Flowers for Lolas
Atty. Dennis Gorecho
Remembering the horrors of World War II through PPO music
I spent Valentines Day watching a concert of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) not directly about traditional love but one that imparts narratives of love of country, solemn heroism and resiliency,
Through the universal language of music, PPO Concert V: Hope at the Metropolitan Theater commemorated the shared past of Poland and Philippines that were important historical events during World War II: the Warsaw Uprising and the Manila Massacre.
Also known as the Rape of Manila, the city became one of the most devastated Allied capital cities during the entire war, alongside Berlin and Warsaw as Japanese resistance and American artillery destroyed much of Manila’s architectural and cultural heritage dating back to the city’s founding.
Subjected to incessant pounding and facing certain death or capture, the beleaguered Japanese troops took out their anger and frustration on the civilians caught in the crossfire, committing multiple acts of severe brutality.
The Japanese forced Filipino women and children to be used as human shields into the front lines to protect Japanese positions. Those who survived were then murdered by the Japanese.
The bodies of people, even babies — beheaded, mutilated, bayoneted and shot — littered the streets, schools, public buildings, even places of worship.
Among the victims were the comfort women who were abducted, trafficked or brought to the Japanese military camps, held in captivity, and were raped as part of one of the largest operations of sexual violence in modern history.
“The non-combatant victims of that tragic battle will remain forever in the hearts and minds of the Filipino people” , a phrase lifted from the inscription penned by Nick Joaquin, National Artist for Literature, on the “Memorare Manila 1945 Monument”. It can be found in Plaza de Sta. Isabel at the corner of General Luna and Anda Streets Intramuros, Manila, which is a short walk from Manila Cathedral and San Augustine Church.
The monument serves as a “gravestone” reminder of the dark years of Manila that commemorates the lives lost during the battle for the liberation of Manila, waged by Filipino and American forces against Imperial Japanese troops from February 3 to March 3, 1945.
The monument was unveiled on February 18, 1995 with its main feature of the figure of a hooded woman slumped on the ground in great despair for the lifeless child she cradles in her arm along with six suffering figures surrounding her.
The Warsaw Uprising or August Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from German occupation. The Uprising was fought for 63 days with little outside support. It was the single largest military effort taken by any European resistance movement during World War II.
The Warsaw Uprising began on the afternoon of August 1, 1944, with 50,000 troops attacking a German garrison. The uprising was timed to coincide with the retreat of the German forces from Poland ahead of the Soviet advance.
Their initial success, however, didn’t last long. When the Germans counter-attacked, the Polish underground resistance Home Army faced the bloodiest encounter as they tried to regain control of their city. While approaching the eastern suburbs of the city, the Red Army halted combat operations, enabling the Germans to regroup and defeat the Polish resistance and to destroy the city in retaliation.
Without significant support, the Home Army was forced to surrender on October 2, 1944.
Over 15,000 insurgents and 250,000 Polish civilians faced death while the survivors were captured and sent to German concentration camps.
The defeat of the uprising and suppression of the Home Army enabled the pro-Soviet Polish administration, instead of the Polish government-in-exile based in London, to take control of Poland afterwards.
Poland would remain as part of the Soviet-aligned Eastern Bloc throughout the Cold War until 1989 when the communist government was dissolved and Poland re-established itself as a democratic state.
Lamenting on the horrors of World War II, the PPO concert is a multi-sensory experience that featured war footages from Warsaw and Philippines with melodies from Wings of Hope: a Warsaw-Manila Peace Tribute.
Under the baton of Maestro Grzegorz Nowak, the PPO concert was held at the Metropolitan Theater that was designed by architect Juan M. Arellano and inaugurated on December 10, 1931.
The Japanese authorities utilized the Metropolitan Theater for various cultural and political activities during their occupation.
The theater was heavily damaged during the Battle of Manila. Although the Met lost its roof, the walls of the structure stood. It subsequently went through several restoration programs. It was closed from 1996 until its reopening on December 10, 2021, the 90th anniversary of its inauguration.
“In a war, everybody is a loser. Nobody is a winner. But we should also look at how we used our wisdom as a people to help liberate ourselves from the Japanese and see that the triumphant Filipino can overcome even the worst tragedies,” historian Xiao Chua said in an interview.
(Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho is the Junior Partner who heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 0908-8665786.)