WesWorld

Manila, Wednesday, 1 January 1947

All across the city’s shipyards, and in the Navy’s dockyard at Cavite, hammers rang to mark the construction of a number of new ships. In the great drydock at Cavite the keels of two submarines were laid down, while a destroyer and two small support vessels began to take shape on the ways. Of greatest curiosity was the ship emerging in Cavite’s smallest dock – in some respects it looked like the ironwork of a skyscraper laid on its side. The shipwrights working on her knew she was unique, a ship born of the nation’s determination to develop its resources, and her name was Cruzado.


Los Angeles, California, Friday, 3 January 1947

The passenger steamer Ciudad de Manila formerly the Pennland, and had been bareboat-chartered from her owners, the Red Star Line. Though nearly thirty years old she flew her Philippine ensign proudly as her passengers made their way aboard. Diego Munoz made his way to the cabin assigned to him, which he found himself sharing with three of more than seven hundred emigrants that formed a part of her cargo. His bunkmates were welders like himself, but he found that other passengers had other skills – some mechanics and factory workers from the poorer districts of Los Angeles, roustabouts from the oilfields at Signal Hill and Bakersfield, carpenters, railway workers, and not a few skilled machinists. What tied them together was their Latin heritage, their difficulty in fulfilling their ambitions in America and their hope that in the Philippines their prospects, and those of the families, might be brighter.

Sailing on the evening tide the Ciudad de Manila began her trans-Pacific voyage with her passengers in good spirits.

The Mindanao Post, Sunday, 5 January 1947



The Manila Times, Monday, 6 January 1947

The Commercial Registrar has acknowledged the formation of the Oriental Petroleum Company, a joint venture between local interests affiliated with the Ayala and Roxas families and the Royal Dutch Shell concern of The Hague. It is reported that the company is capitalized at fifty million pesos. The new firm will undertake exploration of potential oil reserves in the Malampaga basin on the island of Palawan. Exploratory work is expected to commence in the next several months.

The Bohol Chronicle, Wednesday, 8 January 1947



Naval Operating Base Cavite, Friday, 10 January 1947

At times Kapitein-luitenant ter Zee Eugène Lacomblé thought himself in an ambivalent position; it was his duty to assist the Philippine Navy in coordinating anti-pirate and anti-smuggling patrols – and in this both services had achieved great success; he was, however, an officer of the Royal Netherlands Navy, and bound to report what he saw to his own superiors, with the knowledge that it would be passed to the intelligence organs of his government. He knew that his Philippine hosts were aware of this fact, and tolerated it, but at times he felt somewhat uncomfortable in being an “official spy”. He would have much preferred sea duty.

His station at the Philippine’s largest naval base gave him excellent opportunity to make observations on the latest naval developments – aside from those things that were shared with him in is capacity of a naval liaison officer. Not but a few days before he had been afforded a visit to the cruiser Palawan, which was nearing the end of her operational training – he considered it a fine ship, if smaller than vessels recently constructed in Europe – and one well suited to countering Chinese destroyers in night fighting, something he had reported that the Philippine Navy laid great stress upon. The dockyards at Manila were bustling with new construction authorized under the latest bills approved by the Philippine Senate – the so-called Naval Armament Replenishment Act and its companion Auxiliary Replenishment Act.

He was particularly intrigued by the logistics ship Cruzado, which had begun to take shape in Cavite’s Number Three drydock. He had been given the opportunity to look over her plans by the proud Philippine naval architects who had designed her – and while the ship they described voided all tenets of beauty, he had to admit that she would be functional. The Cruzado was to be of shallow draft to allow her to come close to beaches or island lagoons and discharge her heavy cargo by bridge-ramps or cranes into landing barges. He thought that it would take an extremely skilled ship-handler to keep control of her four rudders and six engines, which would, in theory, give her great maneuverability. If the ship actually delivered on its performance, the type would be quite useful in developing the southern provinces of the Philippines and – he had to admit – a similar vessel would be useful in the East Indies.

The Mindanao Post, Sunday, 12 January 1947

The Ministry of Defense announced on Friday that it had ordered five hundred examples of Delta Motors’ M10 ‘Mula’ light four-wheel drive utility vehicle. These multi-purpose vehicles are expected to replace some of the older field cars and light trucks used by the Army and the Constabulary. Deliveries of the first vehicles are expected to begin in June.


Zamboanga, Monday, 13 January 1947

The Eastern Seafaring and Trading Company had been set up several years ago as a front operation for Chinese criminal triads during the Philippine Action Service’s Operation Balimbing. Since the Government’s seizure of the triad’s assets Emilio Yap had been appointed temporary administrator to oversee its legitimate activities and wind the firm down. Over the last three years he had worked hard to convince the authorities that rather than shut the company down it would make better sense to sell it as a going concern to local investors. Today the final papers were signed, and Yap, with his partners, now owned its assets – two small freighters, a trio of motor luggers, and a warehouse on the city’s waterfront.

The Manila Herald, Wednesday, 15 January 1947

The Freeman (Cebu), Thursday, 16 January 1947

The Elisco Tool Manufacturing Company of Makati has reached agreement with the Swiss firm Société Industrielle de Machines Agicoles Rotatives to commence the assembly and license manufacture of its two-wheel tractor. A spokesman for Elisco indicated that local production is expected to commence in the autumn of this year, but an initial quantity of Swiss-manufactured machines will be imported for use to support civic action programs in the Southern Provinces.


Steamer Ciudad de Manila, at sea, Friday, 17 January 1947

For Diego Munoz the voyage of the Ciudad de Manila was no pleasure cruise; every day was filled with classes explaining to him, and to his fellow emigrants, what they might expect to find in their new homes. While related and mutually intelligible the Spanish Diego had learned at home in Mexico was somewhat different to the Iberiano that served as a lingua franca across the Philippines; and the varied dialects of the local languages were beyond him… thankfully he had been given a simple phrase book that could cover the necessities. Language classes and drills bulked large in his time. There was orientation in history, culture, and the legal system – and Diego was surprised to learn that heathens existed in some areas of the country. There was even a representative of his future employer, the Bataan Refinery Company, on board, who met every day or so with Diego and the several other emigrants who would soon work for this very large and important firm. It was clear that the Philippine Government wanted its new citizens to integrate quickly in their new environment.

The Mindanao Journal, Monday, 20 January 1947

The latest boat of the Tirador class, the submarine Carricero, was completed today at the Butuan naval shipyard, and immediately embarked upon her builders’ trials. She is expected to join the fleet in the late spring.


Los Angeles, The Philippine Consulate, Wednesday, 22 January 1947

Consul General Emil Guillermo looked over the final draft of the cable to Manila and endorsed it. He expected that his superiors would share his satisfaction in the progress of recruitment efforts among the Latino population on the southwestern United States. With the assistance of Church authorities in the Los Angeles area the word was spreading that well-paying jobs were available for those with skills and willing to accept the conditions of employment laid down for them, and the number of emigrants awaiting the next transport was growing. Unfortunately those without skills – casual laborers, agricultural workers, the old – were not priorities. He had word from his counterpart in the Mexican town of Mazatlán that a small group had been recruited there – men well versed in construction due to their experience in constructing the Mexican Canal. Taken together he felt confident Manila would soon send a ship, even though the Ciudad de Manila had yet to dock.

Zamboanga, Friday, 24 January 1947

Emilio Yap had been at the helm of Eastern Seafaring and Trading Company barely a fortnight and already he had made progress in establishing his firm as a force to be reckoned with in Mindanao’s commercial scene. The half-million pesos of working capital his partners had put up had permitted him to charter a suction dredge from the Dutch Smit-Lloyd company, which in turn allowed Eastern Seafaring to obtain a contract to dredge sand for the Government’s program of development in the Kalayaan Islands. The dredge would begin its work next month, after it arrived from Tjilatjap.

The Bohol Chronicle, Sunday, 26 January 1947

The loss of Philippine Airlines Flight 417 continues to be investigated by British authorities there. The Douglas DC-3 struck Mount Parker yesterday during its approach to Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Airport, resulting in four deaths. Minister of Commerce Alejandro Melchor has asked the airline to cooperate fully with the investigating officers and has begun the Government’s own review of the airline’s procedures.


The Philippine Herald, Monday, 27 January 1947

The submarine Ciquera is scheduled to be launched today at the Butuan Naval Shipyard, that bastion of Philippine naval strength. In other naval news, the submarine support ship Maricaban completed her conversion yesterday and has now begun her yard trials at Cavite.

Steamer Ciudad de Manila, Inbound, Tuesday, 28 January 1947

The ship made its way up the main channel at a modest eight knots, allowing for the morning tide. Her rails were lined with emigrants straining to get a glimpse of their new home. The great fortress of Corregidor loomed to port, with the top of Mount Mariveles visible in the distance. To starboard the sharp-eyed among the passengers could make out the outer suburbs of Manila. It was announced over the loudspeakers that they would be docking in a few hours, and all passengers should make ready to disembark.

Diego Munoz needed little prompting. His few possessions were already packed in his battered suitcase, and he had his papers in his shirt pocket. The representative of the Bataan Refinery Company had told him – and those other emigrants that the company had taken on – were to assemble so that they could go through customs as a group. Diego’s heart was filled with the spirit of adventure and promise. He would be able to start fresh, where he was wanted – not like America, which at best had only tolerated him. He would remember this day forever…

The Manila Times, Friday, 31 January 1947

The Senate, following little debate, has approved the Emergency Shipbuilding Act of 1947, authorizing the construction of a further eight destroyers of new design, the first of which is expected to be laid down in the spring.

The Mindanao Examiner, Saturday, 1 February 1947

The first collier-load of coal from the Malangas Coal Reservation was shipped today from the city’s coal port; bound for the Iligan industrial zone, it will fuel the industrial growth of the region. The Malangas mines are of vital importance to the national economy and the Senate has recently voted development credits to fund their expansion.


The Bohol Chronicle, Sunday, 2 February 1947

The light cruiser Panay has completed its operational training and has taken up her duties with the fleet.

Bataan Refinery Company, Limay, Tuesday, 4 February 1947

Diego Munoz had begun to settle in to his new surroundings, and thus far things were good. His employer provided adequate if Spartan quarters in a freshly-constructed worker’s dormitory – he had a three-by-six meter furnished room to himself, and shared bath and sanitary facilities with the occupants of the other three rooms on his floor. This was far better than the rented room he had once occupied in Los Angeles. There was a company cafeteria at which he could purchase his meals, or, if he wished, there was a small kitchenette in a corner of his room. His duties thus far had been light – preparing for the task of teaching welding to a new group of apprentices recruited by the company. He spent much of his time learning the language – for he saw that as the key to advancement. And he looked forward to Friday – his first pay-day.


Naval Operating Base Puerto Princesa, Wednesday, 5 February 1947

Rear Admiral Fernando Suarez read the report before him and smiled. The patrol combatants Hermosa and Hagonoy had completed their operational training and would soon join his command. With two more vessels available he would be able to thicken the patrols in the Kalayaan Islands and keep better tabs on pesky Chinese fishing vessels. The yard staffs in Cavite were moving heaven and earth to provide him the ships needed for the tasks at hand, and he appreciated what they were doing. By spring most, if not all, of the small ships promised him would be available. Construction of additional shore stations proceeded as fast as possible. In the last war the Philippine Navy had fought as if one arm was tied behind its back; if war broke out again, things would be different.

The Daily Guardian (Iloilo), Friday, 7 February 1947

The patrol combatants Alfonso and Amadeo were completed today at the Butuan naval shipyard on Mindanao. These are the last of sixteen Marawi-class ships on order for the Navy, and their worth has been proven time and time again.


Pagasa Island, Saturday, 8 February 1947

Captain Felipe Gozon had to admit that the civilians working for Tomás Cloma were significantly contributing to the development of the Kalayaan Islands. In little more than two months they had buoyed and marked the North Danger Reef, constructed their base camp on Pagasa, and begun to expand the little island. Over the last week a succession of barges had dropped rocks in a pattern close to the existing shore line and today a dredge had begun to pump sand into the artificial lagoon thus created. As Cloma had explained to him they would repeat this process over and over until a sufficient area had been built up to permit construction of a bulkhead and breakwater, increasing the ability of ships to land supplies.

Already Philippine fishermen were visiting in sufficient numbers to discourage their Chinese counterparts from remaining in nearby waters. Cloma had disclosed his plan to eventually establish a fishing village on the island, once an anchorage had been constructed. When he had first heard the civilian Gozon had laughed at the idea; now, watching the dredge pump sand from the ocean floor, he scoffed less.

Cebu City, Tuesday, 11 February 1947

The freshly commissioned base support ships Buenavista and Mondragon were tied up at the Navy Pier taking on cargo. Built to haul cargo to new settlements in the Southern Provinces and aid the work of the small civil support ships their manifests read like laundry lists – food and rations, medicines, planks, baulks, deals and battens, cement in drums, crates of agricultural implements, boxes of books – consigned to military and constabulary posts, to settlements in the Strategic Hamlets program, to schools or even to civilian firms working under Government contract. Their crews worked under the gaze of experienced boatswains and deck officers, but work proceeded slowly – the bulk of the sailors aboard them were fresh from boot camp – but that was acceptable; better to proceed with caution until the crews were better accustomed to their work.


The Manila Chronicle, Thursday, 13 February 1947

The destroyers Buntay and Balugasan were launched today at the naval shipyard at Butuan and towed to the fitting-out wharf to complete their construction.

The Manila Times, Sunday, 16 February 1947



Bakong, Languyan, Tawi-Tawi, Tuesday, 18 February 1947

Brother Francis was helping several of the lay brothers in the task of cleaning chapel when he heard the approach of a motor truck – a rare thing for the neighborhood in which the mission stood – and the screech of its brakes grabbed his attention. He could hear several voices outside and laid aside his broom and went to investigate. Upon going outside he found a military truck with several naval ratings.

“Good day,” he said in greeting. “What is all this about?”

The senior-most rating smiled. “You must be Brother Francis… a supply ship arrived yesterday with cargo for you.”

Francis bowed his head in thanks. He had written some months ago asking for materials to expand their work in Bakong, and some at least had arrived. “Thank you – let me help you.”

Among the crates borne by the truck were books and other school supplies, missals, paint and plaster to help repair the fabric of the mission, tools and gardening implements. To an outsider they might appear pedestrian – but to Francis they were manna from heaven, the things necessary to carry on their work here.

Manila, The Malacañan Palace, Thursday, 20 February 1947

Minister of Civil Affairs Don Alfredo Montelibano reviewed the reports of progress made in developing the network of navigational aids and observation stations in the Kalayaan Islands in preparation for the next meeting of the Council. Thus far all was going according to plan – in some cases, far better than expected. The major links in the chain had been established, and a second phase of effort in the outer banks and reefs had begun. Staffing, of course, was a problem – there were limits on the number of military personnel that could be permanently based in the islands and using Constabulary troopers and civilians could only proceed so far and so fast. The Government would have to address this issue soon – either by authorizing expansion of the size of the Constabulary or delay the rate of expansion and development in the islands.

The lack of formal response by the Chinese was unexpected, but welcome none the less. While the Government and the Senate were confident that the program was sound in law, avoiding a major confrontation with the sleeping dragon was a good thing. He wondered whether the China-Chosen War had taught the Peking authorities some humility; on the whole though he discounted that possibility.


Los Angeles, The Philippine Consulate, Saturday, 22 February 1947

The arrival of the Ciudad de Manila at the port of Los Angeles sent Consul General Guillermo into a frenzy of activity, arranging the papers necessary for the embarkation of the next group of emigrants to leave America for the Philippines. His first action had been to telegraph his counterpart at Mazatlán that the construction workers he had recruited ought to leave for Los Angeles immediately. His next action was to alert the several hundred recruits waiting in the Los Angeles area – fewer than had departed on the Ciudad de Manila’s first voyage, but substantial none the less. And he hoped that letters written by the first group of emigrants, and testimonials too, would spur further recruiting.

The Manila Chronicle, Monday, 24 February 1947

What's a typhoon clip?

It is a piece of builders' hardware developed by Manuel Molina and manufactured in the Philippines. They first appeared in 1945.

Quoted

Manila, The Army and Navy Club, Friday, 6 July 1945

The choice of the Army and Navy Club as the venue for the inaugural meeting of the United Architects of the Philippines might have struck many as extraordinary but not so Manuel Molina, late lieutenant of the Philippine Navy. For one, he, like many of his fellow practicing architects, had served at one time in the nation’s military and had be a member here; for another, it was a recognized site for important meetings of military and civil officials; and for a third the topic of the evening’s lecture was of importance to all branches of the Government. It was also important to Molina – for he was to give it.

The subject of his lecture was, “Economical Means and Methods for Construction Wind-Resistant Housing”. It was a result of research he had begun while still serving in the Navy, prompted by his experiences in observing the Bharati Navy’s storm response exercise in the previous year. The key, he discovered, was to develop a simple means to tie the components of a building together to better resist the high wind conditions prevailing in a typhoon or similar storm. After extensive trial and error he had found a way to shape a piece of heavy-gauge galvanized steel that would tie together the outside wall, top plate and roof sheathing of a house, one that could be adjusted to meet any roof pitch and, more importantly, could be installed on an existing building. Together with similar plates that would tie roof components to one another, and others for wall and floor components, he had hit upon a method that would – in effect – make a unitary house structure that could better resist the storms that flattened too many Philippine buildings during a typhoon.

Molina hoped that he could convince his fellow architects to adopt his ideas.

and

Quoted

Cavite, Saturday, 20 October 1945

For architect Manuel Molina and businessman Alfonso Banato of the Steelcraft Development Company the day was a momentous one. They stood on the loading dock watching the truck bearing the first shipment of the firm’s patented “Typhoon Clips” departing on its way to the Manila docks. Molina’s ideas had finally borne fruit when he had convinced the Government to use the device in the construction of the many houses being built in the south under the Strategic Hamlets program. The architect had recommended Steelcraft as the source to manufacture them, and Banato’s factory was now turning out a thousand or more a day.

For the businessman the shipment represented what he hoped would be the beginning of many lucrative contracts with the Government; and perhaps elsewhere. Molina had suggested that Steelcraft should send a salesman to Kolkata with a bag of samples and sales brochures as soon as possible. Like the Philippines with its many typhoons, Bharat suffered from many cyclones and would certainly be interested in inexpensive means of improving its housing stock. On Monday Banato would call at the Bharati consulate in Manila to inquire if there might really be interest in the idea.

Essentially, a hurricane clip