Panay marks 81st Victory Day with solemn liberation rites

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Solemn rites highlighted the legacy of Panay’s wartime resistance during the commemoration of the 81st Victory Day, more popularly known as the Liberation of Panay, on Wednesday, March 18, at the Balantang Memorial Cemetery National Shrine in Barangay Quintin Salas, Jaro.

Organized by the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office Iloilo, the event gathered war veterans, their families, local officials, and community members in tribute to Filipino fighters who resisted Japanese forces during World War II.

Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu led the wreath-laying ceremony.

She was joined by Iloilo Public Information and Community Affairs Office head Jose Nereo Lujan, who represented Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.

The Balantang site is considered one of the bloodiest battlegrounds in Panay.

Guerrilla fighters under Col. Macario Peralta withstood repeated Japanese attacks at the site from February to March 1945.

Peralta commanded the 6th Military District of the Philippine Commonwealth Army, which organized one of the most effective guerrilla resistance networks in the Visayas during the Japanese occupation. His forces maintained control over significant portions of Panay and played a critical role in weakening Japanese positions ahead of the American liberation campaign.

Their resistance helped pave the way for the landing of the Allied 40th Infantry Division of the United States Army in Barangay Parara, Tigbauan, Iloilo on March 18, 1945, the date now commemorated as Victory Day.

Victory Day in Panay, Romblon, and Guimaras is observed annually every March 18.

It was declared a special nonworking holiday under Proclamation No. 430 signed in 1989 by then-President Corazon Aquino.

The proclamation recognizes the region’s role in the country’s liberation during World War II.

In a separate interview on the sidelines of the 33rd Annual General Assembly of the Iloilo Provincial Employees and Community Multipurpose Cooperative, Sen. Risa Hontiveros underscored the importance of upholding national sovereignty.

She invoked the historical legacy of Ilonggos and Panaynon in defending the nation.

“In faithfulness to our defense of national sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea, I am doubly proud to celebrate the heroism of Ilonggos and Panaynon—our ancestors who fought not only during World War II but even earlier in the struggle for Philippine independence from Spanish colonial rule,” she said.

She said Panay, including Iloilo, played a significant role in the country’s fight for independence, noting that the region contributed to early movements that asserted Filipino nationhood.

She likewise called on Filipinos to remain true to this legacy and honor the sacrifices of those who came before.

“How can we betray that proud heritage as Ilonggos, as Panaynon, as Filipinos? We can do no less than honor their heroism, honor their struggle, and uphold that same spirit today in defending our national interest in the West Philippine Sea,” Hontiveros said.