Photos et lettres des Philippines, de France et d'ailleurs

Second part:

The Americans surrendered to the Japanese on April 9 and May 6, 1942. After the tragic defeats of Bataan and Corregidor, MacArthur ordered by President Roosevelt, had left the Philippines to Australia on March 12, 1942, taking his famous oath "I shall return".
After the defeat began the infamous Death march of Bataan. This 97 km march, involving the forcible transfer of 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war from the Bataan peninsula to prison camps, was characterized by wide-ranging physical abuse and murder. It resulted in very high fatalities inflicted upon the prisoners and civilians. The exact death count has been impossible to determine, but Allied reports have tabulated that only 54,000 of the 72,000 prisoners reached their destination. 

If the American people had known in 1942 the truth about MacArthur's incompetent defense of the Philippines, his abandonment of his troops, army nurses, and American civilians to the vengeance of the Japanese, and his callous disregard for their survival when he was safe in Australia, it is almost certain that they would have demanded that he be dismissed from command. As it happened, MacArthur escaped to Australia with his staff officers, and those who could have testified to his incompetence as a commander were left behind on the Philippines where they were either executed by the Japanese, died from mistreatment, or suffered harsh captivity in Japanese prison camps until 1945.

Although Roosevelt had serious misgivings about MacArthur's military competence, a view which was shared by many senior Navy and Army officers, the United States government was forced to acknowledge MacArthur's self-generated status as a national hero by awarding him the Medal of Honor and placing him in supreme command of the South-West Pacific Area, with his headquarters in Australia. The appointment of MacArthur in March 1942 as Supreme Commander, South-West Pacific Area, placed a man of deeply flawed character and poor military judgment in overall command of Australia's defense forces at a time of great peril for Australia. Later in 1942, when heavily outnumbered and poorly supplied Australian troops were engaged in a deadly struggle to block a determined Japanese advance towards Australia along the Kokoda Trail, MacArthur would again exhibit his serious failings as a commander.

Fortunately for Australia, this liability was balanced by the appointment of a brilliant naval officer, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, to command the war at sea against the Japanese.

So on 20 October 1944, Douglas MacArthur landed in Leyte, delivering his famous «I have returned. » However, the Japanese resisted strongly and followed the Battle of Leyte and with the many maritime forces involved, the Battle of the Leyte Gulf, which lasted four days and is considered the largest naval battle in history.

(The landing of General Douglas MacArthur and his staff in Leyte on October 20, 1944)

(I was born 43 days later)

It is said that General MacArthur chose Leyte because he knew to find there the strong support of the local guerrilla. However a Swiss friend of mine, a historian at times, claims that Leyte was also his choice because it was where his mistress of before the war was living. My friend still tells me that at the time mistresses were as tough as wives, thereafter it cost old Douglas $ 20 000 of that time to get rid of her but should we believe a Swiss? (Joke).
Perhaps you found this history chapter a little long but the Second World War fascinates me, also for personal reasons.
And our General Charles de Gaulle will you say? He also fled to Britain to continue the fight against the Nazis? True but I certainly think it was another context and another man, he wa an oak.

After Douglas, my driver took me to visit the San Juanico Bridge, formerly the Marcos Bridge, stretching from Samar to Leyte crossing the San Juanico strait. It is the longest bridge in the Philippines spanning a body of water with a length of 2160 meters. It is considered one of the most beautifully-designed bridges in the country. The bridge is supported by 43 spans rising 41 meters above the sea. It has a large arch beneath which allows boats to pass.

(San Juanico bridge. Towards Samar)

(San Juanico bridge. Towards Leyte)

(San Juanico bridge. The arch)

The construction of the 22 million-dollar bridge began in 1969 and was completed in 1973, during the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos.

To end the day, there was still a visit to Raphael's farm, a 40 minutes drive from Tacloban where in a beautiful landscaped park many varieties of plants and trees can be found.  This place has also a good restaurant serving products of the farm.

(Raphaël's farm)

The next day May 14, I went to the bus terminal to go down to the south by the east coast, but all buses were crowded or I had to wait several hours.

Furthermore, though I may still have the mind of a backpacker, my lower back and my knees reminded me that some years had passed since my youth. I realized as well that for the photo, travelling by bus was far to be practical as I couldn't stop when and where I wanted. So I acted on impulse and took the first vehicle bound for Ormoc with the objective of returning to my house.

Along the way I felt remorse at having 'deserted' and when arrived in Ormoc rather than the boat to Cebu, I took a 'multicab' to Albuera, 15 km to the south. Once there I went to Baybayon Ni Agalon Resort for lunch and inquire about the room rates.  I found the price of 1650 pesos (€ 27) per night too high for me. Thus I rented a room for 850 pesos (€ 14) a little further at Fischer Hostel.

(Albuera sunset)

Living half the year in the Philippines with a beach house, I do not need to stay in expensive tourist resorts if given the choice.

Still undecided about touring the Island now by the west coast, the next day I took a bus first to Babay and then another one to Maasin. All in all a 5 hours trip. Maasin where I had already been in 2002 is the Capital of the province of Southern Leyte, it has a population of 80 000 inhabitants.
I booked a room at 800 pesos at Ampil Pension, a quite correct place.

(Maasin 'Cathedral')

(A Maasin's street but it could be anywhere in the Philippines)

All the hotel rooms I rent when I travel always have as a minimum standard, air conditioning, a bathroom, often the cable TV and of course are clean.

After lunch I returned after seven years to Padre Burgos, a town of 10 000 inhabitants, at an hour's' multicab ' ride (kind of small jeepney) south of Maasin.
Padre Burgos is also famous for its beaches of white sand like Tangkaan Beach, where you can see the island of Limasawa or that of Likay-Likay where you can go fishing and snorkeling.

(Padre Burgos. A colorful pumpboat)

(Padre Burgos. The first rainbow I have ever observed in the Philippines)

It was showering so I did not stay long and I returned to the city.
Saturday 16, under the rain and defeated by the state of my lower back after so many hours spent in local transportation, I went back to Ormoc and the time of a meal at Don Felipe Hotel, I was again on board of the SuperCat to Cebu city.

(Aboard the SuperCat going from Ormoc to Cebu city)

I slept in Dynasty Tourist Inn (800 pesos/13 €) after having eaten a dish of fresh Carbonara pastas at the Vienna Kaffee restaurant.
The next day at 7 am I was in the air-conditioned bus to Liloan and Dumaguete where a good steak and fries awaited me with a glass of Spanish red wine.

(Arriving in Sibulan near Dumaguete)

However I am not yet done with Leyte since in October my wife wants to go there to visit her distant relatives and to find again memories of her childhood.