The Liberation of Davao City

THE LIBERATION OF DAVAO CITY

1945-1946

The Davaoenos were awaiting expectantly the coming of the Liberators. For some months before the Americans actually landed and liberated Davao City, The Filipinos were already aware of the impending invasion because of the frequent aerial reconnaissance of American B29 planes during night time. The United States Air Force began the series of night air raids against Japanese positions in Davao. Because of the situation, many Filipino families left the poblacion, where the Japanese were concentrated, and evacuated to the outskirts in order to be safe. In their places of evacuation families had to eat their supper as early as 5:00 o’clock in the afternoon everyday just to avoid the use of lighted lamps in the evening. People had to sleep early at night but when bombs were heard dropped they scamper for safety and rushed to the air-raid shelters which they themselves built. As weeks and months passed by the situation got from bad to worse because of the frequent bombings by Americans B29 planes of their Japanese targets, many Filipino families evacuated and sought refuge in the far and high mountains where they can be safe. There they planted corn, camotes, and vegetables for subsistence. The American Air Forces held on to their continual night air attacks.

The Filipino families who opted to be left behind in the poblacion, because either they were proud to stay or brave enough to face the consequences, come what may, were tortured, their houses pillaged, and were massacred by the retreating Japanese soldiers when the latter learned that the American-Filipino liberators were already advancing. However, some members of the families massacred were able to save their necks in the process when they feigned death that the Japanese left them for dead.

Unlike in the Leyte, Pangasinan and Nasugbu, Batangas invasions where the American Forces landed on beach heads, Davao liberators composed of Philippine-American soldiers came all the way from Cotabato by land.

As early as April 17, 1945, the assault units of the 24th Division of the United States Forces landed in Mindanao in the area of Cotabato on the west coast. The Americans landing forces made rapid progress meeting no opposition from the Japanese took Parang.

The same 24th Division began a combined amphibious and land operation against Fort Pikit, in cotabato. The Filipino-American forces advanced to within four miles of Davao taking Talomo and the airfields at Daliao. Then on May 2nd the troops ran into determined resistance by the Japanese on the Davao River but managed to establish a small bridgehead over it. On May 3rd units of the 24th Division occupied the ruins of Davao City. The Liberation Forces were under Maj. Gen. Woodruff.

The troops of Lt. Col. Thomas Clifford of the United States 24th Division were the first to liberate the Davao City poblacion from the Japanese Imperial Forces. (Lt. Col. Thomas Clifford earlier received the Distinguished Service Cross, a Presidential unit Citation for his action in the Battle of Leyte Gulf). But it was in Davao City where Lt. Col. Clifford was killed in action that a park was named in his honor after the Liberation.

As soon as the Filipinos who evacuated to the far-flung areas and mountains heard of the arrival of the Liberation Forces composed of Filipino-American soldiers, they came down to the poblacion to join the other jubilant Filipinos who stayed behind but were spared of Japanese atrocities. After all the sufferings experienced by many Filipinos during the Japanese occupation they became happy again because they were free again to move about without fear. The G.I. Joes (as the American Liberation soldiers were called then) distributed to the Filipinos the food and other things they bought along. Life returned to normal again when Davao was liberated from the Japanese occupation that peace, unity and progress now reign.

The vast landholdings of the Japanese in Davao were reverted to the Philippine government after liberation. These same tracts of land were given to our soldiers and civilians.

Among the officials who came back to Davao City after the Liberation was Atty. Pantaleon, Sr. He was again appointed as City Mayor. Apolinario Cabigon succeeded Mayor Pelayo when the latter was assigned to Zamboanga. After Mayor Cabigon, Atty. Fundador Villafuerte served as City Mayor up to June 1946.

Davao City’s onward march to progress took place after the Liberation Period. The principal industries were logging, copra, banana, corn, ramie, mining and fishing. When the logging industry declined, next to flourish was the banana industry. The coconut industry emerged as the Philippine’s biggest dollar producing and earning industry after the Second World War.