TexasRangersFan Posted May 27, 2012 Posted May 27, 2012 Recently my girlfriend and I had to travel to Tacloban City from our home here in Cebu to try and get her birth certificate fixed. While in Leyte I wanted to go to the site where MacArthur had landed since that is where one of my great uncles had landed here as well. We stayed at a hotel in Tacloban City. It was not very expensive costing about 1200 pesos a night. They had a driver there who took us to the park and back as well as to the house that MacArthur had stayed in for 700 pesos. It was a very nice trip. I even got to smoke in the van. The staff at the hotel was very friendly and helpful. However the park itself was,in a word. Disgraceful !!!!. The water fountain the statues are standing in had no water. It had no water in it because the sides were full of holes. The lawn was not mowed. The New part of the memorial that was put in back in 1994 by at least 24 countries was almost completely destroyed. All the plaques that were there were nearly unreadable due to weather damage. The cases that they were in were broken and many were in pieces. I was not impressed with the way the park had been taken care of. We also visited the house where MacArthur had lived and used as his headquarters. It was used by some kind of insurance company or something like that which had gone out of business and was now according to our driver the home of a police officer. I was able to get some pictures of the park and the building. As soon as I figure out how to post them on here I will do so. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike S Posted May 27, 2012 Posted May 27, 2012 About the only war park still maintained is the one at Corregidor ..... all the rest are pretty well destroyed as they have no meaning to the Philipinos now ..... the one at Bataan I'm told is a complete disgrace with people picnicking on the stones and lounging all over the memorial with graffiti everywhere ..... I suspect in a few years they will all be gone ..... there was a guy that had some pictures of it .... if I can find them I'll post'um ...... so sad ..... no respect .... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyAway Posted May 27, 2012 Posted May 27, 2012 I was there 3 years ago. From your description it is going down hill very fast. Several plaque casings were broken back then. Sad to let such a piece of history fall to pieces. I have pictures of all the plaques. I will format the photos of MacArthur Park and post them later Has anyone seen Hill 120? It is where the first American flag was raised by the U.S. Liberation forces on October 20, 1944. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samatm Posted May 27, 2012 Posted May 27, 2012 wow I am really sorry to get that report. I last visited the MacArthur Park about 5 years ago and it was in great working order and everything was kept up nice like. I mean it is a postcard ICON of TACLOBAN. They are shooting themselves in the foot if they don't keep it up. I am also sad to read about the Bataan memorial being over-run with grafiti and disrespectful pic-nic pinoys . Went there in 12 years ago and loved it. no grafiti and no tourists. very solemn and historical. Its true WW2 has very little meaning to the locals here. Take this challenge ask as many HS and College age kids you can to name the principal combatants of WW2. So far my running total is about 75 % don't know? Many say Spain. Their history books are sadly poorly written and even worse taught. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samatm Posted May 28, 2012 Posted May 28, 2012 I was there 3 years ago. From your description it is going down hill very fast. Several plaque casings were broken back then. Sad to let such a piece of history fall to pieces. I have pictures of all the plaques. I will format the photos of MacArthur Park and post them later Has anyone seen Hill 120? It is where the first American flag was raised by the U.S. Liberation forces on October 20, 1944. Not sure but I have been atop Breakneck ridge and there is only a Jap shrine (i say that not in a disrepectful manner) . They took on more casualties bu t quite a few GIs went down in that battle too. There should be memorial for the US soldiers as well. Anyway it is on the highway twixt Ormoc and Tacloban . It is marked so do take a stop if you will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jode Posted May 28, 2012 Posted May 28, 2012 Speaking of sites of importance in the joint history of USA and Philippines, there is a small American cemetary in Cebu that has the gravesites of about 20 american servicemen killed in Philippines, including a Medal of Honor winner from the Spanish-American war. The place was discovered by the former head of the RAO office in cebu. it was in a totally overgrown and neglected state. They are looking for volunteers to maintain the graves and trying to raise funds for a memorial. A memorial that is spectacular and well maintained is the american cemetary in manila. It is on a hill with graves going down the hill on all sides. it must be one of the most beautiful spots in manila area and is a fitting tribute to those in the American army filipinoes and americans alike who defended the country. I would recomend that anyone visiting manila take the time to see this great monument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike S Posted May 28, 2012 Posted May 28, 2012 (edited) OK ..... here is a report from someone who went there recently and I did find only one picture so far ..... but it is an eye opener ..... and why would they build a wading pool in such a place .... go figure ...... We feel bad and get hurt when we saw how the people of Capas treated this Death March monument, There is people living and throwing trash in that park everywhere, kids are playing and throwing rocks to the monument, and then when we told them to stop playing and throwing rocks on the monument they laughs including the adults. Who are supposed to guide, teach and advice this kids about the Death March monument. And their is people also playing poker inside of the poker. The monuments looks like that nobody is taking care of it even the officials of Capas, Tarlac. We almost cry when we saw the monument looks like that, How come there is people in the Philippines who don’t give any care about the history. They did not think on how those people sacrifice their lives for the freedom of our country. Respect and let us honor this heroes and be thankful for them because maybe without them our country will is still be in the prison until now. NOW they have built a swimming pool where the kids jump on the memorial to the deaths of 600 Americans and use it as a platform for diving.... Where is dignity? where is reverence? Where is thankfulness? It was a sad day for me! Thank GOD that the American cemetery in Manila is AMERICAN owned, American guarded I'm going to add here that the monument isn't only for Americans but Pilipinos also ..... there were far more of them died than American and it is more of a shame that they don't respect their own freedom fighters and the sacrifices they made so they could jump off the monument and throw trash in the park ..... but then I guess we can just chalk it up to culture ..... right ? ........ :hystery: :hystery: Edited May 28, 2012 by Mike S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i am bob Posted May 28, 2012 Posted May 28, 2012 If something that should be special is placed where it has become part of every day life, it will lose that specialness... It's human nature. And I'm not saying that it is right either. I have always found that special places will remain special only if placed in an important area but away from the heaviest traffic areas. So, if you are aware of any memorials being built, please always suggest to the planning board that it be done to the side... For memorial sites being renovated, suggest traffic - vehical or pedestrian - be re-routed so that the heaviest traffic flow is near but not through the memorial. This usually will help prevent the problems identified by Mike S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jode Posted May 29, 2012 Posted May 29, 2012 (edited) There is a monument in Talisay at the place where american troops landed to begin their drive, which eventually caused surviving japanese troops to hole up in mountais till the end of the war. I haven't been there but seen pictures. The monument is kinda ugly (poorly built statues) but was recently renewed and a ceremony is held every year there on the anniversery of the landing in 1945 that led to liberation of cebu by the americal division and filipino allies. Edited May 29, 2012 by jode Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jollygoodfellow Posted June 1, 2012 Posted June 1, 2012 I was able to get some pictures of the park and the building. As soon as I figure out how to post them on here I will do so. About six down tells you, There are many help files on the forum but no one reads. http://www.philippines-expats.com/index.php?app=core&module=help Anyway if you need help just holler :thumbsup: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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