Balangiga eyes turning plaza into war memorial amid looming return of bells —historian

The municipality of Balangiga in Eastern Samar is planning to turn its plaza into the Philippine-American War Memorial Plaza amid the expected return of its two historical bells by the United States, a historian said Wednesday.

"Meron nang plano doon sa Balangiga na gawin 'yung plaza nila as Philippine-American War Memorial Plaza, and this is the first in the country," said Rolando Borrinaga in an interview on News To Go.

Borrinaga believes the return of the so-called Balangiga bells will "represent the closure" of the Philippine-American War.

"The return of the bells to the Philippines remains the last issue of contentions related to Philippine-American War. It will represent the closure of that event," he said.

"I hope it will result new round of understanding. At least naayos na yung media controversial ng pagbabalik ng bells."

The two bells were seized by American soldiers from Balangiga church during the war in 1900s and are currently placed in Wyoming, United States. 

A ceremony will be held on Wednesday in Wyoming to formalize the return of the bells to the Philippines.

Borrinaga said that in 1957, a Filipino priest already requested for the bells to be returned to the Philippines. The government made the same request in the 1980s.

"Actually yung bells na yun malapit na sanang masauli in 2012, ngunit tumutol yung taga-Wyoming and they filed legislation to extend the prohibition …until 2017," Borrinaga said.

"Now, veterans to veterans effort, konti lang naman ang tumututol sa Wyoming,” he  added. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA News