The University of Santo Tomas (UST), through its Department of History and its partners from the Philippine Veterans’ Affairs Office and the U.S. Embassy, commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of the Santo Tomas Internment Camp (STIC) at the UST Plaza Mayor last February 6, 2025. The event was live streamed on the official UST Facebook Page.
With the theme, “Liberation’s Legacy: Honoring the Past, Shaping the Future,” the event gathered students and university officials to remember and honor those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of internees in the STIC in 1945.
A 21-gun salute and wreath-laying ceremony was held at the beginning of the event, led by UST Secretary-General Rev. Fr. Louie R. Coronel, O.P., EHL, US Ambassador to the Philippines Her Excellency MaryKay L. Carlson, National Historical Commission of the Philippines Chair and former UST Archivist Prof. Regalado Trota Jose Jr., Philippine Veterans’ Affairs Office Administrator Undersecretary Reynaldo Mapagu, American Battle Monuments Commission Director Vicente Lim IV, Philippine Veterans Bank First Vice President Miguel Angelo Villa-Real, and Manila’s Department of Tourism, Culture, and Arts Director Charlie Duñgo.
In her speech, Ambassador Carlson urged the people to “never forget the suffering endured and the courage demonstrated by the internees.” In light of this, she raised the story of the late Elizabeth Vaughn who had kept diary entries during her internment, with such becoming the window of the world into the enduring hope and camaraderie of those in the STIC. Ambassador Carlson added that the liberation was “not just the end of a chapter, but also… the beginning of a new one,… the early moments of an ironclad alliance between the United States and the Philippines.”
Meanwhile, Jose brought to attention the bravery of the late Capt. Manuel Colayco who guided the Liberation Forces into the STIC which led to its eventual freedom 80 years ago. In remembrance of their courage, Capt. Colayco’s descendants, present during the event, were acknowledged in his honor. In a similar manner, Mapagu addressed the bravery of the late Lt. Diosdado Guytingco who guided the forces alongside Capt. Colayco on that day.
Furthermore, Jose and Mapagu advocated for the continuous preservation of the country’s history, with the former mentioning the marks of history such as the bullet holes of the doors leading to the rector’s hall as well as the shrapnel marks at the back of the main building, visible from the quadricentennial square, as important reminders of the past.
After the series of speeches, a mass was held in honor of St. Paul Miki and the souls of the internees and guerillas in the STIC, with UST Faculty of Arts and Letters Regent Rev. Fr. George Phe Mang, O.P., and Fr. Coronel as the celebrants.
Before the formal event, UST Office of Public Affairs Director Ms. Michaella O. Lagniton welcomed and accompanied Ambassador Carlson to the University Main Building, where Fr. Coronel expressed his gratitude to the university partners for their presence in the commemorative event.
The remembrance of the STIC liberation is vital, in Fr. Coronel’s words, in “ensuring that the sacrifices of those who lived and died here are never forgotten.”
