies were stored in the Magalang Institute building. To give work to the civilians the PCAU had the streets and public places cleaned for P1.20 a day. This started the throwing off of Japanese occupation money.
During the liberation, the house of Jose P. Feliciano was made a rest house for the U.S. Army officers for some time, while that of the late Marcelina Baluyut Dizon (now the Puregold) was made a temporary residence of the U.S. Army Captain who was commanding the U.S. Army unit with quarters at the public market and the railroad station.
_______________________________________________________________________
Manlapaz, Rosa M. wartime stories as told to A.M. Manlapaz
Morales, Ignacio P. (descendant of Leoncia Morales) interview by Julieta Dizon
(one of the youths who rang the church bells as soon as the Japanese left the town).
Naguit, Melanio, another youth who rang the church bells.
Pelayo, Pedro C. , Pinto, Loreto M., History and Cultural Life of the Municipality of Magalang, in the Province of Pampanga, Unpublished Manuscript, 1954
Wade, Gerald letter to Aquilino Aquino (shared by Vicky Aquino).
On September 21, 1944 the arrival of the Allied planes drove the civilians wild. It was the first dogfight seen in Magalang. Allied planes used Mt. Arayat as their guide in moving towards Camp Stotsenburg (now the Clark Air Base).
Anxious to hear news from Allied countries, the people managed to sneak a portable radio into town. It was brought by guerillas on Sept. 26, 1944 and almost every night the people secretly listened over the short wave. This heightened the moral of the people.
On Oct. 11, 1944, the people were very glad to see the first American since the beginning of the war. It was Gerard Wade , a pilot rescued by the guerillas. He dived secretly at the Lingat’s.
When the bombing of the Allied planes began, the Magalang Social Service League was organized thru the initiative of Mayor Isidoro Ayuyao to relieve the situation. The following were the officers and chairpersons of different committees:
Loreto M. Pinto – President
Nunelon Ayuyao – Secretary
Carolina Vega – Treasurer
FIRST AID – Dr. Patrocinio Mendoza - Chairman
Dr. May Tayag – Vice-Chairman
FINANCE – Eugenia Lising – Chairman
Florencia Ayuyao – Vice Chairman
RECEPTION OF EVACUEES – Nunelon Ayuyao – Chairman
Purita Narciso – Vice-Chairman
VOLUNTEER WORKERS – Dr. Wenceslao Magbag, Ceferino Tayag, Claro Ayuyao and Ricardo Tayag
On Jan. 3, 1945 American advance artillery units reached Barrio Sta. Maria. In the afternoon of that day they fired three cannon shots towards the town. One (75 mm) hit a corner of the house of Mrs. Leoncia Morales hitting the walls of one room piercing thru the walls of the sala, passing thru the post and to the cemented grill of the back porch. The said bullet did not explode completely so due to the fear of the Morales family, it was buried under the ground. The people left the town and few civilians were left. Japanese tanks were scattered in the yards of Nicolasa Q. Luciano, Leoncia Morales, Teodoro Ordonez, Lorenzo Gueco, Felix Naguit, Alfonso Manaloto, Pablo Luciano, Juliana Cruz, and the cockpit. Japanese officers occupied the houses of Leoncia Morales, Teodoro Ordonez and Alfonso Manaloto.When the American liberating forces landed in the Phils. Japanese soldiers were ordered to retreat. Before they left, the Balitucan school which they made as their headquarters was set on fire. The chapel was also razed to the ground. However, nobody in the barrio was victimized by the retreating Japanese soldiers. Guerillas who conferred with the American soldiers decided to attack the Japanese garrison in the town. They made a firing line from Mitla to San Miguel, bordering the Quitangil brook, with a few Americans riding in a jeep. Not knowing that Japanese tanks were in town, they began the assault but retreated after a short fight. The jeep with all the foodstuffs in it was captured by the Japanese. The Japanese however lost two soldiers one of them a captain. They were killed in the fight that ensued. At about 11 PM all the Japanese left the town. On Jan. 6, 1945 at about 2 PM , two American fighter planes dropped bombs to the houses near the Kitangil bridge, Three houses were hit and many others destroyed. Those killed were Feliza G. Perez, Florencia de Leon, Jose de Leon, and a carabao owned by Abelardo Liwanag. Those who were wounded were brought to the Municipal building and received first aid treatment by the First Aid Unit.As soon as the Japanese left, a handful of daring youths of the town entered the deserted church and climbed to its belfry. They rang the church bells continuously to announce to all within hearing that liberation was near. About an hour after that, guerillas with lighted torches marched into town. The first of them brought an American flag which they put up for a short while at the top of the church belfry. Before noon of Jan. 24, 1945, the Americans entered the town amidst the rejoicing of all who were present. Old women offered the U.S. soldiers boiled camotes and saying “Apu ku pung Amerikano salamat pu” The Americans occupied the rice mill of Mrs. Manuela Feliciano (now a nursery school), the Baluyut Rice Mill, the market and the railroad station. Their ranks were all scattered around the town. The people who evacuated in the barrios returned to the town and started to build life anew.
To help the civilians in their needs, the U.S. Army established the Phil. Civilian Aid Unit or PCAU. Its supplies were stored in the Magalang Institute building. To give work to the civilians the PCAU had the streets and public places cleaned for P1.20 a day. This started the throwing off of Japanese occupation money.
During the liberation, the house of Jose P. Feliciano was made a rest house for the U.S. Army officers for some time, while that of the late Marcelina Baluyut Dizon (now the Puregold) was made a temporary residence of the U.S. Army Captain who was commanding the U.S. Army unit with quarters at the public market and the railroad station.
_______________________________________________________________________
Manlapaz, Rosa M. wartime stories as told to A.M. Manlapaz
Morales, Ignacio P. (descendant of Leoncia Morales) interview by Julieta Dizon
(one of the youths who rang the church bells as soon as the Japanese left the town).
Naguit, Melanio, another youth who rang the church bells.
Pelayo, Pedro C. , Pinto, Loreto M., History and Cultural Life of the Municipality of Magalang, in the Province of Pampanga, Unpublished Manuscript, 1954
Wade, Gerald letter to Aquilino Aquino (shared by Vicky Aquino).