Photo of MacArthur statue by WILLIE LOMIBAO
LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – In stark contrast to the lavish celebrations of the Lingayen Gulf Landings in the past, the 76th anniversary of the event was given a solemn and austere commemoration at the back of the Provincial Capitol.
It recalls the day American General Douglas McArthur and the Allied Forces re-entered the country on January 9, 1945, to fulfill his promise, “I Shall Return.” It led to the end of World War II in the Pacific.
However, the pandemic required the government to stage a simple commemoration of the landing, capped only by a wreath-laying ceremony led by Governor Amado I. Espino III at the Veterans Memorial Park.
Saturday was also the 14th Pangasinan Veterans Day, but none of the 127 surviving war veterans was invited because of their age. However, two grandchildren of veterans Luis Santiago B. Samson III and Charmaine T. Loresco assisted Espino.
Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office Malu Amor-Elduayan said the celebration was “regulated and held privately.”
But each of the veterans will still receive P10,000 in financial assistance from the provincial government which will be sent directly to their respective homes by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO), she added.
Joining the governor were Police Colonel Ronald V. Gayo, who is acting provincial police director, Army Brig. Gen. Audrey L. Pasia, and Sheryl D. Simeon, head of the field extension office of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO).
The solemn celebration rekindled the priceless efforts of the Pangasinan veterans in the fight for our independence, Pasia said.