Balangiga Bells Attract Thousands of Tourists

More than 22,000 local and foreign tourists arrived in Balangiga to see the three historic Balangiga bells.

This is according to Franklin Robedizo, provincial tourism officer, in an interview on March 1.

No less than President Rodrigo Roa Duterte formally handed-over the three historic bells to the local government officials of Balangiga and the Diocese of Borongan on December 15, 2018.

READ MORE: PRRD Rings the Bell in Balangiga, Endeared Balangigan-Ons More

The bells have become a tourist attraction in the town of Balangiga as a remembrance of the “Balangiga Massacre.”

Fara Diva Duran Gamalo, a Balangiga resident, said that just like the rest of the populace, she is happy to see the historic bells.

She wishes though that the younger generation of the town and other places would remember that the three bells are not just ordinary bells for them to use as a backdrop for their “selfies” but a symbol on the heroism and bravery of their forefathers.

“These bells are the symbols of the gallantry of our ancestors,” Gamalo said, whose ancestors participated in the uprising.

Marissa and Melba Cablao, Hernani town natives, who now reside in Manila took time to visit the Balangiga Bells before returning to the city.

“We are thrilled to touch the bells, whose story we have heard since we were young,” said Melba, the younger Cablao.

The three historic bells are temporarily displayed at the Catholic Church grounds before they will be permanently ensconced at the belfry.

Robedizo said the figure could even be more as some tourists do not register in the log book of the Municipal Tourism Office (MTO).

Image source: PIA

“The influx of arrivals is recorded from December 15, 2018 to the 3rd week of February 2019,” Robedizo added.

Robedizo further said, the Department of Tourism and provincial and municipal tourism offices will coordinate with the Catholic Church to develop a “Historical Core Program” where they plan to make the visitors stay educational and memorable.

Another interesting site is the mass grave for the American soldiers who died on the attack of September 28, 1901.

“When the church was renovated after Super Typhoon Yolanda, the workers discovered the skulls and bones, they believe belong to the American soldiers. The medical experts said that they still have to validate,” Robedizo said.

READ MORE: Heirs of Balangiga Heroes Await for Balangiga Bells Homecoming

History tells us that in the morning of September 28, 1901, hundreds of native fighters mostly armed with bolos staged a successful attack on U.S. troops who gained control of the town, the US soldiers were mostly eating or lining up for breakfast in their garrison at Balangiga town.

The result was the “worst single defeat” of the U.S. Army in the Philippines, an event known in the U.S. official reports and publication as the “Balangiga Massacre.”

The three bells played a vital role because it signified the attacks on the American detachment. At least 54 American soldiers were killed and 18 others were wounded in the attack.

Image source: Filipino Star News

Historical account added that an outraged American Gen. Jacob Smith, immediately deployed 180 soldiers on September 29, 1901 and ordered them to turn the village into a “howling wilderness”.

The US soldiers obeyed the order that every Filipino male, at least 11 years old and capable of carrying firearms be killed and communities burned down.

Not contented with the killing of thousands of Filipinos, American soldiers took the Balangiga bells as their war trophies.

After 117 years, the three historic bells taken by the United States Army were finally returned. (NBQ/ SDC/PIA-E. Samar)