Local History

Sample: The Story of Baker Hall

• Your first major requirement is a LOCAL HISTORY
report.
• Local History is a story that is true, but not in the
history books.
• It’s about the history of a locality or a local hero.
• Much of our history is “Manila-centric”, the
contents of our history books are events that
happened in Manila, and heroes who are from
Manila.
• In this class, we will add contents to our history
books.
• I will show you a sample…
• The “Los Banos Raid”
• This is Baker Hall. It is a PE facility in UPLB.
• It is named after an American professor who taught in UPLB
decades before the war.
• During World war 2, it served as a prison for 2,500 American,
Australian, and European prisoners.
• The building was the Japanese headquarters, while on the field
were the huts of the prisoners.
• The Filipino guerrillas in Mt. Makiling spied on the camp and
observed that the Japanese would always exercise unarmed on the
field every 6:45 to 7:15 AM
• They reported it to the American liberation forces which was
already in Alabang.
• Together, they plotted a simultaneous air-land-and water attack
on Baker Hall to rescue the prisoners.
• So on February 23, 1945, they conducted “The
Los Banos Raid.”
• This is the picture of the actual attack.
Air, Land, Water Attack
• Air Attack
• At exactly 7 AM, the sky was filled with American
paratroopers. They shot down the unarmed
Japanese exercising on the field.
• Land Attack
• From the bushes,
the Filipino
guerrillas jumped
out and attacked
the Japanese.
• Water attack
• Am-trucks (Amphibious vehicles) crossed Laguna
de Bay and landed in Barangay Bayog, travelled on
Pili Drive, and arrived at Baker Hall at exactly 7
AM to join the paratroopers and guerrillas.
• The Japanese all died.
• 1,800 prisoners were rescued (700 died in the 3
years that they were interned at Baker grounds)
• The rescued prisoners were then loaded into the Am-trucks
and were brought to Barangay Mamatid in Cabuyao, before
they were brought to Alabang, and airlifted to the US.
• This photo was taken in Mamatid
• A newspaper reported the said event.
• But that’s not the end of the story.
• After rescuing the prisoners, the paratroopers and the
Am-trucks all left Los Banos and returned to Mamatid and
Alabang.
• The guerrillas went back to Mt. Makiling.
• Japanese reinforcements arrived from Tanauan, Batangas.
• Seeing their dead comrades on Baker Field, they got
furious and vented their ire on the civilians of Los Banos.
They massacred the helpless Filipinos.
• Many were killed using bayonettes.
• Some locked themselves in Catholic churches. So the
Japanese just burned down these buildings to kill those
inside.
 My Personal Reflection
• Filipinos are great! They are the true heroes.
The Los Banos Raid wouldn’t have happened
without the initiative of the guerrillas.
• The Americans shouldn’t have left Los Banos.
Because they did, the innocent civilians suffered
in the massacre. The Americans are just
interested in freeing their citizens.
• Too bad, what happened is just a “raid”, not a
“liberation.” They are 2 different terms.
You will write a similar report
 Instructions (by Pair)
• Look for an old person, a World War 2
survivor, or even older. Interview him/her.
• Write a narrative account of the history of a
certain place, barangay, building; or a story of
heroism during his/her time. The story may
not necessarily be a war-time story.
• Document the interview by taking pictures of
you together with the old person.
 Instructions
• End your report by writing at least one
paragraph expressing your analysis and
personal reflection on the story given by the
old person.
• Print your work on a short bond paper and
submit on Week 10. This is your 3rd major
assessment.
 Rubrics for Scoring (perfect score: 100)
Unsatisfactory Fair Good Very Good
Unsatisfactory Fair Good Very Good
Organization Story of the local Story of the local history Story of the local history Story of the local history
OrganizationhistoryStory of the local
not very Storyand
narrated of the local history
a bit Story of and
narrated the alocal
bit history Story of the local
excellently history
narrated, paragraphs
history not very
comprehensible. narrated and but
comprehensible, a bitlacks narrated and a bit
comprehensible, but lacks excellently narrated, flow is
are well-organized,
comprehensible.
(0-4 point) comprehensible,
impact, and has lots ofbut comprehensible, but lacks
impact. paragraphs
continuous are well-organized,
and contributes to
(0 point) lacks impact,
grammatical and has
errors. impact.
(10-14 points) flow is continuous and
comprehensibility. The report has
(5-9lots of grammatical
points) (3-4 points) contributes
a nice title.to
errors. comprehensibility.
(15-20 points) The report
(1-2 points) has a nice title.
(5 points)
Content The report is not a local The contents of the story is not The contents of the story can be Content-wise, the report is meaty and
history, but a national well established as a local considered a local history. Names of detailed. Names of people and places
history or a folklore. There history. Names of some key some key characters and places may well-identified. It is a story not yet in
is no photograph of the characters and places not be identified. The story is just a history books. The story is a first-hand
Content The report is not a identified
interviewee.
The contents of the
completely. The story
The contents of the story
second-hand account of the
Content-wise, the report is
account of the interviewee. There is a
local history, but a story is not well can be considered a local meaty and detailed. Names of
(0-19 points)
national history or ais justestablished
a second-hand account
as a local interviewee. There is a picture of
history. Names of some key photograph of the student and the
people and places well-
  folklore. There is no of the interviewee.
history. It hasThere is a
semblance the interviewee
characters and
and the student.
places may interviewee.
identified. It is a story not yet
photograph of the picture
of national history. and
of the interviewee be identified. The story is in(40-50 points)
history books. The story is a
interviewee. the student.
Names (20-29
of some points)
key (30-39
just apts points)
second-hand account  
first-hand account of the
(0-2 points)   characters and places   of the interviewee. There is interviewee. There is a
not identified. The story a picture of the interviewee photograph of the student and
is just a second-hand and the student. (6-8 points) the interviewee.
account of the (9-10 points)
interviewee. There is no
picture of the
interviewee and the
Reflection There is no reflection There is a reflection
student. part,
(3-5 points) There is a reflection part, but The paper has a reflection part
part. but not in-depth and not just a bit in-depth and just a that is in-depth and meaningful.
(0-2 points) meaningful little bit meaningful (15-20 points)
(1-9 points) (10-14points)

Reflection
Peer Evaluation There
According toisthe
nopeer, There is
According toathe
reflection
peer, the There is atoreflection
According the peer,part,
the The paper has
According to athe
reflection part
peer, the student
reflection
the student didn’t part.
help part, but not in-depth
student had unsatisfactory but just a bit in-depth and
student had satisfactory inputs. that is in-depth and
had heavy inputs on the project.
(0-2 points)
at all. (0 point) and not meaningful
inputs. (1-5 points) justpoints)
(6-8 a little bit meaningful meaningful.
(9-10 points)
(3-5 points) (6-8 points) (9-10 points)