Camp Kasisang, was established as a camp for American and Filipino prisoners of war on 1942, in then municipality of Malaybalay, Bukidnon in the Philippines.[1] Before serving as Mindanao's first camp for prisoners of war, it was a training ground for the Philippine Army.[2] It was located in the foothills of the Malaybalay Mountains and a few miles north of Barangay Casisang.[3]
 1942 photo of US soldiers at Camp Kasisang | |
 | |
| Location | Malaybalay |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 8°09′23″N 125°08′00″E / 8.15638888888889°N 125.13333333333334°E |
| Status | Defunct |
| Opened | mid-1942 |
| Closed | October 1942 |
| Managed by | Empire of Japan |
| State/province | Bukidnon |
| Country | Philippines (under Japanese occupation) |
History
edit
The camp's barracks were of crude construction, some with corrugated steel roofs but most were made of either thatched wood or nipa palm fronds.[2]
Water was scarce and the prisoners were limited to one water canteen per day for all purposes. One pump was the sole source of water for about 1,000 Americans and 11,000 Filipinos.[4]
Movements of prisoners
editIn July 1942, Filipino and American soldiers in Mindanao who surrendered to the Japanese forces were made to march from Camp Keithley in Marawi to Iligan, a distance of about 36 kilometers, to gather them all at Camp Kasisang with the rest of the prisoners of war.[5]
In the succeeding months of 1942, the Japanese transported several prisoners to other parts of the Philippines, including Manila and Davao.[4] The camp was ordered to be closed in November 1942.[3]
Deaths
editPrisoners who were caught making an attempt to escape from the camp were killed.[6] It was report that only 19 prisoners died at Camp Kasisang as a result of the wounds they had before they arrived at the camp, and there were no deaths due to malnutrition or disease.
Notable prisoners
edit- Manuel A. Roxas - Philippine Army officer who became the president of the Philippines in 1946[7]
- William F. Sharp - US army major general[7]
Commemoration
editThe Philippines Historical Committee (now the National Historical Commission of the Philippines) declared the camp as a National Historical Landmark in 1948.[8]
References
edit- ^ "Historical Background". City government of Malaybalay. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- ^ a b Dorr, Robert F. (1996). 7th Bombardment Group/Wing, 1918-1995. Turner Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-56311-278-2.
- ^ a b Jones, Betty B. (December 14, 2011). The December Ship: A Story of Lt. Col. Arden R. Boellner's Capture in the Philippines, Imprisonment, and Death on a World War II Japanese Hellship. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-8927-5.
- ^ a b "American Prisoners of War Celebrate the Fourth of July at Camp Casisang – The World War II Multimedia Database". Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- ^ Robert John I. Donesa (2020). "THE MINDANAO DEATH MARCH: ESTABLISHING A HISTORICAL FACT THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH". International Social Science Review. 1 (1): 1.
- ^ Dorr, Robert F. (1996). 7th Bombardment Group/Wing, 1918-1995. Turner Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-56311-278-2.
- ^ a b Maramba, Asuncion David (2000). Seven in the Eye of History. Published and exclusively distributed by Anvil Pub. ISBN 978-971-27-1030-8.
- ^ "Camp Kasisang | Registry". Retrieved February 16, 2024.