University of Santo Tomas during the 2nd World War

[mirandagmail]

Pearl of the Orient..............

[mirandagmail]

WOW... amazing images! UST is very rich in history since the Spanish colonial era. So many memories.. and to see the pictures, so many foreigners used to live and make a living in the Philippines during those times...

I've read an article before, that UST became a civilian camp during WW2..this is the first time I ran into these images.. and come to think of it.. my mother gave birth to me in UST hospital... and 3 decades later, my father passed away at UST hospital.

[pinnoy]

@mirandagmail Thank you Mirandagmail!  Yes indeed UST has a long history. This week they are celebrating the closing of the Quadricentennial. You can come tomorrow (Jan 28) there will be fireworks!

[prettyplease012]

3:35 - is that Mr. Bean? :))

[64canadian]

My God!!! The internees were packed like canned sardines inside the hot gym! Why didn't the Japanese allow the buildings to be used as bedrooms?

[NamVetBuck]

My old man, uncle, and grandfather were "guests' of the Japs in WW2...Grandpa didn't make it out. All have since passed away.

Lest we forget...William Wallace Harn, Robert Bruce Harn, Wilson Harn...

[RoyFMuir]

Great to see these photos. My Grandmother, father, uncle and two aunties were all interned here during the war.

Thanks for posting.

[batilsky]

i spent 5 years of my life in ust main building..... basically the same pa rin, maski yung mga puno sa loon main eh ganun pa din, yung mga puno sa tapat yan saksi sa kasaysayan ng uste, sana pag modernize nila, wag ipagwalang bahala ang mga istrakturang taal ng kasaysayang ng uste, sana me pictures din ng seminary and yung botanical garden, antigo den yun. :)

[lastand18]

Now that's the reason why I feel odd whenever I enter the campus. The Main Building's architecture is still intact on the pics -- the same built as it is in the present.

[georgiexx9015]

2:38..are those the same stairs in the main bldg. today? AMAZING. i can't wait to go up those stairs next school year! :D

[DFTmembers]

DETROIT TEACHERS ARE SICK & TIRED AND WILL ACT ON APRIL 4

[Darthymerej]

My Great Grand Dad was Imprisoned in UST during the War then During 2002 I studied at UST 

[delayedricochet]

Bad history and destruction with the Americans and Japanese aside, TOMASINO AKO!!!!!

[GunboundLOver91296]

i'm proud to say i'm studying in UST !! iba talaga ang ust matibay !! and the main building looks great until now ... " ang iyong sahig , dingding , mga pintuan saksi sayong dakilang nakaraan.... " hehe .. thank you sa mga spanish and dominicans ., lalo na si god for establishing ust .. imbued with unending !!

[alopezreyes1]

Great slideshow!

[biktima2007]

more than 300 years tayong sinakop ng mga kastila b4 WW2, ang dami pala talaga nilang na contribute sa pilipinas speaking of historical infrastructure,building,shrine­,church etc...isa na dito ang U.S.T....at talagang ang titibay ng pagka gawa ...sana nagpasakop na lang tayo sa kastila para nakaka tikim sana ang mga anak natin na masarap na hamon (Jamón serrano) kaysa sa hamon ng intsik diyan sa quipo binondo na walang kalasa lasa

[rommy7010]

@biktima2007 Bakit hindi ka mag punta ng ESPANYA SA EUROPA @ doon ka manirahan para MAgtae ka sa (JAMON SERRANO) BUGOK KA KUNG mag isip!

[rhonabellegarboil]

this is one reason that ust (the main building specifically) should really be among the country's national treasures...

[beautyandbrain01]

wow...this is a wonderful thing, so that's how the main building used to look like during those times, galing! :)

[pinnoy]

@beautyandbrain01 Yes, isn't it amazing that it still looks very much like it did in the 40's?

[beautyandbrain01]

@pinnoy

oo nga yung tinatambayan kong gitna ng main building while waiting for my class to start at 4pm onwards wala halos nabago pati yung labas ng building, tibay talaga ni uste...thanks for posting! I'm a proud thomasian! :) Happy 400 years!

[bobbiwinful]

My family was interned there too.

Lou Gopal has been collecting photos, documents, interviews etc.. I believe that there there is a roster of internees on his website. He has produced a DVD of a lot of the footage he's collected "Victims of Circumstance".

Do a google seach for his website. It's a treasure trove of resources. For some reason I can't post the link. Keep getting error message.

[zeev3o]

where did you get the pictures?

[pinnoy]

@zeev3o I got the pictures from Life Magazine (old issue)

[miguelitobebek]

Hi my dad and his family were prisoners here. I would like to get hold of the prisoner list. Can you help me?

Thanks

[pinnoy]

@miguelitobebek Hi Miguelito, here is the best list I have found on the net

cnac.org/emilscott/santotomas0­1.htm

[benjioben]

This is beautiful. Yes the stories about UST in the war are still alive in my family.

[pinnoy]

@benjioben Thanks benjioben

[Ladyrants]

My mother spent over 3 years in this camp. Her health was shattered and she only lived another couple of decades (she died in 1967 age of 44). It was a horrible experience, but she so strongly identified with the other people who were imprisoned with her, and she so strongly loved and admired the men--Filipino and American--who saved them when they really thought they would never survive.

[pinnoy]

@Ladyrants Hi, thanks for sharing your story with us. The inmates must have forged an indelible bond among them as a result of their experiences here.

I was amazed somebody took the pains of gathering the details and contact informations of all the inmates of UST. You may find the complete listing at the video details.

God bless,

[guytingcoclan]

My Lolo (Grandfather in Tagalog) was one of the Filipino guerrillas that helped freed these Americans from the interment camp with the American soldiers. My Lolo, named Diosdado Guytingco was with another Filipino guerrilla named Cpt. Manuel Colayco who helped free these people. My Lolo hopped the fence and collected a map for the Americans. Cpt. Colayco was hit with a grenade. My Lolo is still alive today, and healthy with many grandchildren. I am a Filipino-American. God Bless.

[pinnoy]

@guytingcoclan Thank you for sharing your story. Your grandpa was very courageous. No doubt he saved many lives. God bless...

[hyacinthebouquet]

Mr. Cadwallader, hello. I am Stephanie Carroll, Earl Carroll's daughter who managed the camp during the war. He would have loved this vid. Its very very well done and I thank you for allowing us to see into a small but very important portion of the past. I will send this vid to my brother Bob so he can glimpse a part of our fathers history. If possible, Id like a copy of this vid. Please, let me know. TY.

Maraming salamat po.

[pinnoy]

@hyacinthebouquet Hello Stephanie, you're welcome. It's always my honor and pleasure to meet people who are connected with the WW2 history of my alma mater. You're dad's a hero to the Filipino people.

Sure, by all means you can show this presentation to your brother. I'm glad this short video has given you a visual connection with your dad's past. Thank you also for sharing your story with us.

God bless,

pinnoy

michael reyes

[Manilalou]

Hi - I keep getting an "error, try again" msg when I post. Do a search on "Victims of Circumstance" on YouTube. It'll say, " A short trailer on the documentary...etc" - Sorry I cant post the link !!

[pinnoy]

@Manilalou Hi Manilalou, can you send me again the link? Thanks

[deonelene]

great photos.

[pinnoy]

@deonelene Thanks, I was also amazed at the clarity of these old photos.

[d0lphint0m]

My uncle and aunt were POW's there at Santo Tomas. Thanks so much for putting this together.

[pinnoy]

@d0lphint0m Welcome! Thanks for the info also!

[pinnoy]

Yes, it was a good thing the American Troops got there in time...Thanks for sharing your story!!

[nomisnet]

Thanks for posting this. My father and his brothers and sisters spent about 4 years in this camp. Thank god the Cavalry came and they made it out alive. SB.

[pinnoy]

Thanks for sharing your story!

[RJ1541]

My grandma spect the first two years of her life here, her best friend was here too but had to stay because she didn't have a child. She was saved as the American troops came to liberate the camp just before they were going to blow it up.

[cesvialpando]

Sana Isinama mo sa vid ung tomb of the unknown soldier...great vid prin

[fukugly]

f**k ganyan pa rin bintana sa main bldg ng college ako diyan (4:25) kaya pala ang hirap buksan. great pics!! sana yan ang nasa museum sa main bldg, not all religious items, well that was 10 years ago, how about now?

[joedkev]

so this was UST during the World War II. OMG. i still can't believe that the university i'm in right now had witnessed one of the most brutal experiences Filipinos never imagined. :O

[theretsen]

Medal of honor allied assault theme song pa talaga haha