There is also a diorama, in the form of dolls, on the surrender of Japan in Baguio City on September 1945.
“Pagkatapos nating matalo, nanalo naman tayo at ito’y makikita nang malinaw sa dioramang gawa sa mga manika. After defeat, victory naman ang kasunod,” the museum official said.
Magat said that the country commemorates every April the Veterans’ Week and Araw ng Kagitingan. “The nagging question is why do we celebrate the defeat or the fall of Bataan? It is very hard to explain this to every Filipino or the children so we decided to put up this museum,” he said.
He said that the bravery and heroic deeds of our forefathers from 1941 to 1945 seemed to be forgotten.
“Parang nawala na sa kamalayan nang marami ang kabayanihan ng ating mga magulang, kung ano bang talaga ang nangyari noong 1942. Dito sa museum, makikita ang kabayanihang ‘yon,” Magat said.
Volunteers led by the HAS Club of Balanga Foundation built the museum after years of raising funds. Magat said the project would not have been realized if not for the assistance of former Senators Ramon Magsaysay, Jr. Manuel Villar, Richard Gordon and Sen. Cynthia Villar.
He also gave big credit to the help of the City Government of Balanga under Mayor Jose Enrique Garcia III, Gov. Albert Garcia, the Bataan Tourism Council Foundation, non-governmental organizations and individual businessmen.
The only war museum in Bataan is located at the back of the Balanga Integrated School, the old building of which served as headquarters of Japanese Gen. Masahuro Homma.
