Balangiga: A great moment in our history

Our special presentation on our talkshow tonight is a talk about the future of Cebu City with people who care about their surroundings and the problems that we continue to suffer in Cebu City. So tonight we have former barangay Captain of Apas, Ramil Ayuman, and ABS-CBN actor Richard Yap to tell us what they think of the problems of the Cebu City North District. Right now too many people have become frustrated with the way things developed in Cebu during the term of former president PNoy Aquino where Cebu City got nothing despite our supporting the Liberal Party. Would things really change for the better in the 2019 midterm elections? That remains to be seen, depending on the votes of the people.

So watch this very interesting special presentation on SkyCable’s channel 53 at 8 p.m. with replays on Wednesday and Saturday same time and channel. We also have replays on MyTV’s channel 30 at 9 p.m. Monday and at 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday.

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Yesterday was a great day in Philippine history as the three bells of the Balangiga church that were taken by American soldiers in 1901 were finally returned to this Eastern Samar town. The bells were formally sent back to the church in Balangiga where they were used by Filipino insurgents to signal the attack on US soldiers in September 28, 1901 where 48 soldiers were killed.

The turnover ceremony was attended by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte, who originally asked the US government to return the bells, US Ambassador Sung Kim and local officials. Duterte told the people of Balangiga: "I share your joy and happiness." The return of the bronze bells has been divisive with some US veterans and lawmakers, who see them as a tribute to fallen American troops, while the Philippines hails them as a symbol of its struggle for independence.

The Philippine government’s push for the bells' repatriation began in the 1990s and has had backing from Philippine presidents as well as from the Catholic Church and historians, and also supporters in the US. But no one gave it more serious thought than Duterte who really demanded their return! This is why Duterte’s popularity today must have increased tremendously thanks to the efforts by the Americans to return the bells and close this ugly historical incident between the US and the Philippines. Now we have a new tourism destination in Samar.

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Exactly 77 years ago today, a Compania Maritima ship left the Port of Manila heading for Cebu City then Australia. But unfortunately, when that vessel reached the Isle of Corregidor it struck a mine, broke in half and sank with so many passengers on board. I’m writing this story because December 17th is the date of this great maritime disaster in Manila Bay where my father’s only brother, Benjamin, who was an expert swimmer, was helping women passengers leave their cabins, but somehow he was dragged into the raging water and drowned. Doc Alviola of the University of Southern Philippines was Tio Bing Bing’s classmate at the La Salle University. So many Cebuano families died in that sea accident.

The SS Corregidor was originally called the HMS Engadine a seaplane tender of the Royal Navy during World War I that participated in the Cuxhaven Raid in 1914 and the famous Battle of Jutland. She was sold to the Compania Maritima in 1933 and sank off Manila Bay. We knew little of this vessel except that the people who have taken it say that it was a fast ship. Indeed, being a Naval vessel she had a speed of 21 knots.

I first knew about this ship aside from the stories peddled by the family from the PT boats that actually helped search for the passengers. These are the boats that brought General Douglas MacArthur to Mindanao. Thanks to the internet we had more reports about this maritime disaster at the start of World War II in the Philippines, where my uncle Bing died. Another uncle, Salvador “Tio Boy” Segura was supposed to take that vessel but he had three flat tires from UP Los Baños and missed the boat. He only died last September after living a long life.

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