MacArthur and Manila Hotel

General MacArthur is a popular figure in Philippines and I remember learning of his famous phrase "I came through and I shall return" (which he said during World War 2 pledging his return to defeat the Japanese forces) during History class last time! He was the Field Marshall & Military Advisor for the Philippines Army before World War 2 and became Commander of US forces in the Far East before World War 2. However, General MacArthur was forced to leave Philippines in 1942 during the Japanese attack & subsequent invasion. He left Philippines but pledged to return and defeat the Japanese forces. At the ending stages of World War 2, he led the Allied Forces to defeat the Japanese Army during Battle for Manila in 1945.

Manila Hotel is a great place for travellers to stay in especially with its rich historic value. It was noted that General MacArthur ever lived in Manila Hotel's penthouse from from 1935 - 1941!The original building was 5 stories tall, a modern tower has since been added. The "MacArthur Suite" was his penthouse, with spectacular views of the harbor and a replica of his office, only the table and chair are original. The hotel was the scene of room-to-room fighting during the battle for Manila in February 1945 and burned by the Japanese during the fighting by accident. A new multi-level portion of the hotel was built post war.The catastrophic battle resulted to serious damages. Approximately 100, 000 civilians died and 50,000 were hurt andwounded. On the American side, 1,010 soldiers from different units died while 5,565 were wounded giving a total of 6,575 casualties. As for the Japanese casualties, it was recorded that about 16,000 soldiers died during the battle.

History

History of the Philippines

The main points of the history of the Philippines.

· The pre-Spanish period (before 1521)
· The Spanish period (1521-1898)
· The American period (1898-1946)
· The post-independence period (1946-present)

The First Philipinos

The first people in the Philippines were the Negritos. The Negritos came to the Philippines from Borneo and Sumatra 30,000 years ago, followed by people from Malaysia. Chinese salesmen arrived and settled in the ninth century, and 500 years later, Arabs arrived, introducing Islam in the south. The Malays, however, remained the dominant group until the Spanish arrived in the 16th century.

The Spanish Period

Ferdinand Magellan reached the Philippines in 1521 and claimed it for Spain. And therefore for the next 377 years the Philippines was under the Spanish rule. In this period of time the Philippines experienced the conversion to Roman Catholicism, a Spanish colonial social system was developed.
During the period of Spanish rule there were many uprisings. Western-educated Filipinos or ilustrados, [Spanish word for illustrate, enlightened ect] such as Jose Rizal began to criticize the Spanish rule and a new sense of national identity was born. This gave inspiration to the final revolt against Spain that began in 1896 under the leadership of Emilio Aguinaldo and continued until the Americans defeated the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay on May 1, 1898. Aguinaldo declared independence from Spain on June 12, 1898.

The American Period

A war of resistance against U.S. rule broke out in 1899. This conflict claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Filipinos and thousands of Americans. Filipinos and an increasing number of American historians refer to these hostilities as the Philippine-American War (1899-1902).
U.S. administration of the Philippines was always declared to be temporary and aimed to develop institutions that would permit and encourage the eventual establishment of a free and democratic government. Therefore, U.S. officials concentrated on the creation of such practical supports for democratic government as public education and a sound legal system.
In 1935, under the terms of the Tydings-McDuffie Act, the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth. Manuel Quezon was elected president of the new government, which was designed to prepare the country for independence after a 10-year transition period. World War II intervened, however, and in May 1942, Corregidor, the last American/Filipino stronghold, fell. U.S. forces in the Philippines surrendered to the Japanese, placing the islands under Japanese control. During the occupation, thousands of Filipinos fought a running guerilla campaign against Japanese forces.
The full-scale war to regain the Philippines began when General Douglas MacArthur(from mentioned above) landed on Leyte on October 20, 1944. Filipinos and Americans fought together until the Japanese surrendered in September 1945. Much of Manila was destroyed during the final months of the fighting, making it the second most devastated city in World War II after Warsaw. In total, an estimated one million Filipinos lost their lives in the war.
Due to the Japanese occupation, the guerrilla warfare that followed, and the battles leading to liberation, the country suffered great damage and a complete organizational breakdown. Despite the shaken state of the country, the U.S. and the Philippines decided to move forward with plans for independence.

On July 4, 1946, the Philippine Islands became the independent Republic of the Philippines, in accordance with the terms of the Tydings-McDuffie Act. In 1962, the official Philippine Independence Day was changed from July 4 to June 12, commemorating the date independence from Spain was declared by Emilio Aguinaldo in 1898.

Independence

The early years of independence were dominated by U.S.-assisted postwar reconstruction.

In 1972, President Ferdinand E. Marcos (1965-86) clared martial law, citing growing lawlessness and open rebellion by the communist rebels as his justification. Marcos governed from 1973 until mid-1981 in accordance with the transitory provisions of a new constitution that replaced the commonwealth constitution of 1935.

The government began a process of political normalization during 1978-81, culminating in the reelection of President Marcos to a six-year term that would have ended in 1987. The Marcos government's respect for human rights remained low despite the end of martial law on January 17, 1981. His government retained its wide arrest and detention powers, and corruption and cronyism contributed to a serious decline in economic growth and development.
The assassination of opposition leader Benigno (Ninoy) Aquino upon his return to the Philippines in 1983 after a long period of exile coalesced popular dissatisfaction with Marcos and set in motion a succession of events that culminated in a snap presidential election in February 1986. The opposition united under Aquino's widow, Corazon Aquino, and Salvador Laurel, head of the United Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO). The election was marred by widespread electoral fraud on the part of Marcos and his supporters. Marcos was forced to flee the Philippines in the face of a peaceful civilian-military uprising that ousted him and installed Corazon Aquino as president on February 25, 1986.

Fidel Ramos was elected president in 1992.

In June 1994, President Ramos signed into law a general conditional amnesty covering all rebel groups, as well as Philippine military and police personnel accused of crimes committed while fighting the insurgents.

In October 1995, the government signed an agreement bringing the military insurgency to an end. A peace agreement with one major Muslim insurgent group, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), was signed in 1996, using the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) as a vehicle for self-government.
Popular movie actor Joseph Ejercito Estrada's election as president in May 1998 marked the Philippines' third democratic succession since the ouster of Marcos. Estrada was elected with overwhelming mass support on a platform promising poverty alleviation and an anti-crime crackdown.
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, elected vice president in 1998, assumed the presidency in January 2001 after widespread demonstrations that followed the breakdown of Estrada's impeachment trial on corruption charges. National and local elections took place in May 2004. Under the constitution, Arroyo was eligible for another six-year term as president, and she won a hard-fought campaign against her primary challenger, movie actor Fernando Poe, Jr., in elections held May 10, 2004.

Impeachment charges were brought against Arroyo in June 2005 for allegedly tampering with the results of the elections after purported tapes of her speaking with an electoral official during the vote count surfaced, but Congress rejected the charges in September 2005. Similar charges were discussed and dismissed by Congress in the summer of 2006.

The Flag of The Philippines

This is the Philippines flag, and there is a very interesting history concerning the Filipino flag.

The blue color stands for peace, truth and justice, the red stands for patriotism and valor, the white for equality and fraternity.

The Eight rays symbolizes the eight provinces which first sought independence from Spain. And the three stars represent the three major geographical divisions of the country (Visayas, Luzon & Mindano).

I was also recently told by a friend that the flag is that it is displayed with the blue field on top in times of peace, but in times of war, it will be swapped and the red field will be at the top!Interesting!

Timeline of the history

● 1380 - Muslim Arabs arrived at the Sulu Archipelago.
● 1521 - Ferdinand Magellan "discovers" the islands and names them: Archipelago of San Lazaro.
● 1542 - Spanish expedition commandeered by Ruy Lopez de Villalobos claims the islands for Spain; names them "Philippines" after Prince Philip, later King Philip II of Spain; the Philippines becomes part of Spanish Empire.
● 1872 - Gomburza (Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jocinto Zamora) were executed by the Spaniards.
● 1892 - Jose Rizal founded the civic organization La Liga Filipina.
● 1896 - Katipuneros tear their cedulas & shout in contempt of the Spaniards in what is called the Cry of Pugadlawin.
● 1897, General Emilio Aguinaldo establishes the a new republic at Biak-na-Bato in Bulacan.
● 1886 - José Rizal publishes anti-Spanish novel, Noli Me Tangere (The Lost Eden); and seers up independence sentiment.
● 1896 - Spanish execute Rizal for instigating insurrection; public outrage spawns rebellion.
● 1898 - American warship Maine was blown up in Havana harbour, triggers the the Spanish-American war, the battle of Manila Bay ensues.
● 1898 - Emilio Aguinaldo assembled the Malolos Congress in Bulacan, then declares independence in Kawit, Cavite
● 1899 - Treaty of Paris ends Spanish-American War, cedes Philippines to U.S. after payment to Spain by U.S. of $ 20 million. Emilio Aguinaldo declares independence then leads a guerrilla war against U.S.
● 1901 - U.S. captures Aguinaldo; William Howard Taft arrives as first U.S. governor of Philippines.
● 1902 - Insurrection ends; Taft improves economic conditions, settles disputes over church ownership of land, establishes "Pensionado" program, allowing Filipinos to study in U.S., which helped modernize and westernize the country.
● 1916 - U.S. congress passes the Jones Law establishing elected Filipino legislature with house and senate.
● 1934 - U.S. congress approves the Tydings-McDuffie Law promising Philippine independence by 1946; transition to independence begins.
● 1935 - Filipino people approve constitution creating the Philippine Commonwealth with Manuel Quezon y Molina as president.
● 1941 - Japanese invades the Philippines, and defeats Gen. Douglas MacArthur at Bataan and Corregidor; Quezon establishes government in exile in the U.S.
● 1944 - Quezon dies in exile; Vice President Sergio Osmeña assumes the presidency; MacArthur returns to the Philippines and lands in Leyte with little resistance.
● 1945 - Gen. MacArthur liberates Manila and President Osmeña establishes government
● 1946 - The U.S. gave the Philippines independence and Manuel Roxas y Acuña is elected as the first president of the new republic.
● 1965 - Ferdinand E. Marcos is elected by a big majority as president
● 1972 - Martial Law was declared by President Marcos
● 1981 - Marcos lifts Martial Law
● 1983 - Opposition leader Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino returns from exile and is assassinated on arrival at Manila International Airport; Aquino's widow Corazon leads the "People Power" protest movement
● 1986 - Marcos was declared winner in a presidential election beating Corazon Aquino amid charges of fraud; demonstrations erupt; Marcos flees to Hawaii; Aquino is declared president and forms a new government
● 1992 - Endorsed by Aquino, her Secretary of Defense Gen. Fidel Ramos wins presidential election. U.S. Philippine congress rejects a new treaty with the U.S. and Subic Bay naval base and Clark Air Field returns to Philippine government, ending American military presence in the Philippines
● 1996 - The government of Ramos agrees to greater autonomy for southern island of Mindanao. Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) ends the guerrilla war with the government.
● 1997 - Asian financial crisis grips Asia and the Philippines escapes the crisis despite series of currency devaluations
● 1988 - Former movie actor Joseph Estrada is elected president
● 2000 - On charges of corruption, the lower house impeach Estrada
● 2001 - Estrada was forced to step down due to public outrage over corruption allegations. Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumes the presidency.
● 2004 - Presidential election takes place. Arroyo's closest rival (a dear friend of Ex-President Estrada) is film actor Fernando Poe, Jr. Arroyo narrowly defeats Poe, taking 39.5% of the vote to Poe's 36.6%.
● 2005 - A taped conversation between President Arroyo & an election official surfaced during the 2004 elections implying she influenced the official election results. Calls for her resignation and demonstrations followed soon after. In September 2005, Congress voted down the filing of an impeachment against Arroyo.
● 2007 - Former President Joseph Estrada is convicted of plunder, the first ever in the history of the Philippines.

Source: http://images.google.com.sg/imgres?imgurl=http://www.philippine-history.org/images/Fredinand-E-Marcos.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.philippine-history.org/presidents.htm&h=434&w=350&sz=12&hl=da&start=1&usg=__jWr9r1eKqsQWvgD2lec5wHhJOhU=&tbnid=5qr1NrRefcLbAM:&tbnh=126&tbnw=102&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dphilippines,%2Bpresident%2Bferdinand%2BE.%2Bmarcos%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Dda