The Philippines being one of the major theaters of World War II, has commissioned a number of monuments, cemeteries memorials, preserved relics, and established private and public museums, as well as National Shrines, to commemorate battles and events during the invasion, occupation, and liberation of the country. The United States and Japan also has established a number of memorials in the country.

The National Historical Commission provides national level oversight for national shrines. However, there are local and private initiatives to commemorate battles, massacres, and local heroes.

The events of World War II has forged a national identity for the country, as well as established traditions for the Philippine military.

Background Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Philippines being a commonwealth colony of the United States of America, was attacked by Japan on December 8, 1941. The attack was followed with landings made by the Imperial Japanese Army's 14th Area Army under Gen. Masaharu Homma in northern Luzon, Lingayen Gulf, and Davao. Gen. Douglas MacArthur lead the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) which absorbed the Philippine Army. While the rest of Southeast Asia capitulated to the Imperial Japanese Army's southern advance, American and Filipino forces withdrew to Bataan peninsula and Corregidor Island and held out for the next few months. Gen. MacArthur and Pres. Manuel L. Quezon was later directed by Washington to escape to Australia, where the former were to lead the American forces in the Southwest Pacific, and the latter to establish a government-in-exile in the United States.

Due to the lack of reinforcement and supplies, and continuous Japanese onslaught, the USAFFE in Bataan under Gen. Edward King surrendered on April 9, 1942, which saw the largest surrender of American forces on foreign soil and lead to the infamous Bataan Death March where more than 16,000 of the 80,0000 American and Filipino POWs died. This was followed by Gen. Jonathan Wainwright's surrender of Corregidor on May 6, 1942, completing the occupation of Japan over the Philippines.

The POWs were then incarcerated in the Camp O'Donnell, where the IJA was ill-prepared to handle the numbers. The lack of supplies and basic needs has brought to 400 deaths per day among the POWs.

For the next 3.5 years, the Philippines came under Japan's Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. While there were a number of leaders who collaborated with the Japanese authorities, some opted to resist through guerrilla warfare. The Filipino and American guerrillas provided critical intelligence to Gen. MacArthur's headquarters, and harassed Japanese forces during their occupation. The Filipino general public meanwhile suffered under oppressive Japanese retaliations, aside from the economic hardship brought about by the war.

Gen. MacArthur returned to the Philippines on October 24, 1944, with the largest amphibious operation in the Pacific Theater in Leyte Island. This was followed by the invasion of Mindoro on December for the establishment of air bases for Gen. George Kenney's Far East Air Force to cover the invasion of Luzon in January 1945. In the next few weeks, Gen. MacArthur's Sixth and Eighth Army moved from Lingayen and Batangas on a pincer move towards the capital, culminating in the Battle of Manila. In the next few months, the rest of the Philippines was liberated by both armies in successive battles.

After the surrender of Japan in September 1945, the American forces began establishing cemeteries around the country to commemorate the fallen American and Filipino troops, as well as civilians. When the Philippines gained independence on July 4, 1946, the country continued with the establishment of memorials, monuments, and commemoration of events during World War II.

National Shrines

NameCategoryLocationEstablishedRemarksCoordinatesImageMount Samat National ShrineNational ShrinePilar, Bataan1970To commemorate the valor of American and Filipino troops in Bataan, and the eventual surrender on April 9, 1944. Primary location of the celebration of Philippine Day of Valor or Araw ng Kagitingan.Pacific War MemorialNational ShrineCorregidor, Cavite1968To commemorate the American and Filipino forces who lost their lives during World War II.Capas National ShrineNational ShrineCapas, Tarlac1991To commemorate the suffering of American and Filipino POWs interred in the Japanese concentration camps.Manila American CemeteryCemeteryFort Bonifacio, Metro Manila1948Cemetery for 17,206 American and Filipino military personnel from WWII.Libingan ng mga BayaniCemeteryFort Bonifacio, Metro Manila1947Cemetery for 58,780 Filipino military personnel and veterans from WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War and local insurgencies.Dalton Pass National ShrineNational ShrineSanta Fe, Nueva VizcayaDateLocation of the Battle of Balete Pass or Dalton Pass, where Japanese and American forces fought in March 1945.Kiangan National ShrineNational ShrineKiangan, IfugaoDateLocation where World War II ended in the Philippines during the surrender of Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita.

Museums

NameCategoryLocationEstablishedRemarksCoordinatesImageMount Samat WWII MuseumPublic MuseumPilar, Bataan1970Displays relics, static displays, and accounts of the Battle of Bataan. Corregidor Museum & Tour Public MuseumCorregidor, CaviteThe whole island has been turned into a museum and tour site, with visits to gun batteries, shrines, markers, and museums.Capas National Shrine MuseumPublic MuseumCapas, Tarlac1991Visual documentation and accounts of the suffering of the American and Filipino POWs incarcerated in this location after the Battle of Bataan. Also displays a PNR cattle car where 60-80 men were crammed in for a day's ride from San Fernando to Capas.Manila American Cemetery & MemorialPublic MuseumFort Bonifacio, Metro Manila2020Newly opened museum at the visitors center depicting the heroic actions of American and Filipino soldiers during the WWII.Clark MuseumMuseumClark Freeport and Special Economic Zone, Pampanga1993Contains relics, weapons, and uniforms from WW2..AFP MuseumMuseumCamp Aguinaldo, Quezon CityDateContains static displays, relics, weapons, and uniforms from WW2.Casa Real ShrineMuseumMalolos, BulacanDateContains WW2 relics including copy of Gen. Yamashita's Instrument of Surrender.Fort Santiago DungeonMuseumIntramuros, ManilaMuseum commemorating torture site used by Kempetai on Filipino military and civilians.Bataan World War II MuseumMuseumBalanga Elementary School, Balanga, BataanMunicipal museum located adjacent to the Surrender of Bataan Monument at the Balanga Elementary School. Contains relics and historical account of the Battle of Bataan.

Battle Sites & Events Markers