“Bataan Death March Remembered in Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar” reads a marker at the entrance to the Casa Candaba, one of the ancestral houses. Casa Candaba was built in Candaba, Pampanga in 1780 and re-built in the Bagac theme park.
“Sa exhibit, naaalaala natin ang nakaraan. Malaking bagay ang nakaraan. Kapag nakakakita ako ng beterano, naaalaala ko si Gen. Douglas MacArthur at mga sundalong lumaban sa mga Hapon,” Las Casas owner Jerry Acuzar said when asked why the exhibit was opened.
In the same way, he said, that he remembers Rizal, Bonifacio and other heroes when seeing the old houses in the park.
“By doing this development, nare-refresh sa mga kabataan ang history na nararamdaman nila physically, hindi sa libro lang. Nakikita at nararamdaman kaya madaling ikuwento at nagugustuhan ng mga kabataan,” Acuzar said.
Dexter Manansala, head of the park’s tour guides, said it was fitting to open the exhibit on the 75th year of the “fall” of Bataan and in Bagac that he said played a big role in holding back the Japanese forces.
“Sa Orion-Bagac defense line nahirapan ang mga Hapon. Ang sabi ng mga Hapon, kaya nilang pabagsakin ang Bataan sa loob ng isang buwan lang ngunit inabot sila ng mahigit dalawang buwan,” the tour guide said.
In the exhibit are pictures, write-ups and newspaper clippings about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 that started the war in the Pacific, the Battle and Resistance of Bataan and its “fall” on April 9, 1942.
Pictures show the hardships encountered by 60,000 Filipino and 15,000 American soldiers when they were forced to join the Death March from Mariveles and Bagac on April 10 and 11, 1942, respectively, reaching Capas, Tarlac on April 17, 1942.
Mananasala said that the pictures and newspaper clippings are merely copies with the originals preserved.
Helmets and water holders (canteen) used during WWII by Japanese, Filipino and American soldiers as well as Japanese samurai and American bayonet were also on display.
“Very moving, very relevant,” a male visitor said when asked on what he can say about the exhibit.
Among the guests were 89-year-old Apolonio Labog and wife from Bagac. Labog said he was 14 years old when he became a soldier with the rank of private and fought the Japanese using a Garand rifle.
