As American forces prepared to head to Manila in January 1945, Field Marshal Douglas MacArthur hoped for the peaceful handover of the city; he had, after all, in December, 1941 proclaimed Manila an Open City and withdrawn USAFFE troops.
American troops were given three major objectives: first, the liberation of the University of Santo Tomas, where Allied civilians had been interned throughout the Japanese Occupation; second, the seizure of Malacañan Palace as it was the seat of the presidency; and third, the reclamation of the Legislative Building which housed the Congress and was the site upon which he hoped the Commonwealth would be restored.
The American 1st Cavalry Division and the 37th Infantry Division were first deployed to immediately liberate the internees held by Japanese forces at the University of Santo Tomas. The 1st Cavalry quickly and successfully captured UST and Malacañan Palace and spared parts of northern Manila from destruction. Their liberation marked the beginning of the Battle for Manila.
Recognizing this threat posed by the Americans, the bulk of Japanese forces under General Tomoyuki Yamashita withdrew to Baguio City with the intention of holding back US and Filipino forces in Northern Luzon. General Yamashita ordered that the city be evacuated and that bridges be destroyed at the sight of American troops. However, Rear Admiral Iwabuchi Sanji, fully aware of the ignominy of surrender under the code of Bushido, opted instead to defend the city to the death. The Japanese fiercely defended their positions. They destroyed bridges, notably those that crossed the Pasig, to limit the mobility of the Allied forces. Along with the bridges, part of the Japanese strategy included having entire rows of houses and buildings in the areas of Escolta, Sta. Cruz, Quiapo, and Chinatown set aflame. In them were ordinary civilians who burned along with their homes. Fueled by intense suspicion, the Japanese saw no trouble gathering civilians—fathers, mothers and children alike—bolting structures shut and setting them ablaze. As the wind carried the flames and hastened the spread of fire, houses along Azcarraga were broken down and transformed into firebreaks. The ruination of Manila had begun.
Upon realizing that they were surrounded and fearing the repercussions of surrender, the Japanese occupied heavy concrete buildings: the Post Office, Congress, Manila City Hall, the University of the Philippines and edifices in Intramuros. They aspired to keep their strongholds fortified against the Allied forces.
In a move to protect the city and its inhabitants, MacArthur strictly imposed restrictions on U.S. air support and artillery. But some still perished through ‘friendly fire’ and the destruction of some areas was inevitable.
As defeat seemed imminent and facing certain death and capture, the Japanese exacted vengeance on Filipino civilians caught in the crossfire and foreigners alike whose death gave sense to the notion that they could conquer their enemies. Filipinos were brutally massacred—by machine guns, bayonets, and katanas—but not without the added torture of rape which our women fell victim to. Fort Santiago, San Agustin Church, De La Salle College, the German Club, San Juan de Dios Hospital and the Red Cross building were all bloodstained; brothels were erected, notably the Bayview Hotel whose chambers accommodated Filipinas and expatriate women alike. Their one task was to wait in silence and fear for their Japanese captors to lay siege on them.
Vintage photograph of US tanks rumbling through Malacañan Palace grounds, superimposed on present-day Kalayaan Hall.
The Battle for Manila ended on March 3, 1945, a month following the arrival of the 1st Cavalry Division. 100,000 Filipinos perished, government buildings lay in ruins—and Manila was Pearl of the Orient no more. The once illustrious city and the Orient’s first cosmopolitan hub that merged the East and West now vanished under piles of debris.
Following the end of the Battle, General Yamashita was tried and later found guilty for the massacre of countless Filipinos. He was hung for War Crimes on February 3, 1946 at Los Baños. Survivors of the Battle felt intense hatred for the Japanese whose method of inflicting violence had been both brutal and deeply personal. This sentiment was so great that even when viewing their destroyed city of Manila, they welcomed the destruction as the price they had to pay for liberation. In this month-long conflict, Filipinos lost invaluable articulations of culture and their identity as a people. Government buildings, universities and colleges, churches as well as other institutional landmarks perished along with all the valuables in their possession. Buildings suffered demolition to pave the way for progress. This meant doing away with European architecture in lieu of the functional, American style architecture that inspires some of our buildings today. Only few among the original edifices would remain intact.
For the 68thanniversary of the Battle for Manila, members of the group Memorare Manila converged at the Plazuela de Santa Isabel in Intramuros for a commemorative ceremony. This group composed of several survivors and their supporters, aims to keep the memory of the 100,000 Filipinos who perished during the Battle for Manila alive. Through their leadership a monument was erected on the 18th of February 1995.
The inscription reads:
“This memorial is dedicated to all those innocent victims of war, many of whom went nameless and unknown to a common grave, or even never knew a grave at all, their bodies having been consumed by fire or crushed to dust beneath the rubble of ruins.”
“Let this monument be the gravestone for each and every one of the over 100,000 men, women, children and infants killed in Manila during its battle of liberation, February 3 – March 3, 1945. We have not forgotten them, nor shall we ever forget.”
“May they rest in peace as part now of the sacred ground of this city: the Manila of our affections.”
Through an exclusive partnership with Tiger Films, we are making available a rare, colored film featuring the devastation of Manila in the aftermath of the Battle of Manila. The footage, shot on Kodak color film, showcases the extent of the destruction on the city of Manila, which was the second most devastated Allied capital of World War II.
The ruins of the Legislative Building, circa 1945. This photo was digitally colorized by the PCDSPO.
Neilson Field during the Battle of Manila, superimposed on the current landscape of the area
(present-day Makati City).
The drive towards Intramuros. February 13 – 22, 1945.
Eliminating the last outposts of resistance. February 23 – March 3, 1945
Upon realizing that they were surrounded and fearing the repercussions of surrender, the Japanese occupied heavy concrete buildings: the Post Office, Congress, Manila City Hall, the University of the Philippines and edifices in Intramuros. They aspired to keep their strongholds fortified against the Allied forces.
For the 68th anniversary of the Battle for Manila, members of the group Memorare Manila converged at the Plazuela de Santa Isabel in Intramuros for a commemorative ceremony. This group composed of several survivors and their supporters, aims to keep the memory of the 100,000 Filipinos who perished during the Battle for Manila alive. Through their leadership a monument was erected on the 18th of February 1995.
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