Secretary Locsin Joins Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the End of World War II in the PH

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. delivering the concluding remarks at the commemorative event at the US Embassy in Manila, held simultaneously with a program at Camp John Hay in Baguio City  (Photo credit: U.S. Embassy in Manila)

PASAY CITY 05 September 2020 - Speaking before audiences in Manila and Baguio City, simultaneously linked together as one event via Zoom, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. highlighted the peace and freedom that the Philippines gained, with the help of the United States of America, and used to rebuild and secure its future out of the ashes of the Second World War 75 years ago.

Secretary Locsin joined Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana, U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim and Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda in reflecting on the end of the bloodiest war in history and the value of having strong allies, partners and friends among nations, especially at this time when the entire world struggles with a pandemic.

Special guests at the in-person but socially distanced event, hosted by Deputy Chief of Mission John Law in the chancery of the U.S. Embassy, included Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and DFA Assistant Secretary Maria Lumen B. Isleta.

The program likewise saw a presentation by Prof. Charita delos Reyes on the history and significance of Baguio City as the place where World War II in the Philippines began and ended, with the signing of surrender documents by General Tomoyuki Yamashita in Camp John Hay on 03 September 1945, and a virtual walk-through of the war photos exhibited at Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila.

In closing, Secretary Locsin stressed that the peace that ensued after the war has been crucial to the Philippines’ present and future; “That future of peace and freedom is our present; and we guard it fiercely and without compromise; so that we and those who come after us shall ever live with the fullest reality and the most certain promise of peace and harmony without end.”

The full text of Secretary Locsin’s speech on the 75th Anniversary of the end of WWII can be found on the DFA website. END

A screenshot of the virtual program shows the Philippine, U.S. and Japanese officials from different locations (clockwise from left): Ambassador Sung Kim at Camp John Hay, Baguio City; Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana at his office; Ambassador Koji Haneda at the Japanese Embassy in Manila; and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. (Photo credit: U.S. Embassy in Manila)