Maria Cervantes, 88, of Barangay Lote in Balanga City, was in Grade 6 at the Balanga Elementary School when the school was turned into a garrison by the Japanese Imperial Army after battle-weakend Filipino and American soldiers under the United States Armed Forces in the Far East were about to surrender.
“Maraming sundalong Pilipino at Amerikano at pati sibilyan ang ikinulong dito. Itinatali muna sa puno ng manggang ito ang mga bihag bago dalhin sa torture room at patayin,” the old woman said.
She said she and her mother were selling fish when they were brought to the garrison with other civilians rounded up during a “sona” by Japanese soldiers. She said she did not stay long and was immediately released.
She pointed to a big mango tree and a preserved comfort room for girls constructed in 1932 that served as execution room.
“Passing through the path walk, you will see the towering old mango trees which were the silent witnesses to this historic event on the World War II garrison for American and Filipino captives by the Japanese Imperial Army,” reads a sign on the trunk of a mango tree.
Two century-old mango trees in the area continued to bear fruits but the one where American and Filipino captives were tied before execution, for unknown reason, stopped bearing fruits for the past years.
Cervantes recalled that sometime in April, 1942 before Bataan fell on April 9, Balanga was filled with people that Japanese soldiers rounded up and loaded in six-by-six trucks.
Cervantes with her father and mother and six siblings were among those who were told to board one of the trucks for Barangay Cabcaben in Mariveles, Bataan. “Ibinaba kami sa Cabcaben at naglakad kami ng tatlong araw at tatlong gabi pabalik hanggang Balanga,” she said.
The old woman said the Japanese soldiers were tolerant on civilians but very strict on surrendering Filipino and American soldiers who were on separate lines.
She worked as a volunteer tour guide at the World War II Museum at the back of the Balanga Elementary School.
