ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Brawner remembers fallen troops on Victory Day, the event that ended Japanese occupation of PH

Brawner remembers fallen troops on Victory Day, the event that ended Japanese occupation of PH

Published Sep 3, 2025 02:19 pm
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr. pays tribute to the valor of Filipino, American, and Allied forces with a solemn wreath-laying at the 80th Victory Day Commemoration on September 2, 2025. The historic event marks the country's liberation from Japanese invaders and the end of World War II. (Photo: AFP)
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr. pays tribute to the valor of Filipino, American, and Allied forces with a solemn wreath-laying at the 80th Victory Day Commemoration on September 2, 2025. The historic event marks the country's liberation from Japanese invaders and the end of World War II. (Photo: AFP)
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. paid tribute to fallen troops as the nation marked the 80th commemoration of the Victory Day, which signaled the end of the Japanese rule in the country. 
Brawner was the guest of honor and speaker and led a wreath-laying ceremony at the historic town of Kiangan in Ifugao where he paid homage to the valor of Filipino, American, and Allied soldiers who fought together for liberation.
In his remarks, the AFP chief called on Filipinos to draw inspiration from the heroism of the wartime generation and to “embrace their legacy” in defending the nation’s freedom.
He underscored that the peace and freedom enjoyed today are rooted in the courage and resilience of those who laid down their lives eight decades ago.
“Let us live with the same valor as those who came before us. Let us face our challenges with the courage of Kiangan's heroes,” he said.
The military chief also emphasized that the spirit of heroism is not just a part of the past but is alive in the present.
“Let us always remember: the guardians of freedom are not only those in our history books—they are also here, among us, in Ifugao,” said Brawner, who, himself, is also an Igorot, hailing from Baguio City.
Victory Day in Ifugao commemorates the fall of Japanese Imperial Army General Tomoyuki Yamashita.
Refusing Emperor Hirohito’s order to surrender, Yamashita’s Shobu Group continued to resist against combined United States forces and Filipino guerrillas, particularly the United States Armed Forces in the Philippines–Northern Luzon (USAFIP-NL), which included many Igorot fighters, according to records from the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO).
Pushed out of Manila, the PVAO said that Yamashita retreated to the mountains of Ifugao, where his forces were cornered after weeks of bombardment. On Sept. 2, 1945, he was captured in Kiangan, Ifugao, and flown to Baguio City, where he formally signed the surrender documents the following day at Camp John Hay.
The historic event also marked the end of the World War II after six years, the deadliest conflict in human history that claimed an estimated 70 million to 85 million lives, including around one million deaths in the Philippines.

Related Tags

Armed Forces of the Philippines General Romeo Brawner Jr. Victory Day Kiangan Ifugao World War II General Yamashita
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.