TACLOBAN CITY-The historic Balangiga Bells are now in full public display as the artifacts were placed at the garden of the Saint Lawrence The Martyr Church on December 24.
And it took about almost two hours to complete the installation of the three weighty bells to the concrete stands inside the garden with the help of a boom truck assisted by 10 men.
The bells, after their return to the town on December 15 to Balangiga, were placed in a movable platform and were displayed inside the church.
Fr. Serafin Tybaco, parish priest of Saint Lawrence The Martyr, said that the bells were transferred to the Church’s garden, measuring of about 20 x 10 meters, at past 4 pm on Dec.24 after he presided the morning masses on that day.
A canopy was placed on top of the bells as protection from heat and rain.
“We just want to ask for the pilgrims and visitors to preserve the bells sacredness. That is why we want to control the pilgrims and visitors. They can have their photos taken but they could not touch them,”Tybaco, reached on his phone, said.
A concrete railing was put up around the garden to ensure that the people could not have their photos taken so close or touch the artifacts.
With the bells now outside the Church building, more pilgrims and tourists alike are expected to see the bells taken by the American troops 117 years ago.
At least 2 policemen are to be assigned inside the Church’s vicinity, aside from roving policemen, Tybaco said.
The bells, aside from being considered as Church properties, are also being eyed by the municipal government as potential tourism attraction for Balangiga.
Fe “Joy” Campanero, tourism and information officer, said that they expect their town would greatly benefit on the return of the bells, particularly its tourism industry.
Fr.Tybaco said that the bells will be eventually be placed at the church’s belfry where these will be put permanently.
But still, these bells while on display at the Church’s garden are now being used during the conduct of a Mass, Tybaco said.
The bells were returned to the Philippines on Dec.11 and turned over by President Rodrigo Duterte to the municipal government through Mayor Randy Graza during a simple rites held at the town’s covered court on Dec.15.
Graza, in turn, turned the bells to the Church on that same day.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
Balangiga Bells now in display inside Saint Lawrence The Martyr garden
DPWH alerts disaster response team in preparation for tropical
BORONGAN CITY- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Eastern Samar District Engineering Office immediately mobilize and reactivates disaster response team to undertake preparatory activities to mitigate possible damages.
Heavy equipment, manpower and other logistic needs were already prepositioned on strategic locations in the province specifically located at Taft, Eastern Samar; DPWH Area Equipment Services, Bato, Borongan City; Guiuan, Eastern Samar; Giporlos, Eastern Samar; Dapdap, Dolores, Eastern Samar and Arteche, Eastern Samar.
In an interview, District Engineer Manolo A. Rojas guaranteed the public that DPWH will continue to cater direct responses to any possible occurrences caused by typhoons.
“DPWH secures the public that we will always be highly on guard and attentive on possible incidents due to typhoons like floodings and landslides. Rest assured we will definitely make immediate and outright actions that concern these instances,” said DE Rojas.
District Maintenance Engineer Domcelio Natividad said that all maintenance crews, drivers and heavy equipment operators are on standby for quick response to any eventualities.
“We are monitoring 24/7 and we are also issuing situational reports and road advisories to the public,” added Engr. Natividad.
Eastern Samar as of December 27, 2018 is under tropical cyclone warning signal no. 1. (JAYSON G. ESPESO, Engineer II/PIO-Designate)
Couple invests P1.6 billion in Leyte rice program
ALANGALANG, Leyte – The Department of Agriculture will engage in a partnership a private company owned by a French-Filipino couple, who invested P1.7-B in a modern rice processing complex and farm machinery, to develop the rice industry of Leyte and the southern towns of Samar Island.
Patrick Renucci, a French printing company owner, and his wife Rachelle Tan, daughter of a known Filipino-Chinese businessman, have agreed to work with the DA in implementing their dream of turning Leyte into one of the biggest rice production areas of the country.
The couple, who decided to leave behind all their businesses in France and settle in Alangalang town right after “Typhoon Yolanda” in 2015 to help people recover from the devastation, said the support of the DA to their advocacy would complete their dream of improving the lives of the people of the province through increased rice production.
Shortly after settling down in Alangalang town, the couple established a company called ChenYi Agri and purchased farm tractors, harvesters, transplanters, including laser-guided field levellers to develop the rice farms in Leyte.
In 2016, they invested over P1-B for the construction of the most modern fully-automated rice processing complex in the country which they expect to be commissioned by President Rodrigo Duterte in January 2019.
In the partnership arrangement which was agreed in principle during my visit to the Rice Processing Complex on Dec. 21, the DA will support ChenYi Agri by providing more farm equipment and extending loan assistance to farmers engaged by the company through a supervised loaning program.
The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) through its Executive Director Dr. Sailila Abdula will also support the program by providing high yielding seeds of good quality rice varieties.
The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) will also be brought in to conduct training for rice farmers to improve their farming technology.
Currently, ChenYi extends loans for seeds at 0% interest to farmers in the area, fertilizers at very low interest rates and equipment and machinery services payable upon harvest.
The company has 10 small tractors, several units of transplanters, 10 harvesters and trucks and intends to acquire more to hit their target of a production area of 2,000 hectares by 2019.
With the partnership with the DA, Patrick and Rachelle Renucci believes that Leyte could be known in the whole country as the producer of high quality rice grown out of compassion and love for the victims of “Typhoon Yolanda.”
(SEC. MANNY PIñOL/PR)
Balangiga Bells rung to signal start of ‘Misa de Gallo’
BALANGIGA, Eastern Samar- In a rare occasion, the St. Lawrence The Martyr Church of this town was brimming with faithful on Sunday (December 16), the start of the ‘Misa de Gallo.’
After all, it’s not just an ordinary mass ushering the first of the nine early Masses before the Christmas Day celebration on December 25.
In the words of the town parish priest, Fr. Serafin Tybaco, Jr., it’s a “very special mass.’
The Church used the just returned Balangiga Bells signaling the start of the dawn masses which was clearly heard, at least within the town center.
At 4:15 am, the smallest of the three historic bells, which were mounted in a movable platform made of gold-painted steel and specially built by the Department of National Defense, was pealed five times to signal the start of the mass.
About 900 faithful attended the two- hour mass which was marred by a power failure. The church used its power generator all throughout the proceeding.
“This is a very special mass because the bells are now with us. The pealing of the bells is so distinctive that could not be described in words,” Fr. Tybaco said during an interview after he presided the mass.
He hopes that with the returned of the bells, the already religious Balangiga-ons will “further deepen their faith.”
Severa Duran, 80, said that she was heartened to see that the church was filled with the faithful.
“While there were times that the church is filled up with people, today’s number of Churchgoers is bigger. Perhaps, it’s because we have the bells already,” she said.
Duran said that what made her doubly excited to see the bells is that it happened ‘in my lifetime.’
“There were efforts before for the bells be returned to us but all failed until now. At least it happened in my lifetime,” the retired school teacher said.
The three bells, which was officially turned over to the parish Saturday by town Mayor Randy Graza after a ceremony held at the town’s gymnasium or covered court and witnessed by President Rodrigo Duterte and US officials led by John Law, chief of mission of the US Embassy, and Defense Assistant Secretary Joseph Filter.
Just after the mass ended, the bells were immediately surrounded by those who attended mass.
And as expected, they took photos with the bells as their backdrop.
Several children were seen touching the bells.
Melody Lumagbas, 13, said that she, just like the rest of the people of Balangiga, is happy to see the bells up close and personal.
“I just saw the bells on television and now, the bells are in our Church. I am happy to see them myself,” she said, giggling.
The bells are temporarily placed inside the Church due to ‘security concern,’ Fr. Tybaco said.
He could not say when these bells are to be place back to the church’s belfry or at the church’s grounds where three concrete stands were earlier constructed.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
Pres. Duterte asks locals to preserve the bells
With the return of the Balangiga Bells
BALANGIGA, Eastern Samar- President Rodrigo Duterte witnessed the turnover of the three historic bells named after this town as he urged the townfolks to secure the historic bells.
The President arrived at the venue of the turnover rites about an hour late from his 4 pm schedule which was attended by US officials, Filipino and American veterans, Cabinet members led by Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana, and Church officials led by the papal nuncio, Archbishop Gabrielle Caccia and Davao Archbishop and president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Romulo Valles.
“I am sure that our ancestors are celebrating with us here on this remarkable victory. And that it does not only bring back the glory of the town, but also contributes to the full restoration of our dignity as a Filipino,” Mr. Duterte said on his six-minutes speech he read during the rites held at the town’s covered court which is adjacent to the St. Lawrence The Martyr Church where the bells were turned over immediately after the civilian rites.
“I therefore trust that our kababayans in Balangiga and the rest of our country would ensure the protection of these gems are continued to preserve and promote our culture and history,” the President added.
Mr. Duterte also said that no single individual could claim on the responsibility for the return of the bell carted away by the Americans 117 years ago.
“The bells are returned and it was really because of the fervent prayers of the entire Filipino nation, period,” he said.
The bells, two of them were displayed at F.E. Warren Air Base in Wyoming, USA while the other one was displayed at Camp Red Cloud located in Uijeongbu City, South Korea, were used to signal the attack of the local guerillas against the US troops which resulted to the death 48 American soldiers.
This, in turn, resulted for the American troops, led by General Jacob Smith, ordered to kill the locals, to include boys 10 and above, and turned Samar into a ‘howling wilderness.’
During the program, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Joseph Felter, who represented US Defense Chief James Mattis, greeted the villagers “Merry Christmas” as he presented the bells to the ecstatic and tearful crowd gathered at the venue.
“We hope you will ring in the church of Balangiga once again uplifting and gracing us all with the voices of our better angels,” he said.
The three bells arrived in Manila on December 11, after it was transported by “The Spirit of MacArthur,” a plane named after the legendary American General Douglas MacArthur who led the liberation of the Philippines from the Japanese occupation during World War II.
“MacArthur famously kept his promise to return to the Philippines. This week, MacArthur returned again this time with the bells,” Felter said.
For his part, John Law, chief of mission of the US Embassy to the Philippines, said that the return of the bells underscores the enduring friendship of the two nations.
“Many Filipinos of good heart and good will work tirelessly for decades for the return of the bells. The bells are home now in Balangiga where they belong. These bells are yours,” he said.
He also thanked the American veteran groups who lobbied hard on the return of the bells.
While Law admitted that the bells “regrettably caught up in the conflict” during the Philippine-American war, he said two countries have now become partners and allies.
“Our relationship has withstood difficulty and it flourishes today,” Law said.
Church leaders in the Diocese of Borongan also expressed gratitude to both US and Philippine government officials who lobbied on the repatriation of the bells.
“Please be assured that we will return the bells to their original purpose, and care and cherish them for its precious legacy,” said Bishop Crispin Varquez of the Borongan Diocese, in his speech during the rites, said.
“We courageously express our commitment that we will do everything we can that these bells will not be separated from us again. They will remain in this church. Never again, Balangiga, these bells will be taken away from you,” the bishop said.
Archbishop Valles, for his part, said that the bells’ repatriation “underlines deeper appreciation of respect and friendship.”
Valles referred to the hand-over ceremony as “a very joyful event.”
Town Mayor Randy Graza, who received the bells from Defense Sec. Lorenzana, said that they are just too glad that the bells were finally returned to them.
“The Balangiga Bells have returned because of goodwill. The Balangiga Bells will not ring again for what it tolled 117 years ago,” Graza said.
To honor the heroism and legacy of the “brave sons” of Balangiga, Leyte Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez filed a resolution calling for the recognition and commendation of the “bravery, courage, and sacrifice of the unarmed heroes of Balangiga and the Parish of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr.”
Meanwhile, Rolando Borrinaga, historian and one of the campaigners of the bell, said that the repatriation of the bells should paved the way for an unapologetic manner of celebrating the Balangiga Encounter.
“We will celebrate as a victor. We won against a powerful enemy, we won against ourselves and our limitations,” Borrinaga said.
He was also hopeful that because of Balangiga is now in the limelight, this can also “generate tourism” to the town.
BY: RONALD O. REYES/LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA
EV soldiers rejoice on the return of the bells
BALANGIGA, Eastern Samar – The return of the historic bells to the town was also a cause for celebration among soldiers in the region.
Thus said Capt. Francis Agno, spokesperson of the 8th Infantry Division whose main camp was named after General Vicente Lukban who served as the top military official of Samar Island at that time.
Samar, under Lukban’s leadership, remained one of the few areas of Filipino resistance during the American occupation.
“It was Gen. Lukban who led the attack during the Balangiga Encounter on September 28, 1901 and because of his heroism, the 8th Division headquarters was named after him,” Agno shared.
Camp Vicente Lukban is located in Barangay Maulong, Catbalogan City.
Cyril Lukban, a great-great grandson of General Lukban, also expressed pride that his ancestor was part of the Filipino guerillas responsible on the worst single defeat by the American troops during the Filipino-American War.
The 52-year old Lukban personally visited Balangiga to witness the momentous turnover of the revered bells on Saturday (December 15).
“The bells are back to unite the people in Balangiga. We are very much happy to be here,” he said.
The bells were returned to the country 117 years after these artifacts were forcibly removed by the American soldiers from the belfry of the church of the town.
The three bells were repatriated back to the country on December 11 and were formally turned over to the parish of St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish on Dec.15.
Gen. Lukban’s name is inscribed along with 113 Filipino soldiers who fought during the September 28,1901 attack against the American soldiers assigned at that time in this town at the Balangiga Incident Marker, located within the town plaza.
The Balangiga Incident Marker is the work of National Artist Napoleon Abueva which was inaugurated during the 102nd Balangiga Incident anniversary on September 28, 2003. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)