Hybrid Leyte Gulf Landing commemoration to push through

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 19, 2021): Hybrid Leyte Gulf Landing commemoration to push through (By Roel Amazona)

LIBERATION. The MacArthur Landing Shrine in Palo, Leyte. Several activities related to the commemoration of the Leyte Gulf Landings on Oct. 20 will be hybrid in form due to the ongoing pandemic, said Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla on Monday (Oct. 18, 2021). (PNA file photo)

Several activities related to the commemoration of the Leyte Gulf Landing on October 20 will be hybrid due to the ongoing pandemic, said Leyte Govenor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla on Monday.

Officials of the Leyte provincial government, Palo town, representative of President Rodrigo Duterte, and selected guests will be physically present during the event at the MacArthur Landing Shrine in Palo town.

Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Andres Centino will represent the President.

Recorded messages from foreign dignitaries and Duterte will be played during the event. Some participants will witness the event virtually.

“We need to commemorate, especially now that we are in the pandemic. We have to learn the lessons taught to us by our veterans in order for us to fight and survive every like this pandemic. That is why should continue with the commemoration despite the pandemic,” Petilla told reporters.

Activities during the hybrid commemorative program are the flag-raising ceremony, wreath-laying, tribute to the veterans, and lighting of the peace torch.

This week, the provincial government has been distributing PHP10,000 cash assistance to all living World War II veterans in the Eastern Visayas region.

Presently, there are only 48 remaining World War II veterans in the region with a 105-year-old man from Paranas, Samar as the oldest.

At least 29 veterans are from Leyte, seven from Samar, five from Northern Samar, four from Eastern Samar, and three from Southern Leyte.

“This is our way of expressing our appreciation to our living veterans for what they have done for us (during the war),” Petilla said.

Aside from the activities at the MacArthur Shrine, the towns of Tolosa, Dulag, and Palo have also lined up activities concerning the annual event.

The Leyte Gulf Landing commemoration is an annual historical event in Leyte to commemorate the arrival of Allied Forces led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur to liberate the country from the hands of the Japanese Imperial Forces that occupied the country from 1942 to 1945.

The arrival of the Allied Forces has led to the Battle of Leyte Gulf, dubbed the biggest Naval battle in history with more than 200,000 personnel involved, paved the way to the defeat of Japanese Forces in the country.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1157055