A family in Batangas 

Last week, and not necessarily for Halloween, I decided to mention some excerpts from a book called “Looking for Liling” by Ding Roces (Alfredo to be exact), where a few accounts on the gruesome life inside the walled city, specifically Fort Santiago, during the Japanese occupation were thoroughly narrated. Our family among others were one of those who had experienced the storms of WWII and to date, we continue to share the stories in the hopes of making the younger generation fully aware of their heritage.

Since then, I recently came across an article that featured Bergenfield County Mayor Arvin Amatorio, who said that the common history of Filipinos and Americans during the Second World War would be included in one of the history subjects in his district’s high school. An absolutely elating moment it was for me to come across such an article as rightfully so, a shared heritage must be embraced by our educational system.

This then led me to another book/diary called “Batangas Diary” where my great grandfather Rafael F. Roces recorded his day-to-day experience during the war, from the day of departure for Batangas up till his family’s return to Manila. My great grandfather’s diary was never intended for publication but his accounts taught us a hell-of-a-lot as a family and, fortunately for me, I learned first hand from the surviving family of Rafael, my lolo Peping. Considering that all these happened decades ago, one can honestly say that the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in 1942 drastically transformed our people and our nation.

My great grandfather Rafael Roces started his diary around September 10th of 1944 and went all throughout their days in the barrios of Batangas up to their return to Manila in March of 1945. He and other members of the family, including my Lola Carmen (a love story that bloomed in the midst of war between Peping and Carmen Medina), were totally unaware that Liling (Rafael’s eldest son) was already dead. Liling was incarcerated in Fort Santiago and killed by Japanese officers.

Our Tito Tuting was unfortunately also arrested by the kempeitai in 1944 and was then incarcerated in Fort Santiago, right when he and lolo Rafael began plans for the Batangas escape. Lolo Rafael sought refuge in Pinagtungulan, Batangas in a truck used for transporting horses.

Indeed, as Mayor Amatorio told journalists in an interview, the history of heroism of Filipinos during WWII is a great heritage “share” – a learning of cultures and a fusion of bonds between people that merged for liberty – and if I must say, for humanity, which ultimately is the biggest educational lesson one can ever learn.

My lolo Peping became an intelligence officer in Mindoro eventually and was given the mission to go back to Manila to gather more intelligence and subsequently, in the course of his hunting duties as procurement officer, he went along with a Jesuit scholastic who wanted to save pilots from fallen planes and, by the time he went back to Balagtasin (at this point), he surprised his father (Rafael) with “I shall return” cigarettes, canned goods and chocolates.

In a November entry, Lolo Rafael narrated an explosion that suddenly woke him up, accompanied by machinegun fire, after which he saw an American plane go down. Rafael Roces’ last entry was on March 6 when it was said that a Captain Schommer provided the family with a 6x6 army truck that transported them back to Manila. Ideal Theater was among the ruins by this time but by God’s grace, it remained intact. Lolo Peping started over as he continued managing the Ideal.

While my article can only contribute tidbits of history from a diary, an alliance of two countries can very much be felt and remembered through acts of humanity as, after all, this is the hardest to carry in the midst of adversity. With this said, it is important that the younger Filipinos, wherever they may be, never forget the sacrifices of their ancestors. But more importantly, it is significant that a mayor such as Amatorio, with Filipino blood running through his veins, took note of it all. It is a fantastic start.