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As we have just celebrated National Heroes Day, we remember the unsung heroes of WWII in one of the latest publications of the Culture & Heritage Unit of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI-CHU) Research & Publications, the new edition of Tabunan The Untold Exploit of the Famed Cebu Guerillas in WWII by Col. Manuel F. Segura.
Dr. Resil B. Mojares in his critical introduction to the new edition said the book “is an attempt to put under one cover some of the action immediately before the war, during the invasion, the formation and growth of the resistance movement and some of the battles and adventures born of this movement. This is a humble effort to describe and preserve for posterity what Cebu has done to help drive the invaders from this land.”
Furthermore, according to Dr. Erlinda K. Alburo, editor and annotator of the latest edition of Tabunan, Cebu guerillas were famed because there were more Japanese soldiers killed in Cebu than anywhere else in the country, and of the discovery of the Koga Papers off the shores of San Fernando changed the direction of the war and put an end to it earlier than expected.
First published in 1975 and for a long time out of print, RAFI-CHU released the second edition, edited and annotated, last April 20 at the Casa Gorordo Museum.
The launch was attended by RAFI Chief Executive Officer Jon Ramon Aboitiz; RAFI Board of Trustees member Fr. Ernesto O. Javier, S.J.; Cebu Provincial Vice Governor Agnes A. Magpale, leading historians Dr. Resil B. Mojares and Dr. Erlinda K. Alburo; and the family of author Col. Manuel F. Segura, led by son Mr. Teodoro V. Segura. Also present were RAFI-CHU partners, heritage advocates and workers, history teachers, and the media.
Mr. Aboitiz, in his message in behalf of RAFI, said “the importance of getting the book out, especially to the millennials and the younger generation… (to) perpetuate as well the values that these heroes embodied — courage, cunning, tremendous willpower.” He also shared that the publication of the book was in honor of his late brother, Mr. Roberto E. Aboitiz, who was a WWII buff.
It enjoyed a soft launching during the April 9 “Araw ng Kagitingan” celebration by the Cebu City Government at the Plaza Independencia. Dr. Erlinda K. Alburo and RAFI-CHU Research & Publications Manager Haidee Emmie K. Palapar, in RAFI’s behalf, gave copies of the book to Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña for addition to the Cebu City Library.
Copies of Tabunan are sold in the Casa Gorordo Museum shop, other museums and hotels in Cebu City, and in top museums in Manila. Price is at Php 600/copy.
The Culture & Heritage Unit of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI-CHU) through its three flagship programs — Casa Gorordo Museum, Research & Publications, and Gabii sa Kabilin — aims to develop a strong sense of cultural identity among local communities by promoting awareness of their heritage and enabling them to articulate their story.
