Talisay commemorates 61st Takas anniversary

Talisay City commemorated yesterday the 61st "Takas sa Talisay" with Department of Tourism Undersecretary Salvador Sarabia, Jr. as keynote speaker.

Sarabia, who represented DOT Secretary Ace Durano, said the landing of the US 7th Fleet's Task Force on the shores of barangay Poblacion signaled the liberation of Cebu province from Japanese occupation.

On these shores, the city had erected the Liberation Marker, where a wreath of flowers was offered to pay homage to the historic event, which was attended by war veterans.

Part of the program was the raising of American and Japanese flags. World War II veteran John Caballero, a native of Talisay, who later became an American citizen, and Maurice Joseph St. Clare, of War Amputees of America, raised the American flag.

Masako Ikida of the Japanese Cooperative Development raised the Japanese flag.

Earlier, the war veterans expressed opposition to the raising of the "enemy's flag." However, the Talisay City Council moved on with the raising of the Japanese flag as what was already observed in the past years.

Provincial Board member Agnes Magpale, chairman of the province's committee on tourism, had supported the council's move, saying that the event "should be friendly" as it was about commemorating the triumph the Filipinos have gained.

"We are not here to perpetuate hatred," she said, in her speech, adding that the successes of today should be used to empower tomorrow. "Takas is an event the Cebuanos must be proud of," she said.

The highlight of the event was the reenactment of the landing in Larawan Beach by a platoon of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command. The reenactment costs the city P20,000.

There were no parachutes this year, for the first time in many years, as airplanes were reportedly unavailable when the city made arrangement with the CentCom during the time when Presidential Proclamation 1017 (State of National Emergency) was still in effect.

Councilor Shirley Belleza, chairman of the council committee on tourism and cultural affairs, is hoping that "Takas" would become a province-wide celebration since it had liberated not only then municipality of Talisay, but the entire province as well. - Liv G. Campo