Bells transform Balangiga into tourism hotspot
BALANGIGA, Eastern Samar – The return of the historic and famous bells will boost tourism not only for this town but the whole province as well, a report from the Eastern Samar provincial office said here Saturday.
Eastern Samar Governor Marcelo Ferdinand Picardal told The Manila Bulletin that his office was expecting many local and foreign tourists to visit this town after the return of the three Balangiga bells.
The Balangiga bells were formally turned over by the US government to the Philippine government in a ceremony here witnessed by President Rodrigo Duterte last Saturday. President Duterte rung one of the three bells before he delivered his speech.
Picardal admitted during the interview that the bells will help a lot in the tourism industry of the town and the province of Eastern Samar as a whole. “The bells will help us a lot in our tourism industry. First and foremost, the town of Balangiga and our province will become famous because of these bells” Picardal said.
Picardal pointed out that the bells play a significant role in the tourism industry of the province and offer a different destination in the province as compared to the usual tourist attractions like the beaches, forests, caves or falls.
“These bells are significant for our tourism industry here in Eastern Samar. It is a different kind of tourism destination like beaches, like in Guiuan town, forests, caves and falls, in other towns. It is a different one and we are capturing a different market,” Picardal said.
Picardal also reported that his office was already promoting the bells, considering that “these bells will ignite tourism investments in this town and to our province as a whole.”
Picardal added that his office has already included Balangiga in the province’s tourism-identified sites.
“The bells are one of the biggest destinations of the tourists here in Eastern Samar. We will give focus and support for the promotion of these bells, for us to lure tourists to visit this town and our province,” Picardal said.
The Balangiga Bells were taken on October 18, 1901 by the 11th Infantry Regiment as spoils of war after the Balangiga incident wherein the town residents led by Valeriano Abanador initiated an attack against US soldiers under Company C of the 9th US Infantry Regiment on September 28, 1901.
Of the 74 US troops attacked, 36 were killed, while eight of the wounded died during the escape by bancas to Basey town, and four were missing and presumed dead.
The US troops retaliated that resulted in the killing of 2,500 Filipinos.
These Balangiga Bells were on display for more than a century at the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming, while the other one was in Uijeongbu City, South Korea.