This Week’s Milestones: Feb. 16-22

Feb. 17, 1897

Filipino revolutionary forces, armed only with spears, bolos and a few pistols and rifles, fought the invading Spanish troops in Bacoor in Cavite province.

The encounter, known as the Battle of Zapote Bridge, successfully turned back enemy troops.

Revolutionary general Edilberto Evangelista died in the battle and was hailed the hero of the Battle of Zapote Bridge.

Also an engineer, Evangelista built trenches and fortifications that provided the revolutionary forces strong defenses against the enemy.

In 1952, a historical marker was installed in the battlefield.

Feb. 21, 1981

Blessed John Paul II celebrated Mass before 20,000 Cambodian, Vietnamese and Laotian refugees at the Bataan Technology Park (BTP) in Morong, Bataan province, during his six-day visit to the Philippines.

BTP was the former site of the Philippine Refugee Processing Center (PRPC) that served as temporary home for thousands of “boat people” who had fled Vietnam after its fall to communist forces in 1975.

A shrine commemorating the visit of Blessed John Paul II was inaugurated inside BTP in 2011.

The centerpiece of the shrine is a statue, made by Laguna sculptor Conrado Balubayan, depicting Blessed John Paul II on a boat with a refugee.

Compiled by Kathleen de Villa, Inquirer Research