Philippine Literature

During Japanese PeriodBetween 1942 and 1945

Japanese Occupation in the Philippines

On December 8, 1941 - Japan invaded the Philippines. Clark

Air Base in Pampanga was first attacked and also Nichols Field outside Manila was attacked.

On December 22 - the Japanese forces landed at the

Lingayen Gulf and continued on to Manila.

Faces of Japanese Army Soldier

General Douglas MacArthur Declared Manila an open city on the advice of commonwealth President Manuel L.

Quezon to avoid its destruction.

Manila was occupied by the Japanese on January 2, 1942.

General Douglas MacArthur MacArthur retreated with his troops to Bataan while the commonwealth government

withdrew to Corregidor island before proceeding to the United States. Escaped to Corregidor then proceeded to Australia.

April 9, 1942

The joint American and Filipino soldiers in Bataan finally surrendered

The 76,000 captured soldiers were forced to embark on the infamous

"Death March" to a prison camp more than 100 kilometers north. An estimated 10,000

prisoners died due to thirst, hunger and exhaustion.

In that meeting, they agreed to fight the Japanese as a unified Guerrilla army.

Another meeting was held the following month, where in representatives from Tarlac,

Pampanga and Nueva Ecija threshed out various details regarding their

organization, which they agreed to call "Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa mga

Hapon" or HUKBALAHAP.

Taruc was chosen to be the Leader of the group, with Alejandrino as his right

hand man. The members were simply known as Huks!