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Reenactment buffs tell tales of Filipinos' wartime valor
April 12, 2024
Under blistering heat, dozens of men garbed in webbing-covered khakis, wearing Kelly helmets and armed with Garand or the older Lee Enfield rifles marched steadily. On the fringes not too far, a silent cabal stood behind sandbags and barbed wire, waiting for the inevitable confrontation with the invaders.
Suddenly, one heard the spirited screams of “banzai!” split the air as the “enemy”—those who appeared as soldiers of Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun—attacked. They charged with fixed bayonets, led by officers brandishing katanas. In their khaki uniforms, puttees, and yellow-starred helmets or field caps, one momentarily couldn't help but think if this was the real thing. Some of them are even Japanese.
That’s when a battery of howitzers, carefully planted explosives and gunfire formed an orchestra supplying the soundtrack of a make-believe battle. The audience is transported to a seemingly real scene of an important historical event that would tell of Filipinos’ epic heroism.
It marked another monumental day for the World War II reenactors in the Philippines.
To some, World War II signifies the desperate stand of Filipino and American forces in the Battle of Bataan which ended with ignominious defeat. In fact, Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) used to be known as Bataan Day since it marks the date when Major General Edward King Jr. the commander of the Luzon Force, surrendered his 76,000 (64,000 Filipinos and 12,000 Americans) starving and exhausted troops to Japanese forces.
For Albert Labrador, the head of the Philippine Living History Society (PLHS), there are still many stories of gallantry and valor that remain to be told.
In an interview with GMA News Online, Labrador said he was bitten by the reenactment bug in 2009. A man of many interests that include military history and the feat of men at arms served as foundations that set the stage for him to be a part of the first group of reenactors in the Philippines.
“We grew up with fathers who were interested in World War II and because we grew up watching TV shows like ‘Combat!’ and ‘Rat Patrol’," said Labrador, a professional photographer since 1992 and who has served as a contributor for over 20 coffee table books and publications covering travel, industry, art, food, architecture and many more.
His latest book, “Mandirigma,” is an illustrated guide to the uniforms and equipment of Filipino soldiers of the Second World War.
Labrador has been a history buff since his grade school days and is an avid scale modeler. In 2009 he joined the Philippine Living History Society and worked with its members to produce and direct several reenactments of various World War II battles. He has since continued his involvement with projects concerning World War II history in The Philippines.
He said his interests in the military include accounts of historical reenactment, mostly by Europeans and Americans.
Historical reenactment is an educational or entertainment activity where mostly amateur hobbyists and history enthusiasts dress in historic uniforms and recreate historical events.
“I wish may mga ganyan dito,” Labrador remembers. His wish came true in 2009.
(I wish that there were similar activities here.)
An avid airsoft player, he discovered there were a number of players doing reenactments.
“It was a slippery slope. Nagpaalam pa ako sa misis ko because I knew if I got into this I would be spending a lot of money,” he admitted.
(I asked permission from my wife because I knew I would be spending a lot of money if got into this.)
When he first portrayed a German soldier of the Wehrmacht, Labrador knew he was hooked.
“My smile was from ear to ear. My face hurt from smiling,” he said.
To improve his portrayal of his chosen subject, he said he read a lot of books, did a ton of research, and invested considerable effort in acquiring the correct uniforms and gear.
Around 2010, Labrador said the same reenactors he started with made a call for a local chapter of the Philippine Scouts Heritage Society.
Compared to what he knew from the European Theater of Operations during World War II, he realized his knowledge of what happened in the Philippines in the same time period was pretty limited.
“There was Bataan. There was Corregidor. And there were the movies. But I had no interest whatsoever until I met those guys. That’s when I started reading up,” he said.
The history buff said the narrative most Filipinos were given in school during the Japanese invasion of 1941 to 1942 was pretty bleak.
“Talo, talo, talo tapos Death March. 'Yun lang yung nalalaman natin. What actually happened was the Philippines was the only place where the Japanese were stopped by the Allies for five months,” he shared.
The continued resistance of Filipinos and Americans while Singapore and the Netherlands East Indies fell disrupted the Japanese timetable and gave much-needed time for the Allies to regroup.
The more Labrador read the more appreciation he gained for what Filipino soldiers actually accomplished. It was just as exciting as the events that transpired in Europe.
In the course of his research, he discovered the Philippine Scouts, a unit composed of regular Filipino and Filipino-American soldiers who were part of the United States Army’s Philippine Division. Many accounts consider the Philippine Division as the backbone of the American defense during the Battle of Bataan.
“They were the elite. They were the best trained and most prepared soldiers of the US Army at the start of World War II,” Labrador said.
As a testament to the units’ tenacity, President Franklin Roosevelt awarded the US Army's first three Medals of Honor of World War II to Philippine Scouts for their actions in the defense of Bataan. One of them is a Filipino, Sergeant Jose Calugas of the 26th Cavalry Regiment.
“Now we can do something legit na tama sa kulay at itsura mo,” Labrador thought as he jumped into another rabbit hole in 2011.
Around this time, MD Juan, a Philippine company that makes replica vintage jeep parts for restorers in the US and in Europe, commissioned Labrador and his group to do a reenactment in Clark, Pampanga for its Christmas party.
And a group effort it turned out to be.
“A call went out: ‘Guys may reenactment tayo!’ (Guys, we have a reenactment event!) and a lot of guys were surprised but there was a confluence of interests. One member of our group, sculptor Toym Imao, crafted our replica guns. He cast fiberglass copies of the real guns. All of a sudden we had an armory of what the soldiers used, even Japanese Arisaka rifles. Some people even came from the US and our budget allowed us to use movie-quality pyrotechnics,” said Labrador.
There were some naysayers, however.
“Someone from the US even said Filipinos can’t do it. Whereas in the States there’s a group of Filipinos who do ‘Buhay na Kasaysayan’ who were already doing reenactments in the early 2000s,” the head of the PLHS recalled.
The scenario the PLHS chose to reenact was the Battle of Abucay, the first time when the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) and Imperial Japanese Army went head to head on a large scale.
Everything before the retreat to the Bataan peninsula was skirmishes and minor clashes but this was the first engagement in Bataan itself.
At Abucay, the Japanese approached through bamboo thickets and charged the Philippine Scouts’ positions. It was a hairy, pitched battle and it was Philippine Army General Vicente Lim’s 41st Division who came to the rescue.
And the Emperor’s vaunted forces did something rare during those heady days of 1942. They retreated.
Armed with a script, Albert, who also teaches photography classes at his alma mater, the UP College of Fine Arts, directed the reenactment to make sure everything went as planned.
“Sa lakas ng explosions, natulala yung photographer ko. There is not a single picture of that reenactment,” he laughed.
(Our photographer was so stunned by loud explosions that there was not a single picture of that reenactment.)
He said that two reenactors, a father and his son, were hiding behind some sandbags, “During the explosions, his son asked if this was a real battle!”
From that first reenactment, the PLHS has since participated in various events, working with various local government units and organizations such as the Philippine Veterans Association Office (PVAO), and Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB).
But despite how realistic his group strives to be, Labrador makes sure he and his mates stay rooted to the ground.
“I always stress the difference between a reenactor and a soldier– we are just playing baril-barilan. We are playing but the good purpose of it is we are showing the public what happened because we don’t know, Filipinos don’t know and I didn’t know.”
He said that during reenactments, Filipino Army soldiers walked up to reenactors and said, “Hindi ko po alam na ganyan.” (I didn't know it was like this.) And I would tell them they shouldn’t be thanking us. Kayo yung lumalaban. (You are the ones doing the real fighting.)”
For each reenactment, Labrador is both scriptwriter, researcher, and director. He does meticulous research, from reading available historical material to talking to subject matter experts.
He said he has the luck of being a friend of Ricardo Jose, a foremost World War II scholar, who he can turn to for the authenticity of their reenactments.
If there’s one difference between local reenactors with their foreign counterparts, it is their acceptance of having representatives from the other side.
Although the majority played the roles of those who fought for the Allied side, some Pinoys chose to dress up as Japanese soldiers. Through the years they will be joined by reenactors from Japan.
The PLHS has Japanese reenactors who actually elicited not-so-pleasant reactions from reenacting groups from other countries, namely the US and Australia, who believe a former enemy has no place in the community.
Labrador’s response was, “How can you tell the story without 'yung mga kalaban (the enemies)?”
In some events with the Philippine Veterans’ Association Office (PVAO), he was amused when the veterans actually preferred to have their photos taken with the Japanese reenactors than with the Pinoys.
“I don’t know why. Maybe it’s our culture but our people don’t see the Japanese the same way as they do in our countries,” he surmised.
Despite dissenting opinions, Labrador and his group continue to represent both sides in an effort to educate the public.
According to Labrador, Western reenactors consider wearing the wrong garb as disrespectful to the memory of the veterans, a mindset that a lot of Filipino reenactors have shared.
“The important thing is you don’t want it to look wrong. You want to make it as authentic as possible,” Labrador said.
Albert explained there are three types of reenacting: tactical, performance, and living history display.
In performance, reenactors perform to educate the public.
Tactical is when the reenactor wants to experience that he was there to get a better idea of what happened. This appeals to airsofters who spend up to several days in the field.
“How did soldiers eat? What did it feel like to sleep outside? How hard is it to dig a trench? So this builds camaraderie in the unit,” he pointed out.
He said PLHS is more of a performing type. They demonstrate what happened through mock battles.
In living history displays, reenactors visit places like malls or museums. Here they stand around in uniforms with their kit and engage with the public. They talk about the feel of the uniforms, and the weapons they carry and discuss the history of the fighting man they are portraying.
Labrador said it’s more than just cosplay since reenactors are doing more than just posing for photos.
“In living history displays there’s so much research for you to do it properly. But if you conduct yourself properly, you teach your audience,” he said.
It is said one of the things commonly heard in the reenactor community is that when they are marching down the road and when the public sees them, the first response when people see reenactors wearing their khakis is, “Ay ito na yung mga Hapon! (Here come the Japanese!)”
“So nobody knows the difference between the Japanese and the Americans,” Labrador observed.
As the group’s members increased, the PLHS has instituted strict rules when it comes to the authenticity of their uniforms and gear.
“There is a borderline. You’re not going to march there with an M16. You’re not going to wear camouflage or an M1 helmet in a 1941 event. For me you get it reasonably correct, that’s fine.”
Aside from the aforementioned sculptor who manufactures authentic-looking facsimiles of their weapons, there are other locals supporting their efforts. There is a trusted tailor who can make bespoke uniforms for those who wish to become a reenactor, whether USAFFE or Japanese.
For original equipment such as cartridge belts, there are online sellers who ship items to the Philippines. But Labrador said back in the day, tons of World War II gear used to be widely available in Quiapo and Dau on the cheap. He said an authentic belt used to cost P50.00, whereas a recent reproduction from China goes for P1,600.
As reenacting became more popular– thanks in part to the HBO series ‘Band of Brothers’– so did the associated gear. So online stores from places of sellers in China, India, and Dubai began popping up to cater to demand. Reenactors with credit cards began arranging group buys for fellow members.
The most challenging part to get correctly? The firearms.
Even for airsofters, period weapons such as Garands and Arisaka were rare and expensive– if they could be obtained.
Labrador said artisans interested in World War II substantially helped their cause. From a life-sized Stuart tank on display in the capital of Balanga to truckloads of crew-fed machine guns and rifles.
But there are those who can afford it and buy real guns like Garands, Enfields, or BARs.
He said during the early days, many Philippine Army reenactors showed up with replicas of the most available weapon, the Thompson submachine gun, prompting one member to joke they looked more like gangsters in a Mafia movie.
For Labrador, some of his most memorable experiences as a reenactor happened on April 9.
One event at the Dambana ng Kagitingan at Mt. Samat in Bataan stands out.
“We used to wear the Philippine Scouts patch during activities. During the Battle of Bataan, the cavalrymen took off their patches so the Japanese did not know which unit was where. But because you’re working there on April 9 at Mt. Samat, people would walk up to you and say, ‘That’s my unit’.”
This would lead to a reunion as the reenactor would direct the veteran to other veterans.
One veteran who served with the 57th Infantry Regiment of Philippine Scouts met the son of Calugas, the Filipino Medal of Honor awardee. The veteran shook the younger man’s hand and told Calugas’ son, “If it wasn’t for your dad I would be dead.”
“It was meeting the veterans and learning what the Battle of Bataan was really about because I knew nothing about it and we were lucky enough to meet some of the surviving veterans. The most interesting were the insights on how they survived and experienced the war,” the PLHS admits.
Labrador said he met the first Philippine Scout who was the first soldier to meet the Japanese who landed on the beach in Lingayen, Pangasinan.
“He was sent out on reconnaissance on a motorcycle in civilian clothes. He told me his hands were shaking and that he heard singing that was neither in Filipino nor English. They were Japanese. So he turned back and told his unit that the enemy was here,” Labrador shared. He remembers that the 96-year-old veteran’s hands were shaking, but was calm and composed when he was up at the podium to deliver his speech.
There was also another veteran who refused to join his unit and went into captivity after the Fall of Bataan. Instead, the man and his machine gun unit escaped to Corregidor Island where he fought alongside the US 4th Marine Regiment until The Rock fell.
And there was one grizzled veteran at Mt. Samat on April 9, Araw ng Kagitingan, who Labrador asked if he had some good memories during the battle.
“He looked me straight in the eye and said, ‘There are no good memories of Bataan’,” he said.
“That’s when it hits you. You realize that’s not a movie. These people were close to death. It’s learning what they felt… the personal touch of the battlefield.”
It’s a shared passion for history that draws reenactors from all walks of life.
Sonny Lopez, a military history buff and avid militaria collector, said he has nothing but fond memories of taking part in PLHS reenactments.
“One of the highlights when re-enacting for our veterans is that we get to meet the precious few remaining and hear their stories,” Lopez said.
He recalls how for a reenactment of the Battle of the Pockets, a crucial USAFFE victory, he volunteered to carry a weapon that was equivalent to a workout.
“We get to fire real rifles loaded with blanks. As I had already used the M1903 Springfield and the M1 Garand in previous events, I asked for an M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle. Big mistake! The BAR is one heavy beast and I had to lug it around the whole day while smiling for photos and interacting with the veterans and the public in general,” he said.
How does he describe the experience?
“Priceless,” he recalls with a smile.
In another memorable recollection, Lopez shared a funny thing that happened on his way to a re-enactment event in Camp Aguinaldo.
“I was already inside the camp when I noticed the car ahead of me was driving exceedingly slow and hogged the middle of the road every time I tried to overtake. I slowed down a bit and then flew past him when I had the chance. That made him real mad and he started to lean on his horn and chased me all the way to our assigned briefing area,” he said.
“He was an elderly man in civilian clothes and he started barking orders at the soldiers there to arrest me for some infraction. A soldier approached me and very apologetically asked for my ID as the old man kept shouting for it. I didn’t want to give my driver’s license so I presented my Sandiganbayan ID. The old chap snatched my ID from the sergeant’s hand and suddenly turned pale. Visibly shaken, he handed my ID back to the sergeant and left without a word. I can only surmise that he has a pending case in the nation’s anti-graft court. The reenactors who saw the commotion asked what it was all about. ‘Just an excited fan,’ I replied,” he added.
While differing from the accounts of Labrador and Lopez, the experience of Arthur Eustaquio, a younger reenactor, was as gratifying.
He got hooked on military history at an early age from listening to his grandparents’ stories, particularly about World War II. They even encouraged him to watch films about the war. A favorite is 1962’s “The Longest Day” about D-Day and the Normandy landings starring John Wayne and Sean Connery, which Eustaquio describes as “epic.”
“As a child, it was more like a childish kind of fun, you know, a soldier and all that,” Arthur shared.
He was around the age of 14 when he discovered from his acquaintances that a reenactment group exists in the Philippines and eventually met Albert and the PLHS. The rest was “history.”
“Throughout the years, I kind of found deeper meaning, more meaning in why I'm interested in (World War II). And the main reason… I really think that it is the most important thing to have ever happened in society, and in all of history,” he said.
As a reenactor, he shared two notable experiences. He participated in his first “full-blown” battle reenactment in 2019, which was also the first demonstration of his acting skills to the public.
“I had never been in an actual reenactment before, and I don't know what to do, I didn't know what to say,” as he recalled fearing for his safety during the reenactment, as their presentation required the use of pyrotechnics during the “battle”.
Eustaquio described the experience as both thrilling and fulfilling.
“I gave me that perspective… that you get to appreciate and also kind of understand, at least to the bare minimum, what these guys went through, he said.
Which is why he treats his unconventional hobby very seriously.
As a reenactor wearing costumes that imitate the ensemble of historical characters and persons, he would also find himself already comfortable wearing the uniforms of fighting men from more than 80 years ago.
For aspiring reenactors of Philippine history, Eustaquio advised that the hobby is expensive but rewarding at a “deeper, human level.”
“I still believe that there is still opportunity for us to be able to kind of like, even if we don't have the capital to do something like that, at least we do the bare minimum, or even get there. But at the end of the day, it's really teaching history.”
Prior to the global pandemic, the PLHS was present at events from Camp Aguinaldo and Fort Bonifacio (where they had 105 mm artillery cannons firing over their heads).
At the tail-end of the COVID pandemic, Albert said things slowly came back.
“We don’t know what people have in mind but there are small groups of dedicated reenactors holding events and not just limited to World War II but even the Philippine Revolution,” Labrador said.
He said as he and the early PLHS members get on in age, he is encouraged by younger members whose passion for history and love for country will continue what the group has started.
“History is weird. History has nuance. First, you tell the big story: Sila kalaban. Nanalo kami. (They were the enemy. We won.) Then as people get interested you show them the nuance. That’s the important thing. The world is so black and white and so polarized and people don’t listen to history or read about things anymore. Tell them the story and tell the story in an interesting way. And that’s what reenactment does,” Labrador said. —LDF/NB, GMA Integrated News
