What Happened to Balangiga Bells
I was in grade school in Catbalogan when our history teacher asked about Balangiga. She said, “Class!..have you been to Balangiga?” Some of
my classmates were not aware of this town. They thought that Balangiga was in Luzon. Others said, in Bohol, Panay and in Mindanao. Being a
child whose parents are both from Eastern Samar, I confidently raised my hand and said “Yes!..I have been to Balangiga , Eastern Samar. My
mother is from Brgy. Sto. Niño , Quinapundan and my late father is from Giporlos, a town next to Balangiga, Eastern Samar. Year after year, we visit
our great grandfather and grandmother, relatives and friends in both sides. I thought Balangiga was just an ordinary town, but upon hearing and
knowing it from my teacher, I felt so glad because Balangiga is a part of Samar that we should be proud of and I have already seen this
historic town. However my mind seems to go back to reckon what had happened to our co-Samareños in the past as our teacher narrated
about Balangiga Massacre. And that I felt sad with sympathy to our co-Samareños who fought and died just to gain freedom.
Historians considered the battle of Balangiga as the bloodiest chapter of the American Army in the Philippines. It was the worst single defeat of
the US Army during the Philippine-American War. But before the encounter came into reality, there was a good relationship between the
natives and the Americans. Local officials led by the town Mayor Pedro Abayan and Municipal Police Chief Valeriano Abanador met the Americans
led by Captain Thomas Connell1 and Lt. E.C. Bumpus. However, it turned sour due to alleged force imposed on the natives and molestation of
the local women by the American soldiers. Thus, on September 26, 1901, Captain Valeriano Abanador2, accompanied by some men, secretly
contacted Daza and his band of guerrilla fighters at a hidden place near the town. At this war pow-wow both groups (townsmen and guerillas )
conceived a clever plan of action, fixing the time of their attack on the enemy at dawn of September 28, the feast day of Balangiga’s patron saint,
St. Michael, the Lord’s Avenging Angel. The natives coming as far as Sitio Naga of Quinapundan in the east and Sitio Bolosao of Lawaan in the
west –converged at Sitio Amanlara for final instructions.
At the dawn of September 28,1901, the town fiesta of Balangiga, many “women” unnaturally dressed in bulging skirts and kimonas and heavily
veiled, started trooping towards the church seemingly to the early morning mass. These “women” really were men who were ready to fight for
freedom’s sake. Suddenly the bells in the town church rang, conch shells blew from the hills and the entire populace of Balangiga, assisted by the
bolo men from Lukban’s force rushed Company C. Captain O’Connell, caught in his pajamas, jumped from the second story window of his room
started to cross to the barracks , was beset by twenty or thirty bolo men and hacked to death.
Some historians said 48 Americans were killed or unaccounted for. Four were unharmed while 22 were wounded. The survivors managed to
flee to the nearest American garrison in Basey, Samar.
But many Filipinos believe that the real massacre took place as an aftermath of the Balangiga incident when the Americans retaliated and
turned to Samar in howling wilderness. Some 50,000 persons reportedly died when General Jake Smith ordered his men to kill all
Samarenos aged 10 and above. The American soldiers burned houses, shot dead working animals and seized crops. Then they brought along
with them the bells of Balangiga when they returned to the United States.
Two of these Bells of Freedom are mounted in Fort Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. Another bell reportedly is in South Korea.
The Balangiga and other Samareños do not know when will the return of these bells to the belfry of the Balangiga Church . That’s why it is
noticeable in Balangiga that the window of the church belfry facing the town plaza and municipal hall is without the bells. They call for the bells’
return during their celebration of the 101st Balangiga Encounter Day.
Balangiga Mayor Catalina Camenforte, in her anniversary message , said they commemorate the occasion to honor their forebears who
exemplified the willingness to sacrifice, to persevere and unite when confronted with a common cause.
Long live Philippines! Long live Samar!…
my classmates were not aware of this town. They thought that Balangiga was in Luzon. Others said, in Bohol, Panay and in Mindanao. Being a
child whose parents are both from Eastern Samar, I confidently raised my hand and said “Yes!..I have been to Balangiga , Eastern Samar. My
mother is from Brgy. Sto. Niño , Quinapundan and my late father is from Giporlos, a town next to Balangiga, Eastern Samar. Year after year, we visit
our great grandfather and grandmother, relatives and friends in both sides. I thought Balangiga was just an ordinary town, but upon hearing and
knowing it from my teacher, I felt so glad because Balangiga is a part of Samar that we should be proud of and I have already seen this
historic town. However my mind seems to go back to reckon what had happened to our co-Samareños in the past as our teacher narrated
about Balangiga Massacre. And that I felt sad with sympathy to our co-Samareños who fought and died just to gain freedom.
Historians considered the battle of Balangiga as the bloodiest chapter of the American Army in the Philippines. It was the worst single defeat of
the US Army during the Philippine-American War. But before the encounter came into reality, there was a good relationship between the
natives and the Americans. Local officials led by the town Mayor Pedro Abayan and Municipal Police Chief Valeriano Abanador met the Americans
led by Captain Thomas Connell1 and Lt. E.C. Bumpus. However, it turned sour due to alleged force imposed on the natives and molestation of
the local women by the American soldiers. Thus, on September 26, 1901, Captain Valeriano Abanador2, accompanied by some men, secretly
contacted Daza and his band of guerrilla fighters at a hidden place near the town. At this war pow-wow both groups (townsmen and guerillas )
conceived a clever plan of action, fixing the time of their attack on the enemy at dawn of September 28, the feast day of Balangiga’s patron saint,
St. Michael, the Lord’s Avenging Angel. The natives coming as far as Sitio Naga of Quinapundan in the east and Sitio Bolosao of Lawaan in the
west –converged at Sitio Amanlara for final instructions.
At the dawn of September 28,1901, the town fiesta of Balangiga, many “women” unnaturally dressed in bulging skirts and kimonas and heavily
veiled, started trooping towards the church seemingly to the early morning mass. These “women” really were men who were ready to fight for
freedom’s sake. Suddenly the bells in the town church rang, conch shells blew from the hills and the entire populace of Balangiga, assisted by the
bolo men from Lukban’s force rushed Company C. Captain O’Connell, caught in his pajamas, jumped from the second story window of his room
started to cross to the barracks , was beset by twenty or thirty bolo men and hacked to death.
Some historians said 48 Americans were killed or unaccounted for. Four were unharmed while 22 were wounded. The survivors managed to
flee to the nearest American garrison in Basey, Samar.
But many Filipinos believe that the real massacre took place as an aftermath of the Balangiga incident when the Americans retaliated and
turned to Samar in howling wilderness. Some 50,000 persons reportedly died when General Jake Smith ordered his men to kill all
Samarenos aged 10 and above. The American soldiers burned houses, shot dead working animals and seized crops. Then they brought along
with them the bells of Balangiga when they returned to the United States.
Two of these Bells of Freedom are mounted in Fort Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. Another bell reportedly is in South Korea.
The Balangiga and other Samareños do not know when will the return of these bells to the belfry of the Balangiga Church . That’s why it is
noticeable in Balangiga that the window of the church belfry facing the town plaza and municipal hall is without the bells. They call for the bells’
return during their celebration of the 101st Balangiga Encounter Day.
Balangiga Mayor Catalina Camenforte, in her anniversary message , said they commemorate the occasion to honor their forebears who
exemplified the willingness to sacrifice, to persevere and unite when confronted with a common cause.
Long live Philippines! Long live Samar!…
_______________________________________________
1Real name: Thomas W. O’Connell, a West Point graduate. He was commanding officer of Company C of the U.S infantry which occupied
Balangiga, Eastern Samar and was annihilated by the Filipino patriots .
2Valeriano Abanador was the Captain Municipal (mayor ) of Balangiga.Sources:
Senia M. Zaide and Roberto M. Zaide, “Documentary Sources
of the Philippine History,” Vol. XI,
Vicente S. Labro, “No Bells to Toll for Balangiga Heroes,”
Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 28,2002, A/18.
Vide Valentie Loyola and Jose P. Abletez, “The Banlagiga
Massacre,” This Week Magazine Section of the Manila
Chronicle, September 13, 1959.
VICTORCIANO QUINTO GO May 22, 2004
Coach : Mrs. Villa Carpio
English teacher
1Real name: Thomas W. O’Connell, a West Point graduate. He was commanding officer of Company C of the U.S infantry which occupied
Balangiga, Eastern Samar and was annihilated by the Filipino patriots .
2Valeriano Abanador was the Captain Municipal (mayor ) of Balangiga.Sources:
Senia M. Zaide and Roberto M. Zaide, “Documentary Sources
of the Philippine History,” Vol. XI,
Vicente S. Labro, “No Bells to Toll for Balangiga Heroes,”
Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 28,2002, A/18.
Vide Valentie Loyola and Jose P. Abletez, “The Banlagiga
Massacre,” This Week Magazine Section of the Manila
Chronicle, September 13, 1959.
VICTORCIANO QUINTO GO May 22, 2004
Coach : Mrs. Villa Carpio
English teacher
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