Bataan World War II Museum appeals for more artifacts 

BALANGA CITY — The Bataan World War II Museum adjacent to the Surrender Site Monument in Balanga City appealed for more donations of war artifacts on Thursday, April 3.

Mario Magat, executive director of the museum, said they still have a limited number of artifacts, mostly donated by volunteers. “Nananawagan kami na kung merong memorabilla tungkol sa World War II ang inyong lolo, lola at magulang, mangyaring ilagak dito,” he said.

The only war museum in Bataan is located at the back of the Balanga Integrated School, the old building of which served as headquarters of Japanese Gen. Masaharu Homma.

The museum, which opened last February, houses story panels from pre-war peacetime to the liberation, a few war artifacts and a doll diorama re-enacting the infamous Death March.

There is also another doll diorama re-enacting the surrender of Japan in Baguio City on September 1945.

The country commemorates Veterans’ Week and Araw ng Kagitingan every April, but Magat has a few objections.

“The nagging question is, why do we celebrate defeat or the fall of Bataan?  It is very hard to explain this to every Filipino or the children, so we decided to put up this museum,” he said.

He said that the bravery and heroic deeds of our forefathers from 1941 to 1945 appear to have been forgotten.

“Parang nawala na sa kamalayan ng marami ang kabayanihan ng ating mga magulang, kung ano ba talaga ang nangyari noong 1942. Dito sa museum, makikita ang kabayanihang ‘yon,” Magat said.

The museum was built after years of a combination of volunteer work, local government efforts, and the contributions of non-governmental organizations and businessmen. — VC, GMA News