Kiangan National Shrine Explained

Kiangan National Shrine
Native Name:Bantayog sa Kiangan
Location:Kiangan, Ifugao, Philippines
Material:Concrete, steel
Complete:1974
Dedicated:1975
Map Name:Luzon#Philippines
Coordinates:16.7794°N 121.0813°W

The Kiangan National Shrine (Filipino; Pilipino: Bantayog sa Kiangan) also known as the Yamashita Shrine[1] is a war memorial in Kiangan, Ifugao, Philippines. It commemorates the surrender of the top commander of Japanese Imperial Army in the Philippines General Tomoyuki Yamashita to the Allied forces, which led to the end of the Japanese occupation of the archipelago during World War II.

History

The Philippine Tourism Authority built a memorial in Linda in the town of Kiangan in Ifugao province[2] in 1974[3] at the site where the highest ranking Imperial Japanese military leader General Tomoyuki Yamashita surrendered to Allied forces, which consisted of primarily Filipino and American soldiers.[4]

The site has been declared as a National Landmark by the National Historical Commission. On July 9, 1975, then-President Ferdinand Marcos issued Proclamation No. 1460 declaring the site as a military shrine under the administration of the Military Memorial Division of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO), an agency under the Department of National Defense.[2] The PVAO took over the operations and administration of the shrine on October 16, 1975.[4]

Monument

The shrine is made of concrete and steel[3] and its form drew inspiration from native Ifugao houses.[4]

Notes and References

  1. News: Lapniten . Karlston . Saving Yamashita's last fortress . 12 May 2019 . Philippine Daily inquirer . 29 July 2019.
  2. Web site: Proclamation No. 1460, s. 1975 . Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines . 12 May 2019 . 9 July 1975.
  3. News: Kiangan Frontier Land . 12 May 2019 . Manila Times . 13 July 2015.
  4. Web site: Kiangan National Shrine . Philippine Veterans Affairs Office . https://web.archive.org/web/20180712141434/http://collections.pvao.mil.ph/Home/Page/160219-kiangan-national-shrine . 12 July 2018 . 1 February 2016.