The history of World War II was like this wild story that just seeped into the very consciousness of my childhood. Ever since I stumbled upon my late father’s encyclopedia set back in first grade, I had been captivated by the pages that delved into the timeline bridging World War I and World War II.
The Bamban World War II Museum is One-man Collection that Awes and Educates | Tarlac
Naturally, my fascination focused more on the theatre of war that unfolded within our nation's borders, as Japan's invasion took hold. No tales of valor from our brave Filipino soldiers could be told without mentioning the fierce conflict that raged upon the lands of Luzon, commencing in the tunnels of Corregidor, and descending in madness to Bataan, and subsequent skirmishes all over Luzon's terrain, when guerrilla fighters emerged and continued the war following the fall of Corregidor and Bataan.
The gallant stand made by Filipino and American soldiers in the Philippines widely delayed the timetable of the Japanese during World War II. After a string of easy conquests in Southeast Asia, the Japanese expected the same to happen in the Philippines and had already looked beyond it to invading Australia.
Alas for them, their invasion of the Philippines dragged on for months, and General Douglas MacArthur managed to escape Corregidor via a submarine heading to Australia to establish the Allied defense.
As a result, the Philippines became one of the most important battlegrounds of World War II, leaving behind a wealth of artifacts, personal letters, and anecdotes.
While many of these could be seen in museums across the country, in the municipality of Bamban in the province of Tarlac, one could find a single-story establishment that houses a collection of World War II artifacts that rivals or even surpasses that of the country's other dedicated war museums.
A One-Man Curation of WWII Mementos
As part of the World War II Historical Tour organized by the Department of Tourism — Region III, we visited the Bamban World War II Museum when we reached the Tarlac leg of our three-day educational trip that also covered sites in the provinces of Pampanga and Bataan.
Rhonie C. Dela Cruz, who was also the chairman of the Bamban Historical Society, established this museum in 2005. Applying his passion as a historical tour guide accompanying guests, many of whom were relatives of American and Japanese war veterans, Rhonie was able to obtain a wide variety of artifacts and relics from his guests.
In a short amount of time, Rhonie's humble abode transformed into a small museum filled with artifacts that evoked the peak WWII events of the years 1941–1945. Inside, visitors could discover a treasure trove of photographs, personal letters, and cherished belongings generously entrusted by family members of fallen war veterans. These artifacts came together to create a vivid and compelling narrative of World War II. There was also a collection of mesmerizing reels of wartime reportage vividly portraying the fierceness of the Battle of Bataan and those that were fought in the Bamban-Clark area. The Bamban WWII Museum was further enriched by a collection of carefully curated books, maps, articles, and papers sourced from the U.S. National Archives.
When asked what other reason provoked Rhonie to curate such a stunning collection, he told us it was because of his desire to honor the memories of his grandfather, grand-uncles, and uncles who went to fight during the war, particularly in the pivotal Battle of Bamban Hills, where Filipino and American troops delayed the Japanese troops' advance to Bataan.
Furthermore, Rhonie Dela Cruz and his fellow members of the Bamban Historical Society were also scouting and surveying a couple of World War II tunnels (including one which he described as an "intact Japanese underground naval headquarters") they soon intended to open to tourists once all surveying methods were completed.
In what was meant to be a mere pit stop, our visit to the Bamban World War II Museum stretched into a couple of hours, as we were immediately gripped by the stories spun by Mr. Rhonie Dela Cruz. Even I, with my vast knowledge of our nation's war history, could not resist the allure of Rhonie's narratives, as they wove their way into my curious ears.
As we left the museum's grounds, I reflected on how important it was for younger people to learn not only about the atrocities of war but also about the bravery of the Filipinos who served in World War II as part of the "greatest generation." What better way to achieve that than paying a visit to the Bamban World War II Museum and hearing Mr. Rhonie Dela Cruz speak about the war.
I really hoped that the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) could assist Mr. Rhonie Dela Cruz in preserving his collection by building a museum that met global standards equipped with climate- and humidity-controlled features to ensure the longevity of the museum’s collection.
Almost eighty years after the surrender of the Japanese and the end of World War II, we continued to wage battle, this time against misinformation. In the fight against falsehoods and historical revisionism, knowledge was a powerful tool in its own right. We had to use all the tools at our disposal, including the Bamban World War II Museum.
