WWII photo exhibit opens in RP embassy

The Philippine embassy marked National Heroes’ Day with a photo exhibit of Filipino World War II veterans from Aug. 27 to Sept. 4. Ambassador Willy C. Gaa said the exhibit “underscores the sacrifices of Filipino soldiers in defense of freedom.” Undertaken in partnership with the Camera Club of the Philippines of Manila, the FotoSeven Group of California, and the host organization, SINAG | American Society of Philippine Photographers of Metro New York, the photo exhibit “Sonata Our Heroes: Unsung Filipino Veterans of WW II” will feature present-day photos of Filipino veterans as well as historical materials on the situation in the Pacific prior to December 1941 and during World War II. The Exhibit likewise features a first person account of the infamous Bataan Death March by the late veteran Victor Arcega Ruff.

Gaa said in a statement that “Through this exhibit, we remember the great sacrifice made so that our nation can live in freedom. Through this exhibit too, we reaffirm our pledge to never forget the lessons of war that has claimed so many lives.”

Conceived as a traveling photo exhibit, “Sonata for Our Heroes” was first presented at the Philippine Consulate General, New York in June. Exhibit director René Ner and co-director Robert Pérez De Tagle said the photo exhibit pays homage to the legacy of Filipino World War II veterans, noting the broad support from photography stakeholders for the exhibit.

Ner and Perez de Tagle described Sonata as “the only multi-regional collaboration of photographers located in the Philippines, New York, New Jersey, and California, working with Fil-Vets or families of veterans in those areas and now in DC,” stressed Ner and Perez de Tagle.
Several Filipino veterans have joined the Exhibit as special guests: Alfredo Diaz, Jose Genito, Jose Red, Pablo Barros, Nicomedes Casino, Espiridion Villanueva, Jr. and Walter Cassingal of New Jersey/New York; the first Filipino veteran to receive a lump-sum check, Mr. Alberto Bacani, and others from Metro DC, such as Celestino Almeda, Guillermo Rumingan, Angelico Tugado, Potenciano Dy and Prudencio Damasco.
The exhibit is supported by the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS), NJ Chapter, led by its President Nestor Enriquez.