MacArthur’s escape to Australia remembered in CDO

MacArthur Shrine in Cagayan de Oro City —JIGGER JERUSALEM

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—Local actors depicted the arrival of Gen. Douglas MacArthur here 75 years ago on his way to Australia to escape the invading Japanese forces at the height of World War II. The reenactment, which kicked off the city’s Gen. Douglas MacArthur Week on March 13 to 17, showed MacArthur disembarking at the Macabalan port with his military contingent and his family on their way to Manolo Fortich town in Bukidnon province, where they boarded a plane that took them to Australia. In 2008, the city built a shrine in Macabalan, featuring a gazebo with a roof taking the shape of MacArthur’s trademark military cap. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines recognized the site for its historical importance. —JIGGER J. JERUSALEM