After more than a century, U.S. announces return of Balangiga bells to PH

After 117 years, the government of the United States (U.S.) on Thursday, November 15, officially turned over the Balangiga Bells taken by American soldiers from the Philippines.

Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez attended a ceremony held at the F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis officially announced the return of the Bells of Balangiga to the country.

“This is a very significant event that we have not only because these bells represent the long history that the Philippines and the United States have, but it brings to a close, a part of our history — the Filipino-American war in the 1900s,” Romualdez said.

“Of course, many people died in that war and we honor those people. But more than that, we also honor those people who died in the World War II and the many wars that we fought with the United States. The significance of this event is the fact that we honor those and the kind of relationship that we have with the United States” he added.

The Philippine envoy said the turnover ceremony was “very simple,” and that in not so many words, Mattis told him, “Ambassador, these bells are now officially going to be returned to the Philippines.”

Before being returned to the Philippines, the two bells will be first shipped to a facility in Philadelphia for refurbishing. After that, the bell will be sent to South Korea, where the third bell is located in one of the U.S. Army air bases there.

“Hopefully before the end of the year, we should expect all three bells of Balangiga back in the Philippines,” Romualdez said.

In its statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) welcomed the return of the bells seized by American troops from a church in Balangiga, Eastern Samar as war trophies, following the Balangiga massacre in 1901.

“Today is a time of solemn remembrance as we pay tribute to all those who gave up their lives during the Filipino-American War,” the DFA said.

It was on his second state of the nation address (SONA) in 2017 when President Rodrigo Duterte first made an appeal to the US government to bring back the three bells to the country.

Responding to Duterte’s call, the US government, in August 2018, said Mattis had notified Congress that the US government intends to return them, but at that time, there was no specific date yet for the turnover.

[READ: Balangiga bells to return to Philippines]

Monsignor Pedro Quitorio III, head of the Diocesan Committee on Balangiga Bells, earlier said parishioners and the church of Balangiga is “ready” for the return of its bells.