MULTIMEDIA
The journey of the Balangiga Bells
Infographic by Pamela Denice Ramos, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Nov 19 2018 04:45 PM | Updated as of Jan 21 2019 07:13 PM
After 117 years, the church bells taken by the US Army from Balangiga, Eastern Samar in 1901, are coming back home.
In the midst of the Filipino-American War, the tolling of the bells on the morning of September 28, 1901 signaled the start of a sneak attack by dozens of Balangiga villagers that almost wiped out a company of US soldiers.
In retaliation for the American defeat, US General Jacob Smith ordered the killing and burning of all men above the age of 10, leaving some 2,000 Samareños killed.
The bells were later taken by American troops back to the United States as war booty, but they also symbolized the Filipinos' ability to resist foreign invaders.
Here's a brief timeline of key events on the Balangiga Bells.