When Cheerless Christmas Hit the Philippines During the Second World War

People can be so delusional into thinking nothing wrong can happen on Christmas. Two years ago, some parts of Visayas were hit by Typhoon Ursula (Phanfone). Last year, there was no Christmas celebration because of the devastation brought by Odette. Yet, I guess not so many have thought that Christmas never made COVID-19 suddenly disappear. Christmas didn't stop the Second World War either. I decided to do a history review lesson. This time, it's about how cheerless Christmas hit the Philippines during the reign of Manuel Luis Quezon. It was during the time of Commonwealth America. We had the Allies and the AXIS forces. Sadly, the AXIS forces, under Japan, took over the Philippines. It was at that time when the Japanese emperor was still believed to be divine. Later on, Emperor Hirohito himself renounced his so-called divinity. Today, the Japanese monarchy is as symbolic as the British monarchy.

It's December and Christmas celebrations were prepared. Unfortunately, the Empire of Japan made its move on December 9, 1941. So much for saying nothing wrong happens in December, right? Right now, I wish I had asked more from my late grandparents about the war. Though, I guess my paternal grandmother, being in her 80s when I asked her, couldn't recall everything. What I could remember was hiding here and there. I also remembered my former high school teacher (who's in her 90s now) who mentioned the Japanese and their bayonets. One thing I discovered some time after my paternal grandmother died was that her father (whose tomb is in Surigao City) died on Christmas day in 1942. It was a cheerless Christmas in 1941. The Japanese forces were still allies with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. China was taken over by the Japanese forces. It was also recorded in history that Chiang Kai Shek (a democrat) and Mao Zedong (a Communist) once joined forces during the Second World War.

I found this note on the Bohol Provincial Library's Facebook page. I couldn't help but think it's worse than Typhoon Ursula, Typhoon Odette, or the recent Christmas inflation (which is nowhere near as bad as Venezuela):

In the afternoon of December 24, 1941, the eve of Christmas, President Manuel L. Quezon, accompanied by his family and War Cabinet, moved to Corregidor, where the Commonwealth Government was transferred. He left Secretary Jorge B. Vargas, Justice Jose P. Laurel, and other top officials in Manila to look after the people’s welfare during the critical times.
The next day, December 25, 1941, was cheerless Christmas Day, it was indeed dreary. There was no singing of Christmas carols and no exchange of gifts. From the Japanese, the people received a macabre Christmas gift – death from exploding bombs.
On January 2, 1942, the Japanese invaders entered and occupied Manila. Many Filipinos bravely stayed out of doors and curiously watched the cavalcading troops. None of them cheered, none applauded.

No Christmas, no New Year celebrations in 1941 because of that terrible event. Yet, some people today act as if Christmas is such a magical day or must be all-festive.

The Second World War. I read this one from IWM which talks about Christmas during the Second World War in Britain:

Six years of war brought many changes to familiar festive rituals. Christmas celebrations during the Second World War often had to be scaled down or adjusted as restrictions and shortages took their toll.
For many families, the most difficult part of a wartime Christmas would be spending the festive season apart from loved ones. Many men were fighting abroad in the armed forces or were being held as prisoners of war. Women might also be away in the services or carrying out war work. Many children spent Christmas away from home as evacuees. By the end of the war, thousands of families had suffered the death of a family member either in action or from enemy bombing raids.
Christmas luxuries were especially hard to come by at a time when even basic foods were scarce. People were forced to find substitutes for key festive ingredients. Gifts were often homemade and practical, and children’s toys were often made from recycled materials. Cards were smaller and printed on flimsy paper.
In 1941, to conserve paper, the Ministry of Supply decreed that 'no retailer shall provide any paper for the packing or wrapping of goods excepting food stuffs or articles which the shopkeeper has agreed to deliver'. This made it difficult to keep Christmas presents a surprise.

Sure, Odette was hard to go buy especially when supply and demand scales got literally tipped by the super typhoon. Here, more property damage was done. I even heard of the statement "Mickey Mouse money" when money became useless during the Second World War. The Allied vs. AXIS wars weren't going to easily settled. No amount of Christmas wishes for it to end soon happened. Instead, the war went from September 1, 1939, up to September 2, 1945. The Philippines wasn't exempted either. I believe that similar problems that hit Britain were also in the Philippines.

Every Christmas, I think about how something bad can happen on Christmas like any other day. As I mentioned earlier, my great-grandfather (via my paternal grandmother) died on December 25 a year after cheerless Christmas. Charlie Chaplin died on Christmas Day. Recently, a public figure mentions he'll probably hate Christmas because he lost the woman he loved in December. December can also carry many painful memories. The Cheerless Christmas during the Second World War is also a grim reminder.

I find all the ideas of, "Never talk negative during Christmas!" to be rather stupid. What if there's a war that needs to be won? If I were the leader of the Philippines and it's a time of war--I'd really order the cancellation of Christmas whether the fun-loving crowd wants it or not. A state of emergency had to be declared. Quezon had to move to Corregidor. A state of emergency is a state of emergency. The Second World War was a real problem. It was only fair enough to keep Christmas away from the minds of people. Britain took measures by placing restrictions because of shortages.

At this point, this isn't gossip but facts. Christmas day disasters are recorded in history. They're not gossip. It's gossip to say that nothing wrong happens during the Christmas season. It's a fact that something bad can happen even during the Christmas season.

Comments

Wrong Assumption: Those Who Wish to Reform the 1987 Constitution are Automatically Marcos Loyalists and Diehard Duterte Supporters

Orion Perez Dumdum, founder of the CoRRECT Movement was featured in the INQUIRER.net page. It's no surprise that there would be detractors every now and then. Some people still believe that the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines is "inviolate". If that were so then why does Article XVII exist that the constitution is open for amendments ? It's no surprise that some idiot alleged that Orion is actually a Marcos supporter. The arguments by the anti-reforms are basically Nom Sequitur and Ad Hominem . The use of personal attacks and illogical conclusions are common argument flaws. In fact, one just needs to understand the poor Filipino logic . I remember all the stupidity going on. It's funny such people accuse me of Ad Hominems while doing Ad Hominems themselves! What I'd like to focus on is the Nom Sequitur. Its definition is: 1 : an inference (see inference sense 1) that does not follow from the premises (see premise entry 1 sense 1) specifically : a fallacy

Is the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines, the Only Constitution That Institutionalizes, "Public Office is a Public Trust"?

It's time to revisit one of the favorite people for people against constitutional amendments or reforms, namely Atty. Hilario G. Davide Jr. (read here ). Yes, the same guy who was also related by marriage to Mrs. Thelma Jimenea-Chiong. Davide's school of thought is in the "uniqueness" of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines as if it's the "best constitution in the world". Davide would mention that the 1987 Constitution is the only one he knows would be the best. A shame really that Davide himself, like Kishore Mahbubani, was once a United Nations representative, and he's saying such stuff. Article XI of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines writes this in Section 1: Section 1. Public office is a public trust. Public officers and employees must, at all times, be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency; act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives. Okay, I get it. However

Hilario Davide Jr.'s Still Quoted by Anti-Constitutional Reform Fools on Social Media

People can falsely accuse me of colonial mentality because I've been quoting Kishore Mahbuban over Hilario G. Davide. I'm really sorry to say but I'm seeing various Facebook posts like La Verite (and the Pinocchio really fits it ), the Rule of Law Sentinel, Silent No More PH, and many more anti-reform Facebook pages (and very ironic too) quote Davide Jr. a lot. It's straightforward to say that Davide Jr. has been the favorite source of such people. An old man with a toga (who blocked me) also often quoted Davide Jr. Also, Davide Jr. turned 88 years old last December 20. I wish I had written this earlier but sometimes it's better late than never. In my case, it's better never late. Davide Jr. also mentioned that the 1987 Constitution is "the best in the world". It's easy to spew out words but can he defend his claims? One of his old statements went like this: It’s not change of structures, [whether] it would be federalism or parliamentary. It is

Are People Who Say Systems Don't Matter Be Willing to Prove Their Claims for a Million Pesos?

People often argue that it's not the system but the people who run it. Some people have their examples like the late former Philippine president Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" C. Aquino III and former Philippine vice president Atty. Maria Leonor "Leni" S. Gerona-Robredo. They would say that both Noynoy and Leni are "prime examples" why charter change isn't needed, just a change of people in power. Some people even say that the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines is "inviolate". If that's so then what happened to Article XVII that makes it open to amendments? Why wasn't that even used? That means even making a new constitution isn't illegal per se--unless one did what Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. did during the martial law era! However, if we understand simple psychological science, we need to look at basic psychology. Please, I don't need a doctorate in certain degrees, in the Greenbelt Universities, to understand that there are mist

The Happy Aborigines Taiwanese Song

While looking for an Aborigine song that gave me an earworm--I found this interesting aboriginal song. By looking at this video, I suspect that this song is actually a love song between a man and a woman,. It does sound very Ifugao-like as well.

"Give Up Tomorrow" Deleted Scene: The Safehouse Where the Crime Supposedly Took Place

Give Up Tomorrow has been an interesting documentary. Why I was fascinated by it because of how it shook my mind. It turned out that it was a trial by publicity . It was also at that time when The Calvento Files aired a dramatization of Davidson Rusia's testimony. As Cebu City Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia said, it was a very unpopular move. People already thought Juan Francisco G. Larrañaga aka Paco (and the seven others) were guilty. People thought Davidson's story was worth believing. Some deleted scenes never made it into the final cut This deleted scene talks about the owner of the place where the crime allegedly happened. David Gurkan now recalls his experience. According to Davidson, this was the story as recorded by the Supreme Court of the Philippines: From the evidence of the prosecution, there is no doubt that all the appellants conspired in the commission of the crimes charged. Their concerted actions point to their joint purpose and community of intent. Well se

The Curious Case of Dayang Dayang, Not Dayang Daya

I remembered the song "Dayang Dayang" which had a parody cover called "Dayang Daya". Some people wondered if it was from India. Some say it was a Muslim song which makes more sense. It's because the beats almost sound like one from Filipino Muslim dances. Granted, a lot of Filipinos descended from either Malaysian or Indonesian settlers then it would make sense if Dayang Dayang is danced to the Pakiring. The song I just share comes from an Indonesian singer who probably popularized the song. Many words from the Filipino language match up with Malaysian language or Indonesian language. The Filipino word for help (tulong) is tolong in Indonesian and Malaysian. The Malaysian (or Indonesian) term Dayang is said to mean a noble lady. It would make sense of the song "Dayang Dayang" would've come from Indonesia, Malaysia, or from Mindanao in the Philippines. This was the most common version heard. I think the video maker wrongly attributed it to Bollywo

The Chiong Sisters Case Muddled by the Philippines' RAMBUNCTIOUS PRESS?

Here's a clip of the late Carlos P. Celdran and Teddy Boy Locsin Jr. from Michael Collins' YouTube channel. Until now, I still wonder if the director of that awful film Animal (2004) namely Federico "Toto" Natividad Jr. was also there during the Cinemalaya premiere. The film Animal (2004) was once entitled Butakal: Sugapa sa Laman in 1999, meaning Male Pig: Drunkard in Body . This clip talks about just how the whole media frenzy caused a double miscarriage of justice. Celdran, a known reformist and vocal anti-Duterte critic, voiced out the unethical making of a Maalaala Mo Kaya episode. Did I miss something back in the 1990s? All I remember was broadcasting an episode in The Calvento Files. Until now, the ABS-CBN YouTube channel hasn't uploaded it. How both Marty Syjuco and Collins got some clips of the film isn't specifically said. I believe Marty and Michael went to the late Tony Calvento, asked for his permission, and were given permission. I believe tha

The Late Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino Should've Remained a National Symbol of Unity Even After EDSA 1986

Well, it's time for another today in history entry, right? I was trying to set up a WordPress site (which might be experimental at best, for now) and it's in. WordPress is that hard to use for someone like me. Back on topic, I was tagged to a post on Facebook on ABS-CBN News Facebook page. It's no surprise that I read people's comments can be very stupid . Some keep talking like, "The 1987 Constitution is the best in the world." or "Change the people. Not the constitution." Please, if that were true why was it that the defective 1973 pseudo-parliamentary government of the late Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. (and I wrote a rebuttal why it isn't ) had to be replaced with another constitution . Sadly, the 1987 Constitution was written almost in such a hurry which created a lot of mistakes. The events of EDSA reveal this detail about the late Maria Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino. It was that Mrs. Aquino was hiding in a convent in Cebu at that time . In short, M

Very Easy to Say, "I'm Sure!' and Be Wrong, Am I Right?

I guess that foolish old man did the right thing to block me on social media. The old man remained incorrigible while having his toga display, apparently getting a doctorate. An earlier post I wrote was about the misuse and abuse of CTTO . I even wonder who in the world is Merkado CTTO? It's very easy to use CTTO to look smart. However, real studies need more than CTTO but several sources. It should be several valid sources and not just sources you agree with. I was laughing at this old man in a toga (who has thankfully blocked me after I tried to refute his errors as a nobody ) who tends to use CTTO. I think he was also fond of saying, "I'm sure!" and then it ends up with several stupid claims. Such people would be in what might be best called the MARITES Pyramid of Learning (read here ). These people's best sources can be summarized as "Trust me bro" or "Just trust me". In the case of the meme I made, the peak of the pyramid is, "Jus

A Business Graduate's Random Blog on History and Gossip

Search This Blog