The Demolished Landmark of Panay Liberation

On March 18, 1945 at Parara, Tigabauan, Iloilo.

If the monument could tell a story, it would tell everyone of this:

From the ground which is in level of the road, the triangular pavement was elevated by three steps which represented the three years of WWII in the Pacific.

The triangular pavement was enclosed by a fence made of iron bars which symbolized the Japanese occupation and the captivity of the town.

At the center of the triangular enclosure is a semi-square line of low pillars joined together by iron chains which symbolized the suppression of the human rights and loss of the four freedoms, and the abolition of the democratic form of government, and the implementation of martial rule.

At the center of the chained area stood the four-sided tower-like architectural structure which represented the American soldiers, the Filipino soldiers, the guerrillas and the civilians who, side by side and hand in hand, valiantly and fiercely repelled the Japanese aggression, until at last they reached the summit of victory, which is the Liberation.

The first segment of the structure bears the statues of Gen. Peralta, Guerrilla (Commander in Chief for Panay), Gen. Ralph Brush (Landing Operation Commander) and Col. Julian Chavez, (Deputy Assistant, PVA).

The second segment of the structure held the uppermost quadrilateral base. It represented the sea with the design of the waves, over which emerged the amphibian war tanks loaded with US Marine soldiers armed with machine guns and bazookas at the foreground. At the background, floated the US Navy battleship that carried the American liberators who bombarded the Japanese Garrison at the Tigbauan Central Elem. School Building, which is nearest the shore and within the reach of the bombshells fired  by the American Marines, through the cannons protruding on both sides of the battleship."

In 1952, this landmark was constructed, funded by donations solicited by the then Vice Mayor Eugenio T. Torrento who was the commander of the Philippine Veterans Legion, from fellow veterans, the Veterans Legion and benevolent American and Filipino friends. No government money was used through the politician, that is why there is no "through the efforts of Tal Polano/So and So"  nga naga barakang sa monumento.

In 1954, the landmark was declared and sealed by NHC as a historical heritage.

Sometime, in the advent of the 20th millennium, the landmark was demolished and replaced by a triangular wall that looked like half of a cargo ship designed by a frustrated seaman. The wall obstructed the view of the crossroad to Binaliuan, which caused several fatal accidents.

I assert that no one has the right to efface and desecrate the sentimental memorial of the Tigbauan people. That is why, I wrote a poem dedicated to the Liberation Landmark, entitled: "Ellegy to a Demolished Monument."

                                                                                - Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento