Japan to honor ex-Defense chief Lorenzana, 3 others | ABS-CBN

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Japan to honor ex-Defense chief Lorenzana, 3 others

Japan to honor ex-Defense chief Lorenzana, 3 others

ABS-CBN News

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Updated Apr 30, 2023 02:53 AM PHT

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Then-Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (R) reviews an honor guard during his visit to the Defense Ministry in Tokyo, Japan. Issei Kato, POOL/AFP/file
Then-Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (R) reviews an honor guard during his visit to the Defense Ministry in Tokyo, Japan. Issei Kato, POOL/AFP/file

MANILA -- The Japanese Embassy in the Philippines on Saturday announced that 4 Filipinos are set to receive the 2023 Spring Conferment of Japanese Decorations.

Former Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) secretary Alberto Romulo will receive the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun; former Department National Defense (DND) secretary Delfin Lorenzana will receive the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star; former National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) chief Gamaliel Cordoba will receive the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon; and maritime anthropologist and foremost Japanologist Dr. Cynthia Neri Zayas will receive the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.

The Japanese government will honor the four for their "their significant contributions to forging stronger ties between Japan and the Philippines."

The Order of the Rising Sun has been conferred on several Filipinos in the past, including former President Jose Laurel and several Philippine ambassadors to Japan, according to the Official Gazette.

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The Japanese embassy in Manila had said that the awarding of honors, including decorations and medals, is an act performed by the Emperor with the advice and approval of the Cabinet, based on Article 7 of the Constitution of Japan.

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Art exhibit marks 80th anniversary of Liberation of Manila

Art exhibit marks 80th anniversary of Liberation of Manila

Izzy Lee,

ABS-CBN News

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MANILA —Four paintings from the National Museum are on display from February 13 to 25 at the Visitation Center of the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Fort Bonifacio,Taguig, marking the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Manila. 

The exhibition, "Liberation of Manila: 80 Years of Remembrance Through Art," features four paintings that depict the devastation of the city during World War II and its eventual resurgence: Burning of Sto. Domingo (1942) by National Artist Fernando Amorsolo, Ruins of Legislative Building (1945) by Galo Ocampo, Ruins of Sales Street, Quiapo by Diosdado Lorenzo, and Ruined Gate of Fort Santiago by Nena Saguil.

According to National Museum Director General Jeremy Barns, the paintings are priceless because they capture firsthand accounts of the war through the artists' eyes.

"They're not just paintings but they are historical documents. All the four paintings here are painted by the artist bilang eyewitness ng ruins, ng fighting, ng burning," Barns said.

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The Liberation of Manila, one of the fiercest urban battles of World War II, took place from February 3 to March 3, 1945. Approximately 1,100 U.S. service members lost their lives during the battle, nearly 500 of whom are buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. 

The battle also freed over 3,700 starving Allied civilians and a million Filipinos, but it left the city in ruins, with an estimated 100,000 civilian casualties.

"To think about the death and destruction that the citizens have went through, especially the citizens of Manila, I think everyone knows Manila was the second most destroyed Allied city after Warsaw in all of World War II," said U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson.

"When you see these paintings, they're both beautiful reminders and also poignant reminders of what could have been," she added.

The exhibition, organized by the U.S. government through the American Battle Monuments Commission and the National Museum of the Philippines was inaugurated on Thursday, and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with free admission.

Visitors are also encouraged to explore the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, which many mistakenly believe is exclusive to Americans.

The site features a memorial hemicycle, lush greenery, a museum, and the grave sites of military personnel who perished during World War II.

It is open to the public every day except Christmas and New Year, with free guided tours available. A valid ID is required for entry.

"Most people think na it's not open to the public. Siguro dahil its unusual to find a cemetery like this in a middle of basically a very modern city and of course, we have gates for security," said the Director of the Visitor Center at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.

Manila American Cemetery and Memorial Superintendent Rudy Blum emphasized the importance of remembering these historical events and their impact on the present.

"If you're into history, there is no other place to understand that American-Filipino relationship in the Manila American Cemetery. This is not just an American story," Blum said.

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