Unsung battle at Novaliches bridge in 1945 liberation of Manila

Starting

local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila will be celebrating the 78th anniversary of their liberation from Japanese rule in 1945.

As the former town of Novaliches was erased from the country’s map in 1903 or 120 years ago, very little is known -- and few people are aware -- of the fact that Novaliches also played a very important role in the campaign to regain the country’s freedom from the 1941-1945 Japanese occupation.

This column narrates how the Tuliahan bridge in Novaliches – one of the gateways to Manila from Bulacan towns and the rest of Central and Northern Luzon -- served as a vital link in the march of allied forces of American Gen. Douglas MacArthur from Lingayen, Pangasinan from Jan. 9 to Feb. 3, 1945 to liberate Manila and nearby areas.

According to the book "Ang Kasaysayan ng Novaliches" (History of Novaliches), written jointly by former University of the Philippines-Los Baños Prof. Rosalina

M. Franco-Calairo and her son, Commissioner Emmanuel Franco Calairo of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the liberating MacArthur forces chose to pass through Novaliches instead of the old Manila North Road in Polo, Bulacan on their way to Manila.

Coming through the old Ipo (Norzagaray)-Novaliches road, now Quirino Highway, the MacArthur men, aidedcial battle with a big group of Japanese soldiers at the Novaliches-Tuliahan bridge on Feb. 3, 1945.

To prevent the passage of the MacArthur troops, the Japanese soldiers tried to blow the bridge, but they failed, fortunately for the prisoners of war awaiting rescue in Manila.

Following is a condensed story of the battle for the Novaliches bridge as excerpted from the 1986 book “Retaking the Philippines -- America’s Return to Corregidor, Manila and Bataan: October 1944-March 1945” by American author-historian William B. Breuer:

“At dawn on February 3, 1945, several thousand emaciated American civilians and military prisoners in Manila awoke with an intense mixture of hope and fear. There was ample evidence that General MacArthur's troops were just outside the city. Deliverance after three

GLIMPSES & GAZES

BY SEVERINO C. SAMONTE

years behind barbed wire might be at hand. But would the Japanese command, facing defeat, massacre them?

“In the University of Santo Tomás camp this morning, prisoners were scrambling for garbage, roots, cats (they had found that cats taste like rabbit) --anything to eat that they could get their hands on. Long gone were the diamond rings and watches the inmates had bartered for condensed milk and rice. Some food had been smuggled in the previous day by solemn-faced Filipino morticians coming for bodies. About a mile to the south, a few of the fourteen hundred bony Americans held at Old Bilibid prison had a delicacy for breakfast: worms and a few frogs caught hopping from outdoor latrines.

“Long before dawn, Lieutenant Colonel Haskett Conner's column had renewed its dash for Manila. This might be "The Day"--the return of armed Americans to the sprawling capital from which General MacArthur and his bedraggled soldiers had been driven ignominiously at Christmastime in 1941. In the minds of the men in the this man, but General Jonathan Wainwright would be with them in spirit--he was one of them, having once been a brigade commander in the 1st Cavalry Division.

“Nearly an hour before daylight, pilots of the 24th and 32nd Marine Air Groups lifted off from a hastily built

1st Cavalry's sixty-mile dash to Manila, the Leatherneck were reconnoitering the key Novaliches bridge eight miles north of the capital.

“General William Chase was worried about this bridge, which afforded a crossing over a stream that had banks too high and too steep to permit fording. If the span

But word came back from the Marine pilots: Novaliches bridge was still standing. Chase, greatly relieved, sent a signal to Lieutenant Colonel Conner: grab the bridge.

“Just as Conner's leading tanks approached the bridge, both sides of the approach. Tank hatches snapped shut, brakes squealed, and cavalrymen leaped out and scattered for cover. Foot soldiers tangled with clusters of Japanese into likely hiding places.

“Navy Lieutenant James P. Sutton, a bomb-disposal 1st Cavalry Division, was lying in a ditch, blasting away with a carbine. Major James C. Gerhart of Santa Fe, New Sutton and shouted, "Come with me quick, the bridge is to his feet and ran after Gerhart.

“Reaching the head of the span, Lieutenant Sutton quickly sized up the situation. Indeed, the fuse was burning briskly. With Japanese machine-gun bullets zipping - sives. The gateway to Manila had been narrowly saved.sives to have blown him halfway to Tokyo: four hundred pounds of TNT and three thousand pounds of picric acid.

“Conner's cavalrymen scrambled back onto their vehicles and the column started across the Novaliches bridge. Major Gerhart's jeep was moving when he hurled himself into it, having just spotted a Japanese soldier runGerhart put the stock of his carbine against his stomach and squeezed the trigger. The running man toppled over. Pleased with his marksmanship, the major turned to a GI and said, "Hell, I've been teaching my boys to shoot from the waist for three years. Now I had to show them that I could do it myself.”

“Conner's mechanized column pushed past burning houses and dead Japanese on the far side of Novaliches bridge. At 6:35 P.M., with dusk settling over the Philippines, troopers wearing the oversized shoulder patch of the 1st Cavalry Division crossed the city limits of Manila, a precarious toe-hold, for the division was strung out to the rear for nearly forty miles.

Toy Bldg., Lapu-lapu St., Agdao, Davao City

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Door #7Realty Bldg. beside Lakitan Mall San Pedro street, Davao City (Tel No.: 228-9322

THE LAST MILE...(fromfrontpage)

“Going up to Domandan is a lot easier now,” said Heizel Jane Bordado, 33, municipal health nurse assigned in the area.

Bordado bought a motorcycle, which she drives to Domandan as commuting by public transport is costly and timeconsuming. Riding a tricycle would cost P50 pesos each with three other passengers or P200 for a lone passenger who wants to avoid long waiting hours. The distance from the town center of Ipil to the village is estimated at 12 kilometers, a 45-minute drive for the nurse. Her travel costs to the barangay, like most of other rural health workers, is not covered by the Rural Health Unit (RHU). Such was the case even during the pandemic.

“I used to get minor bruises from accidents in navigating the rough road on my motorbike and I spend my own money for the gasoline,” Bordado said.

Distance and cost of travel are among the factors for the inability of the RHU to achieve 100% of its vaccination target for barangay Domandan. Of its estimated 849 residents, 466 aged 18 and above were prioritized for vaccination, of which 354 or 76% were vaccinated.

The vaccination success for booster shots was bleaker. Of the same target number of individuals from barangay Domandan, only 12 availed of the booster shots.

Roughly 70% of the population of Domandan lives below poverty line and are subsidized by the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the national government. The main source of livelihood of the residents is rubber plantation farming.

The situation is similar in Barangay Taimalang, another GIDA in Ipil, which has a population of 2,083 individuals as per data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The actual population according to the RHU data is 2,232 individuals. Of the 1,423 individuals aged 18 and above who were prioritized for vaccination. Only 559 individuals availed of primary vaccination, roughly 39.28% of the target. Only 25 availed of the booster shot as of January 11, 2023.

Barangay Timalang is seven kilometers away from the town center, accessible via rough roads. The cost of passenger transport aboard a habal-habal is P150 per trip. Mae Aisa Cañete, 37, the rural health nurse assigned in the village, also drives her own motorcycle to reach the area.

The village is populated by Subanen and Visayans. Of the estimated 372 households, 81% are indicating that they live below the poverty line. Like the residents of Domandan, their main source of livelihood is rubber plantation farming, in addition to coconut farming.

Punishment

“Dili na g’yud ko magpabooster pa tungod kay luya ang lawas ug laylay ang mga bukton (I will never have a vaccine booster shot because the body becomes),” said Donald Gumugod, 62, the punong barangay (village local chief executive) of Domandan.

Gumugod said the same sentiment is shared by other members of his village. “Ang mga tawo magbinantanay sa unsa ang nahimong epekto sa bakuna sa uban, (Villagers keenly observed what the effect of the vaccination was to those who had the shots),” the punong barangay said. He explained that the side effects exhibited by those who were injected with the vaccine convinced others not to get themselves vaccinated.

The nurses assigned in Domandan and Timalang said residents of the rural barangay tended to view the COVID-19 vaccination as a “punishment.”

“They were averse to the side effects of the vaccine, which rendered them feeling sickly for a few days,” Bordado said. “For them, it is like a punishment,” she added.

Myths and wrong information are also prevalent among the local residents. The most Bordado and Cañete, were: the vaccine causes sterility, will result to illnesses, or will turn the vaccinated person into a zombie.

People also believed that their distance from the town center will serve as barrier against COVID-19.

The punong barangay thought that his village did not have COVID-19 cases as they went on a total lockdown at the height of the pandemic in 2021. However, the RHU recorded two COVID-19 positive cases of individuals from Domandan – one in 2021 and another in 2022.

Timalang registered two COVID-19 positive cases and one probable case in 2021. immediately quarantined and given medical care, preventing further transmission.

The villages of Domandan and Timalang had an established barangay health system that enabled them to cope with the pandemic. Domandan has a newly constructed barangay health station with three barangay health workers (BHW) and one nutrition scholar taking turns on duty at the facility. For their services, the BHW receives a monthly allowance of P1,500 each from the barangay government and P3,000 from the RHU. Timalang, on the other hand, also has a barangay health station with eight BHWs and two nutrition scholars. They get the same monthly allowance.

Root Causes

More than the misinformation and myths, poverty and lack of post-vaccination support were seen as the bottom line for the low vaccination rate in the two

“The cost of transport from their barangay to the central vaccination center is prohibitive for many of the residents of Timalang, said Cañete. The same was the case for Domandan, according to Bordado.

Bordado also said residents who refused vaccination were apprehensive because they did not have easy access to health services in case of adverse effects on them. “They do not have the means of communications with the health responders,” she said.

She also added that many residents were averse to the vaccination because in the event that they suffer side effects, even mild effects like fever and prolonged fatigue, the poor did not have money to buy paracetamol and supplements to alleviate their conditions.

Bordado said post-vaccine care is a weak aspect in the vaccination process.

Bordado and Cañete further explained that for the poor villagers, feeling sick and not being able to work for even just two days is not an acceptable option because this would mean not being able to bring food to the table for the entire family.

Post-COVID-19 Health Care

Explaining the behavior of the adult population who were averse to the vaccination, Dr. Adnilre Verzon, Municipal Health Officer (MHO) of Ipil, said “malnutrition among adults in rural and far-flung areas is high.” While adult malnutrition may be the underlying vulnerability of the adults to the side effects of the vaccine, such as fever and general feeling of fatigue, “there is no study corroborating this observation,” she said.

Dr. Verzon is recommending the provision of adequate medicines for the anticipated side effects of the vaccination. This includes 10 tablets of paracetamol for fever and pain, and possible allergies. She said the RHU provided such medicine support in the earlier part of the vaccination campaign but this was not continued because the RHU ran out of supplies. The MHO also recommended post-COVID-19 vaccination care. She said continuous monthly monitoring should be undertaken to assess untoward reaction for a year. In addition, she said teleconsultation should be established areas immediate access to consultation with health workers after the vaccination. While cellphone signal is available in these areas, the cost of communication may not be affordable for many of the residents belonging to poor households.

Dr. Verzon lamented the lack of financial provision for the transportation of COVID-19 health care workers assigned innual budget of the RHU and the municipal government had been fully sourced for COVID-19 intervention for the past three years. External support for the transportation of health workers is needed.

Heroes for Health

COVID-19 infection has slowed down in the municipality of Ipil since the first cases were recorded in July of 2020, and reached its peak in 2021. Records from the RHU indicated that when the pandemic started in 2020, 64 individuals were infected, eight of whom died. In 2021, the infection peaked to 1,125 positive cases, killing 47 of its residents. By 2022, the number of cases went down to 310 positive cases and the severity of the infection was losing steam with only two recorded deaths. At the start of 2023, the number of COVID-19 cases is down to only three individuals.

“When referral hospitals in Zamboanga City started not to accept patients from our municipality in 2021, we knew that the COVID-19 pandemic was a serious matter,” said the 62-year old Anamel C. Olegario, mayor of Ipil.

“We did not hesitate in immediately allocating resources to combat the contagion,” the mayor said. The municipal government disbursed P6 million for food assistance during the lockdown in 2020. In 2021, another P2 million was allocated to supplement expenditures for the vaccination of local residents. In 2022, additional P2 million was allocated for COVID-19 response.

On top of the municipal allocation, funding from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management (MDRRM) fund was also mobilized for COVID-19 response. According

P4.743 million was allocated in 2020, another P6.7 million in 2021, and P4 million in 2022. For 2023, a fresh fund amounting to P1.5 million was allocated for COVID-19 response. The MDRRM budget was mostly allocated for medical supplies, medicines, support for transportation, and food for emergency responders.

The municipality of Ipil also received P18 million from the national government through the Bayanihan I program, another P30 million was allocated for medical equipment under the Bayanihan II program.

More than the availability of funds, the mayor said the support of civic groups, business community and individuals in the municipality helped the local government beat the pandemic.

“We enjoyed the support and cooperation of the residents of Ipil, which made the battle against COVID-19 a winnable endeavor,” the mayor said.

Ipil’s battle against COVID-19 took its toll among the frontliners. From 2020 to 2022, a total of 20 barangay health workers, two barangay nutrition scholars, 40 municipal health personnel, and six members of the disaster response team were infected with the virus. The mayor and the two medical doctors of the RHU were also infected. One barangay health work died.

The MDRRM officer and his pool of volunteers were quarantined four times in a span of two years.

Working with the RHU, the MDRRM office was responsible for transporting COVID-19 patients and those who were probably infected because of close contact with an infected person to hospitals and quarantine facilities. They disinfected cases of infection. They were also assigned to transport locallystranded individuals.

“Helping those from the GIDA was challenging,” said Hinggo. The MDRRMO said lack of transportation, drivers, and communication equipment connecting the center with the isolated areas made the task

The MDRRMO and the RHU had only one ambulance and one rescue vehicle at their disposal to cover and respond to emergency incidences in the 28 barangays that comprise the entire town.

In the end, Ipil succeeded in curbing the spread of COVID-19.

In 2021, the Inter-agency Task Force Against COVID-19 prioritized 65,586 individuals for primary vaccination. This target corresponded to 80% of the population aged 15 and older. Of this target, the municipal government was able to vaccinate 62,486 individuals, equivalent to 95.27% accomplishment rate.

Based on the ratio of reported cases recorded by the RHU, the cases of infection in 2021 and 2022 dramatically dropped by 72.44% and cases of COVID-19 related deaths dropped by 95.74% after the successful primary vaccination campaign in the entire municipality. This ratio is based on layman’s computation and does not account for the number of populations tested for COVID-19 infection, as there is no data for such.

The MHO also observed that the cases of severely affected individuals also greatly decreasedment. From 2022 to 2023, “there had been less admissions in the hospital and decreased cases of

EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF THE ESTATE OF PEDRO NAPISA, CONCEPCION NAPISA DANDAN, JOSEFA NAPISA

UY and FELCIANO C. NAPISA WITH PARTITION

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late PEDRO NAPISA who died intestate on May 9, 1957 at Pikit, North Cotabato; at the time of his death he is the registered owner of a parcel of land covered by OCT No. 19, Lot No. 102, Colony 1, Ac-3, Psd-124712-020499, with land area of ONE HUNDRED SIXTY THOUSAND (160,000) SQUARE METERS more or less;

That CONCEPCION NAPISA DANDAN, who died intestate on May 11, 2019; at Ladtingan, Pikit, North Cotabato;

That JOSEFA NAPISA UY, who died intestate on November 21, 2010 at Ladtingan, Pikit, North Cotabato;

That FELICIANO C. NAPISA, who died intestate on November 21, 2017 at Ladtingan, Pikit, North Cotabato;

That pursuant to Sec. 1 Rule 74 of the Revised Rules of Court of the Philippines, the above-mentioned described property has been the subject of EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF THE ESTATE OF PEDRO NAPISA, CONCEPCION NAPISA DANDAN, JOSEFA NAPISA UY and FELCIANO C. NAPISA WITH PARTITION, made and executed by and among their heirs per Doc. No. 351; Page No. 77; Book No. XII; Series of 2023 of the Notary Public Atty. VINCENT ANTHONY L. SUNGCOG.

(MT-Feb. 3, 10 & 17, 2023)

COVID-19-related deaths,” Dr. Verzon said. This observation is validated by the data from the Ipil RHU Surveillance Unit indicating a COVID-19 hospital admission of 255 cases in 2021 and 88 in 2022.

The downtrend of COVID-19 hospital admissions in Ipil is likewise observed in the entire province of Zamboanga Sibugay. According to records of the Department of Health provincial admission for the entire province in 2021 was 893 cases and 452 in 2022.

“Cases for COVID-19 in the province have already decreased,” said Dr. Herbert Saavebeen recorded at the start of 2023.

The DOH awarded the municipal government of Ipil the “Heroes for Health Award” in 2023 for “…the admirable resiliency and commitment to successfully implement the Prevention, Detection, Isolation, Treatment, Recovery, and Vaccination (PDITR+V) strategy and unrelenting efforts and invaluable services rendered in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic.”

Low Uptake for Booster Shots

For the frontliners against pandemic continues. “The entire province of Sibugay has not yet reached the 70% target vaccination coverage,” Saavedra said.

Zamboanga Sibugay’s population as of the May 2020 census of the PSA is 669,840.

Primary vaccination for the entire province reached 87.88% of the target population, corresponding to 416,858 individualsond vaccine shot reached 82.6% of the target population.er shot, only 14.74% of the target was achieved. For the second booster shot, the accomplishment is only at 2.21% of the target.

“There is low acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine booster shots,” Dr. Verzon said. “This is despite the efforts of the health personnel to convince people of the necessity for additional vaccination,” she said.

Bordado and Cañete, the two nurses assigned in the hinterland barangays, said residents no longer see the need for the booster shot. They also expressed communicating the need for the booster.

“During our campaign for the primary vaccination against COVID-19, we told the people that the vaccine will protect them from the severity of the disease. What do we tell them now as regards to the booster shot? Our message for both the primary vaccines and the booster shots are the same, thus the people no longer see the need to get another shot,” they said, adding the people “could see that the situation has greatly improved as the cases and severity of infection in the municipality have already dropped.”

Still the RHU continues to exert effort to deliver the COVID-19 booster shots to the people and to the remote areas. The RHU’s vaccination site in the town center continues to operate daily. Complementing the centralized effort, the RHU deployed the nurses to conduct vaccination in the barangays, especially the GIDAs.

“The DOH, with the assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), is assisting the RHUs in the delivery of the vaccine said. He added that recently, the ICRC donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), vaccine carries and disposable syringes to the Ipil RHU.

To boost the campaign, the RHU conducted a municipalpeople to avail of the booster shot vaccination in 2022. The event carried the message, “Sabaysabay tayong babangon, magpabooster ngayon.” (We shall recover together, get a booster shot now). (Jules Benitez / MindaNews)