Balangiga: A bloody route to freedom
(Revised text of the brochure, with thematic photographs)
On Sept. 27-28, 1998, the University of the Philippines conducted a study tour through the Balangiga Freedom Trail, places associated with the Balangiga Massacre, and joined the celebration of the 97th Balangiga Encounter Day in Balangiga town. A component of the 1998 U.P. Centennial Celebrations, the tour was participated in by more than 350 officials, faculty, staff, and students from U.P.'s six autonomous universities. A poster art was conceptualized and illustrated to promote that activity and a brochure with digested tour-related information was also printed. Many participants wore t-shirts with the print of the poster art.
Balangiga: A confluence of advocacy positions
Paper read at the "National Symposium on the Balangiga Attack of 1901" at the U.P. Tacloban College on Sept. 26, 1998. Also made reference to the 50th Leyte Landing anniversary.
Adolph Gamlin, receives a present from U.P. Tacloban College Dean Viola Siozon. The lecturers
in the front table are (from left) Ms. Rosario N. Cabardo, Dr. Reynaldo H. Imperial, Prof. Rolando
O. Borrinaga, and Mr. Bob Couttie.
The above symposium was the academic component of the Balangiga Historical Tour. It provided the venue of the first formal meeting of the descendants of two protagonists on both sides of the fighting in Balangiga, who spoke in the same forum. Jean Wall, daughter of Pvt. Adolph Gamlin, the first American to be attacked in Balangiga, performed a ritual embrace of reconciliation with Engr. Ted Amano, great-grandson of Mariano Valdenor who actually clashed with Pvt. Gamlin.
A church belfry project worth P5-million, which also prettified the façade of the Balangiga church, was constructed in 1998. This was intended to house the Bells of Balangiga, the return of which from Wyoming in time for the Philippine Centennial celebration was actively sought by the Philippine government.
Historical markers and their omissions
Three historical markers installed by the National Historical Institute in places associated with the Balangiga Massacre in 1901 can confuse the ordinary readers with several misleading statements and obvious omissions. Includes texts of the markers, photographs, and comments by the writer.