Balangiga bells come home
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2018 16:34:08 +0000
After 117 years, the Balangiga Bells are finally home, arriving at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Tuesday.
The historic return of the famed Balangiga Bells to the country marks an “important milestone” in relations between the Philippines and the United States, Malacañang said.
President Rodrigo Duterte skipped the handover ceremony and will instead attend the presentation of the three bells to town officials of Balangiga in what is now Eastern Samar on December 15, according to Salvador Panelo, Palace spokesman.
In a statement, Panelo said the return of the bells, which were taken as war trophy by US troops during the Filipino-American War, shows that the US is a “true friend” of the Philippines.
“The return of the Balangiga Bells to their place of origin is historic and unprecedented. This marks an important milestone in and gives new meaning to the shared history between the Philippines and the United States,” he added.
Panelo said all stakeholders from the Philippines and the US “worked tirelessly” to bring back the church bells to the country.
The Palace official noted that “many have tried but it is our President’s strong political will and unquestionable dedication in asserting the rights of our country and its people which significantly contributed to this event coming into fruition.”
“As we move forward in our history, we hope that the bells of Balangiga will become constant reminders of our people’s gallantry, heroism and strong sense of national pride,” Panelo said.
“As we recall this dark page of our history, let the world know that our race will not allow itself to be subjugated by any foreign power and we Filipinos will always assert our sovereignty against those who will attempt to subvert it,” he added.
US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim participated in the official turnover of the bells to the Philippine government.
“The history of these bells spans the entire relationship between the United States and the Philippines. In the process, they have touched many lives. Their return underscores the enduring friendship, partnership and alliance between our countries,” he said.
“The return of the Balangiga Bells demonstrates the strong bonds and mutual respect between our nations as well as the vitality of the US-Philippine alliance, one of the most enduring relationships in the Indo-Pacific region,” the ambassador added.
Two of the bells had been kept at the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming, while the third bell was kept at a US Army museum in South Korea.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said the return of the bells shows that there is justice and that the “path to healing and reconciliation may be arduous but is never impossible.”
Also in a statement, CBCP president Romulo Valles expressed “profound” gratitude to the people behind the return of the Balangiga Bells to its “rightful” owner, the Borongan diocese in Eastern Samar.
“We thank in particular our present government, with the leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte, for bringing a most successful and happy conclusion to all these efforts,” he said.
“We also appreciate the very wise gesture of the US government in finally bringing back the bells of Balangiga to where they should belong, thereby giving ourselves the experience of a deeper sense of
justice and respect between our peoples and consequently letting our friendship grow stronger,” Valles added.
To the Catholic Church, according to the Davao archbishop, the three bells are “priceless religious treasures to call Her faithful to prayer and worship.”
He said the Church joins the Borongan diocese, led by Bishop Crispin Varquez, in prayer of thanks to their “God,” “for He has, once again, done marvelous deeds in our midst today.”
The bells were carried by the US Air Force’s C-130 plane “Spirit of MacArthur” from Okinawa, Japan, at 7:57 a.m. (local time), landing at the Villamor Air Base at 10:35 a.m.
The bells were unboxed from their crates, towed to a podium wrapped in red carpet and met with cheers from the crowd.
These were then inspected by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Kim, US Department of Defense deputy assistant secretary
Joseph Felter, Senators Aquilino Pimentel 3rd and Richard Gordon, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Romualdez and Panelo.
The event was also attended by Admiral Phillip Davidson, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command and Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Elmer Cato.
The bells from Wyoming were refurbished in Pennsylvania and were initially inspected by US officials.
Two of the bells had been shipped to Okinawa, where the bell from Seoul was transferred, for their return to the Philippines.
Lorenzana said the bells have come to symbolize a “painful episode” in the history of the Philippines and the US.
“How could mere three bells, church bells [cause] so much intense emotion among Filipinos and Americans, maybe because we are human beings who live by symbols such as the national flag and in this instance, these bells,” the Defense chief added in his speech.
“These bells came to symbolize something precious and important to both sides… the courage and patriotism of the soldiers, those acts we should like to perpetuate with these bells, and now, they are home,” he said.
Reynaldo Mapagu, DND undersecretary for civil, veterans and retirees’ affairs, said the bells’ return was timely since they would be brought to the San Lorenzo Church in
Balangiga on December 15, the start of “Simbang Gabi” tradition of Filipinos every Christmas season.
Nemesio Duran, 81, a resident of Balangiga town, expressed his happiness over the return of the bells.He flew all the way from Samar to Manila to witness the return of the bells.
Duran’s mother was Vicente Candilosas, the altar boy who rang the bell in 1901.
“The significance of this return is the friendship between the Philippines and America. That is the best significance we also have,” he told reporters.
The bells will be open for public viewing at the Villamor Air Base starting Tuesday, December 11, until Friday, December 14.
The League of Filipino Students also on Tuesday welcomed the return of the Balangiga Bells, but said this was not enough reason to celebrate and pretend that the country is truly free from the US.
CATHERINE S. VALENTE, CATHERINE A MODESTO, DEMPSEY REYES AND
NEIL A. ALCOBER
The post Balangiga bells come home appeared first on The Manila Times Online.