Unveiling of War of Our Fathers Exhibit (L-R): AFP Chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner, PVAO Administrator Reynaldo Mapagu, USAmbassador MaryKay Carlson, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, and Veterans Bank President Renato Claravall
BAGUIO CITY – This year’s Victory Day celebration was made more meaningful as Philippine Veterans Bank unveiled its traveling World War II exhibit entitled “War of Our Fathers: A Brotherhood of Heroes” at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center in Baguio City.
Veterans Bank launched the exhibit to commemorate the 78th anniversary of the surrender of Japanese forces led by Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita in Baguio City, which marked the end of World War II in the Philippines. The exhibit pays heartfelt tribute to the valor and sacrifices of World War II veterans. With this Victory Day launch, Veterans Bank hopes the holiday will receive the same reverence given to the Day of Valor every April 9 and the Leyte Landing every October 20.
Veterans Bank President Renato A. Claravall led the formal opening of the traveling exhibit alongside guest of honor US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson. Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner, and Philippine Veterans Affairs Office Administrator Reynaldo Mapagu joined them.
Decades of Traveling History
The War of Our Fathers exhibit, a recipient of the prestigious Anvil and Gold Quill Awards, features a rich collection of artifacts, photographs, and stories that vividly recount the challenges and triumphs of the war era. Since 2006, the Veterans Bank Traveling Exhibit has appeared in schools, museums, malls, and other venues in over 40 cities and municipalities nationwide, as well as the Nanjing Museum in China in 2009. This year’s Baguio City exhibit includes a specially dedicated panel showcasing the city’s historical role in ending World War II in the Philippines.
A panel called A Brotherhood of Heroes advocates that today’s veterans — men and women who have fought in other wars at home and abroad, helped citizens of other countries, and fought local enemies of freedom — share the same values as WWII veterans: bravery, patriotism, and determination. That shared foundation, the exhibit argues, creates a sense of brotherhood and camaraderie despite the decades separating both groups of heroes.
Visitors to the exhibit will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the history that has shaped the nation. The War of Our Fathers Exhibit will be open for viewing from September 3 to 12 at the lobby of the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center.
