Another recent gathering, however, has shaken my faith. Billed as a remembrance of Magellan\u2019s nearby passage, it took place not by my house in Surigao City but in the municipality of San Jose on Dinagat Island more than 25 kilometers north. The featured speaker, in fact, was my good friend and noted historian Fernando A. Almeda Jr.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was asked to speak about Dinagat\u2019s place in local history,\u201d he began. \u201cI said I\u2019d be happy to speak, but on its place in world<\/em> history.\u201d<\/p>\n Which doesn\u2019t prove, of course, that the legendary Portuguese explorer didn\u2019t also pass near the spot where my veranda now stands. But it calls into question the historical uniqueness of that storied event.<\/p>\n The real jaw-dropper, though, came when provincial governor Nilo P. Demerey Jr. conducted a tour of Dinagat\u2019s latest architectural triumph. It\u2019s a 525-square-meter replica of the Japanese battleship Yamashiro sunk by Allied torpedoes in that iconic World War II battle. The shocker? The ship went down, Demerey said, in the waters off Dinagat rather than anywhere near the gates of my house.<\/p>\n \u201cThe inspiration to be drawn,\u201d the governor explained, \u201cis that the Japanese are a resilient and patriotic people. It is that spirit of nationalism\u2014the willingness to die for their country\u2014that makes them a superpower. If we can instill that in the younger generation [of Filipinos], we will one day be a much greater country.\u201d<\/p>\n In its mission to accomplish that, he said, the new structure will serve as a \u201cpeople\u2019s hall\u201d wherein citizens can interact with their leaders. Besides housing his office, Demerey said, the ship-shaped building contains a bedroom in which he will sleep.<\/p>\n \u201cInstead of constructing an ordinary building,\u201d the commodore\/governor declared, \u201cwhy not build an edifice for education and history that will bolster our tourism?\u201d<\/p>\n With that in mind, the island is also planning new provincial headquarters in the shape of the USS Louisville, an American ship that probably fired at the Yamashiro. Additionally, it will house a tourism and heritage center, including a museum and souvenir shop, in a life-sized replica of Victoria, the Spanish ship Magellan commanded.<\/p>\n \u201cSiargao Island is famous, so is Boracay, and so is Palawan,\u201d the governor said, mentioning popular tourist destinations in the Philippines. And while Dinagat shares many of the same qualities, he added, there\u2019s no point in competing head-to-head. So, instead, the island will promote itself as a cauldron of history.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is community tourism in which everybody can take part,\u201d Demerey pledged. At a total cost of about P450 million, the entire project is expected to be completed by July 2025. \u201cWe are one of those provinces not enticed to borrow,\u201d the governor crowed optimistically.<\/p>\n Ok, to be honest, no one ever actually told me that Magellan passed within earshot of my house or that the Yamashiro sank close enough to throw a stone. And yet I always imagined those things to be true, given the proximity of the monument and persistence of its legends. Which is why I\u2019ve often told visitors that, had they sat sipping wine on my veranda in 1521, they\u2019d have witnessed the passage of the Spanish armada. Or, in 1944, seen the frightened faces of doomed Japanese sailors.<\/p>\n Now I may have to revise that spiel. They might have seen those things, I will say, with a powerful pair of binoculars. Let it never be said that I\u2019m not a stickler for history.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n CLICK HERE FOR A FREE SUBSCRIPTION<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n ______________________________<\/p>\n David Haldane is an award-winning journalist, author, and broadcaster with homes in Joshua Tree, California, and Surigao City, Philippines. His latest book, A Tooth in My Popsicle, is available on Amazon.<\/a> This column appears weekly in The Manila Times.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/davidshaldane.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Screenshot-2024-04-08-112726-175x300.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"