
Arch in Plaza Cuartel not far from the war museum
Visiting the war museum and plaza memorial
“History ought never to be confused with nostalgia. It’s written not to revere the dead, but to inspire the living.”
~ Simon Schama, A History of Britain.
War is cruel yet it bears remembering and the Filipinos haven’t forgotten those who fought for freedom. I didn’t expect to learn about my country’s history on the Philippine island of Palawan but there it was, first stop on our City Tour itinerary – a visit to the Special Battalion World War II Memorial Museum. I had heard of the book, Ghost Soldier, and the 2005 movie, The Great Raid. Not being a military history buff, I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to see the museum, but it was a touching conclusion to the visit. I left Puerto Princesa glad to have seen the war museum, for our countries shared past, and hopeful for our future.

Plaque in the war museum
Inside the private war museum inaugurated by the family of local hero, Dr. Higinio Mendoza Sr., our English-speaking guide took us room-by-room, sharing quick details on the role that Puerto Princesa and the Philippines had played in World War II. American soldiers fought and died side by side with more than 1,000 Filipinos resistance fighters to secure the Philippines independence. I stood in the room given to the U.S. soldiers who served there, those who died in a war-camp massacre and death march that was unspeakably cruel. One wall of the museum held pictures of nearly a half dozen American soldiers who chose to stay in the Philippines, marrying into Filipino families. Their children remain and several serve in government offices.
There were artifacts from all the players, recreations of uniforms and collections of arms. A picture of triumphant statue was dedicated by one of the survivors and later we saw the statue itself when we ventured across town to the remnants of the Spanish fort at
Plaza Cuartel.
An archway and broken wall surrounded the inner, open courtyard with a clear view to the harbor. As I entered, a cooling breeze offered unexpected relief from the moist, morning heat. Fountains and sparse trees punctuated the space. A pair of young boys ran about and posed for pictures. Standing displays were set in the center and we read, moving silently from one to the next. Over 150 American soldiers were burned to death in that space. Many more, including hundreds of Filipino soldiers, died near Manila in the Bataan death march. Soldiers fought in Palawan, were wounded and lived on to tell the stories of the fight to secure freedom and a strategic stronghold for the Allies.

Statue remembering those massacred in Puerto Princesa
A sense of heartfelt amazement filtered into the day, the last of our visit in the Philippines. Our two countries remain bound in friendship and mutual concerns over
current affairs in the region that again threaten decades of peace. I hope that we’ve learned from the past and can hold onto our national freedoms and that the world will find a way to coexistence without conflict. It seems a wistful, naive notion.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
~ George Santayana, The Life of Reason, 1905.
Over a century later Santayana’s message remains more true than ever. I’m grateful to our Filipino hosts for the visit to the war museum; for reminding me of our shared history and concerns for the future.
If you go:
Many thanks to Philippines Tourism and to the Puerto Princesca Tourism office for all their assistance in planning this trip and the complementary tours.

I always feel it is important to visit these types of museums and memorials when visiting a country – although I had never heard of this one until your post. It’s important we learn from the mistakes of the past to ensure they never happen again.
I have a lot of hope. Thanks, Vicki.
We are heading to Puerto Princesa for the first time this fall. We will keep this museum in mind as we finalize our itinerary. I agree with you, let’s hope we have learned from the past and the world learns to coexist.
Be sure to visit the private war museum. It’s on the city tour itineraries. The Plaza Cuartel is also but it’s also across from the big Cathedral. I hope you enjoy your visit!
I was just in Palawan not too long ago. I went to Coron so I wasn’t able to visit this place. It would’ve been nice to see this part of history where I was born and raised.
There’s a new goal for your next trip perhaps? I loved having a chance to connect with the Philippines. So much kindness and beauty there.
Wow–what an interesting museum. War museums are always filled with so many feelings. On the one had the stories and history are intriguing and interesting, but on the other hand, they are so sad! Glad we have places like this to honor and reflect on the past! Looks like a wonderful place to visit!
Thanks, Jenna. It was truly touching to see how many lives were part of WW2 struggles for the Philippines and Americans. Sad yes, but also a sense of deep gratitude and honor that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
I’m flying to Palawan next Sunday and didn’t know about the war museum.
When we think about Philippines the first thing that comes on our mind is beach and stunning nature, but the country is also rich in history and culture, I’m glad I’ll be able to enjoy it!
Thanks’s for the tip!!
Nat
That’s great, Natalie. I know you can fly directly from Manila to different resort areas of Palawan and miss the gritty richness of Puerto Princesa. I hope you have a wonderful time.
Being reminded of shared history and concerns for the future is so necessary. We loved our time in The Philippines and your story today has brought back many memories although we’ve never visited the war museum. I love the quote , “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
~ George Santayana, – well said.
Thank you, Jo. I hope to return to the Philippines one day and discover more. How lovely that you’ve spent time there. So many islands, so little time!
It is good to look back on history to be able to assess the present and to have the means to forge the future.
It’s easy to loose reference to our history. There’s so many places that I’ve visited where, by being a Boomer, I don’t have a natural historical connection. I was so touched to discover this connection on my last day in Puerto Princesa.
Wow, I didn’t even know about this. I always find these types of places difficult to visit but so important at the same time. Best way to avoid letting these things happen in the future is to be educated and educate our readers and children about them! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the comments, Mary. Glad you found this interesting. It was such a touching discovery for me and I almost missed it on my last day in the Philippines.
My grandfather fought in that war and survived the Bataan death march. There were some hideous atrocities committed during time. I’m not big on museums but I’m intrigued with this one. I’m going to visit Palawan in the near future and definitely keep this in my list 🙂
Wow, Adonis. Your grandfather must’ve been one strong man. I hope you do get a chance to stop in Puerto Princesa to see the war memorials. Very touching. I was honored to learn about your country’s history and our shared struggles for freedom and humanity.
These type of museums are important to honour local people who fought in these conflicts whether they wanted to fight or not. It also helps your to learn about local history by visiting. we have one quite close to us here in Australia.
I so wish these conflict sites were everywhere but I do appreciate learning about them. It makes it easier to relate to our species past and hopefully learn.
Thanks for sharing your experience with the war museum – I try and make a point of visiting war museums as we make our way throughout the world, even when they’re not in tribute to my own country. I think that war is something which everyone understands the tragedy of, and I think these kind of museums humanize the “other side” when we’re seeing that we weren’t the only country who dealt with loss and pain.
As you said, hopefully these museums serve as a reminder to learn from the past and hold onto our national freedoms. I’m with you in hoping that the world will find a way to coexistence without conflict one day.
Thanks for the thoughtful reply, Meg. We collectively need to learn and keep evolving hopefully.
These places remind us how useless and cruel war can be… I’m impressed by the statue 🙁
The place looks a bit old and unmaintained actually but I suppose it’s of great impact. Thank you so much for sharing
The statue was touching – the figure rising out of the flames, as the few who escaped did. The plaza was a bit scrappy but the Museum, at a different location, is beautifully maintained.
Great post. In the Asian Pacific countries, there are so many of these war memorials that don’t have the publicity that so many of the Euro/American/Australian ones have. I found one recently in Indonesia that celebrated my country’s fallen. Really love learning about our war history so really enjoyed this.
Thanks for stopping by, Kerri. This was a new experience for me. I’ll follow your footsteps now and look for these memorials.