THE DEGREE OF DESTRUCTION

IN INFRASTRUCTURE CAUSED
BY WORLD WAR II IN THE
PHILIPPINES
What was the cause of World War
2?
The instability created in Europe by the First World War (1914-18) set
the stage for another international conflict World War II which broke out
two decades later and would prove even more devastating. Rising to
power in an economically and politically unstable Germany, Adolf Hitler,
leader of the Nazi Party, rearmed the nation and signed strategic treaties
with Italy and Japan to further his ambitions of world domination. Hitler’s
invasion of Poland in September 1939 drove Great Britain and France to
declare war on Germany, marking the beginning of World War II. Over
the next six years, the conflict would take more lives and destroy more
land and property around the globe than any previous war.
 THE BATTLE OF MANILA
(3 Feb 1945 – 3 Mar 1945)

The battle of Manila was the first

and fiercest urban fighting in the
entire Pacific War. Few battles in
the closing months of
World War II exceeded the
destruction and the brutality of the
massacres and savagery of the
fighting in Manila. Thousands of
people died, and the majority of
the infrastructure was destroyed.
Fort Santiago (Spanish: Fuerte de Santiago; Filipino: Kutà ng
Santiago) was built in 1593. The fort is one of the most important
historical sites in Manila. Several lives were lost in its prisons during
the Spanish Empire and World War II. José Rizal, one of the
Philippine national heroes, was imprisoned here before his execution
in 1896. The Rizal Shrine museum displays memorabilia of the hero
in their collection and the fort features his footsteps, representing his
final walk from his cell to the location of his actual execution.
The Monte de Piedad and Savings Bank of Manila was
established by the Catholic Church and the Spanish colonial
government in 1880. In 1945, the building was used by the
American Red Cross. The name “Monte De Piedad” means
“Mountain of Mercy”. Probably because this bank served as a
pawnshop of the church for the people during those days.
Central United Methodist Church was designed by
Juan Arellano, and was dedicated for worship on June 12,
1932. The building was ruined after the Battle of Manila. The
church was rebuilt in its original site in 1949. Restored to its
old grandeur, its decor includes a rendering of da Vinci’s Last
Supper carved in Philippine mahogany.
 BUREAU OF POST BUILDING
(MANILA POST OFFICE)

The Manila Central Post Office, often called the Post Office
Building, is the main postal office of Manila, which also serves as
the home of the Philippine Postal Corporation. It also houses the
main mail sorting-distribution operations of the Philippines. In 1926,
the bureau of posts was built. It was damaged during World War II
(1945), but was restored after the war in 1946.

Fire damage to the Manila Post Office sustained in 1945

Japanese defense positions (1945)
 Legislative Building
In World War II, Japanese forces in Manila bombed and destroyed the building
in February 1945. Most of the structure was beyond repair, except for the still-
standing central portion. With the inauguration of the Republic of the Philippines
in 1946, the building was reconstructed to be the home of Congress. It was
rebuilt by the U.S. Philippine War Damage Corporation to the same dimensions
but with less interior and exterior ornamentation.Reconstruction began in 1949,
while the Congress moved back the same year. The two wings of the building
were completed in 1950. The building was rebuilt mostly from memory, with the
aid of a few remaining blueprints.

Legislative Building in Manila before Legislative Building in Manila after

liberation the heavy shelling and bombing.
Commerce and Agriculture Department Building
The building was constructed as the Agriculture and Commerce Building in
1940. It was designed in a neoclassical style by Filipino Architect Antonio Toledo
in the late 1930s, having the same dimensions and floor plan as its twin building
located at the northern side of the circle, the Finance Building. Commerce and
Agriculture Department Building were destroyed in the Battle of Manila during
World War II. The building were reconstructed according to the original plans
after the war.
Manila City Hall
In the 1930s, a new City Hall was constructed, which had uniform windows on all
sides. This was designed by Antonio Toledo, the same architect who built the
Finance and Old Legislative Buildings which were both adjacent to the new City
Hall. Finished in 1941 right before World War II, it was another of the structural
casualties of the War, heavily damaged (but still intact) by bombardment during
the Battle and subsequent Liberation of Manila in February 1945. With the aid of
the United States Army, Philippine Commonwealth Army and the city government,
City Hall was reconstructed, though did not follow the original plans.
Manila Cathedral
Officially known as the Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral
of the Immaculate Conception, Manila Cathedral dates back to the
1500s but it was completely rebuilt in the 1950s after the original
structure was destroyed in World War II.
BATTLE OF LEYTE GULF
The Battle of Leyte Gulf is the largest naval battle in recent history. It
was fought during the Pacific War of World War II in the seas
surrounding the Philippine island of Leyte from October 23rd to
October 26, 1944, between the Allies and the Empire of Japan. It
involved hundreds of ships and nearly 200,000 participants and
spanned more than 100,000 square miles. Some of the largest and
most powerful ships ever built were sunk, and thousands of men went
to the bottom of the sea with them. The Japanese attempted to repel
or destroy the Allied forces stationed on Leyte after the preceding
Allied invasion in the Battle of Leyte.
The battle consisted of four main separate engagements: the
Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, the Battle of Surigao Strait, the
Battle off Cape Engaño and the Battle off Samar.
 The Japanese Navy’s “Victory Operation” not only failed
to disrupt the Leyte landings, it resulted in serious losses
to what remained of Japan’s surface fleet.
The United States lost 7 warships during the Battle of Leyte Gulf:
● One light aircraft carrier
● Two escort carriers
● Two destroyers
● Two destroyer escort
● One PT boat
● Four other ships
The Japanese lost 26 warships during the Battle of Leyte Gulf: [94]
● One fleet aircraft carrier
● Three light aircraft carriers
● Three battleships
● Six heavy cruiser
● Four light cruisers
● Nine destroyers