DAVAO CITY—The local government of Davao City through the newly-created Office of Culture and Arts (OCA) is eyeing to strengthen the observance of May 3 as Davao City Liberation Day.
Oscar Casaysay head of the OCA says they are working with First District City Councilor Pilar Braga who authored the ordinance that institutionalized May 3 as an annual commemoration of the city’s liberation from the Japanese during World War 2.
Braga authored the Davao Liberation Day Ordinance which was approved by the Sangguniang Panglungsod (City Council) on June 4, 2024.
The ordinance aligns with Proclamation No. 653 series of 1993 signed by President Fidel V. Ramos which encourages local government units to honor their liberation anniversaries.
Casaysay said they are working also closely with the private sector, particularly the Davao Historical Society and the Institute of Davao Studies under the Holy Cross of Davao College to strengthen the ordinance with historical research and discussions.
“There is a document and an ordinance that is still being processed to mark the annual observance of the city’s liberation during World War 2,” Casaysay said during an interview at the sidelines of the city government led observance of the Araw ng Kagitingan at the Veterans Monument on April 9.
“With Liberation Day we will commemorate the heroism, gallantry, and patriotism of Dabawenyos during the war,” Casaysay said.
One of the proposed activities during Davao City Liberation Day is the wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier inside the Davao American Veterans and Masonic Cemetery in Madapo Hills.
On May 3, 1945, the United States Army’s 24th Infantry Division under Major General Roscoe Woodruff entered Davao City marking the end of Japanese occupation. However fierce battles erupted in the jungles and abaca fields surrounding the city and lasted for several months.
Davao City was home to a sizable Japanese community engaged in abaca production and trading which made it difficult for the American forces and Filipino guerrillas to liberate.
The 24th Infantry Division which saw action in New Guinea, Leyte and Luzon considered the battle around the fringes of Davao City as among the hardest of their campaigns where they sustained casualties of 350 killed and 1,615 wounded. (PIA/RGA)
