SAN FRANCISCO, USA – To mark the milestone 80th anniversary of the Fall of Bataan and the Bataan Death March during the Second World War, the Filipino and Filipino American community in the San Francisco Bay Area came together at the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco to launch a visual exhibit, in honor of Filipino and American World War II veterans and civilians.
“Remember Bataan: The 80th Anniversary of the Fall of Bataan” Memorial Exhibit is a joint project of the Consulate, the Department of Tourism Office in San Francisco, the Filipino American Arts Exposition through its President Al Perez, the Bataan Historical Legacy Historical Society through its Executive Director Cecilia Gaerlan, and the Philippine Scouts Heritage Society through its National Assistant Secretary Rod dela Concepcion.
Filipino American community leaders and descendants of World War II veterans, including Rudy Asercion, Edgar de Leon, Mel Orpilla, and Rick Villarina, also shared part of their World War II collection to the exhibit.
The “Remember Bataan” Exhibit was officially opened on 11 April 2022 at the Consulate’s Kalayaan Hall, with Filipino and American government officials in attendance that included Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Ferrer, Californian State Treasurer Fiona Ma, Daly City Councilmember and former Mayor Juslyn Manalo, San Francisco District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safai, and San Francisco City Librarian Michael Lambert.
In his remarks during the exhibit launch, Consul General Ferrer said that “it is only fitting that a visual exhibit of this kind is staged here in San Francisco,” adding that many Filipino World War II veterans migrated to the San Francisco Bay Area to rebuild their lives following the end of the war.
“As they start anew with their families here in the Bay Area, these veterans also sought official U.S. government recognition for their sacrifices during the Second World War, and fought for the compensation and benefits that were once promised to them when they enlisted to join the war effort,” Consul General Ferrer said.
During his speech, the Philippine Consul General cited the inclusion of Philippine World War II history in the Californian state curriculum and the conferment of the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal, America’s highest civilian award, to the more than 250,000 Filipino World War II veterans.
In staging the exhibit at the Consulate, Consul General Ferrer said that “it is incumbent upon us, the legacy bearers of our World War II veterans, to ensure that their memory will never be diminished nor forgotten by future generations of Filipinos and Americans.”
The “Remember Bataan” Exhibit is divided into seven sections: timeline of World War II in the Philippines, from 1941 to 1945; the Fall of Bataan and Bataan Death March; the role of the San Francisco Bay Area in the Philippine campaign of the war; profiles of Filipino, Filipino American and American soldiers, and civilians; a video projection featuring the interviews of Filipino and American children who witnessed the war; key takeaways such as the lasting political and cultural impact of the war in the Philippines, and the legacy of Filipino Americans in the U.S. Armed Forces; and community engagement to support Filipino American veterans and their families.
The “Remember Bataan” Exhibit is open to the public from Mondays to Fridays, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for three weeks, until 30 April 2022. Those who wish the exhibit on a weekend must make an appointment at http://bit.ly/rememberbataan. END
