City restates claim that MacArthur landed in Dagupan

By January 14, 2019Governance, News

BALON DAGUPAN NEWS

ON the 74th anniversary of the historic landing of General Douglas MacArthur, the memory of his return is as clear as the day he uttered the words “I shall return.”

In Dagupan, this victory is as memorable as the day he waded through the waters of  the  Blue Beach, now the location of the Tondalingan Park in Bonuan Gueset.

The controversies over the actual site of the landing of General MacArthur often spark debates among the locals, but there are testimonies that prove that the American general actually landed in the city.

This was again stressed during a commemorative program held at the MacArthur monument at Virgen Milagrosa Compound in Bonuan Gueset on January 9.

Alejandro Balolong, a 92-year old World War II veteran and living witness, recounted how he and his cousin, Dr. Pedro Balolong, saw MacArthur and his troops emerge from the beach.

“At 7 in the morning on January 9, 1945, my cousin and I were right here in Bonuan Blue Beach when we saw General Douglas MacArthur and his troops disembark. It was then around noon on the same day that I saw MacArthur again, this time already aboard a military jeep. He could not have landed in any other place than here in our own beach, ” said Balolong.

Balolong also added that a copy of a photograph taken of him and his cousin by the beach that day is kept at the American Embassy. Balolong is among the only fifteen youth from Bonuan recruited later by the U.S. Navy.

Mayor Belen T. Fernandez also shared an article from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History that affirms MacArthur’s presence in Dagupan. A TIME article detailed the personal recollections of photographer Carl Mydans, who was handpicked to take photos for the general’s war operations.

Mydans was the photographer who took picture of MacArthur wading through the beach with his caption: “It shows MacArthur striding ashore onto ‘Blue Beach’, Dagupan, on the island of Luzon, Lingayen Gulf in the Philippines.”

Mayor Fernandez also underscored the importance of remembering MacArthur’s role in the progress that followed the country’s liberation.

“MacArthur not just laid down an important brick that led to the liberation of the Philippines, but also the development and progress of the country, including Dagupan. Six years ago, we laid down our own brick similar to his in order to build this great city. Imagine if he would come here again —he would be impressed that the full blessings of freedom and democracy is in full bloom in this dynamic, throbbing city,”  said Fernandez.

Mayor Fernandez also shared that the city is set to build a MacArthur park by the water tank in the Tondaligan Blue Beach, which will also serve as picnic grounds for families and tourists.

The current MacArthur monument will be retained as it was identified as one of the heritage sites in the city, said Fernandez. (Verdelle De Vera/CIO)

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