south-east asia → philippines → metro manila → taguig → fort bonifacio
‘went out lunch break one time and took pictures in a nearby cemetery, Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. i’ve seen these array of crosses only in postcards and internet pictures before..so i decided to pay a visit since it’s close to office anyway. for some reasons, i thought it’s more effective to shoot in black and white, so i used my last roll of ilford instead of digital.
the place is deserted save for the guards (at the entrance), some attendants mowing the grass afar, and me of course. most of those remains in here are american and filipino soldiers who died during the world war II. dead quiet and under the blazing sun, i walked along the patio, nearby myriad of aligned crosses, up to several tall marble walls with names of missing soldiers inscribed whose exact graves are known only to God.
at exactly 12 o’clock, i heard some striking bell sound, and afterwards, they played music. i heard that christian music before but somehow i can’t recall its title. just chimes, pure sound, no vocals. i followed where it’s coming from, until it led me to a slender but lofty chapel. i paused for awhile, and let the music end.
imagine that what you can see here is only a small part of war casualties. not trying to deliver a sermon here, but truly, there is no winner in a world at war. only casualties, unglorified sacrifices, distressed victims…
