Now in their twilight years, former Jewish refugees George Loewenstein, Brigitte Wachs and Mary Farquhar still remember the feeling of fear and uncertainty during the Holocaust.

Also tattooed in their minds, however, are acts of kindness by the Filipino people over seven decades ago.

Upon the invitation of President Aquino, the three were guests in Malaca�ang Palace on Aug. 7 for the screening of the documentary, "Rescue in the Philippines: Refuge from the Holocaust." The documentary focused on how the country once served as sanctuary for 1,300 Jews - including Loewenstein, Wachs and Farquhar - who fled the Nazi reign of terror in Europe.

Loewenstein, now 81 years old, still recalls how his father, uncle and grandfather were forcibly taken by armed men in Germany.

"When my father came back, he [accepted] that we got to get out of there," recalled Loewenstein, who was five years old at the time.

Under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, the Nazis brought millions of Jews to concentration camps where they were starved, thrown into forced labor, and became subjects of human experiments. Many prisoners were either killed by firing squad or gas chamber.

As the anti-Semitic campaign in Europe escalated, then Philippine President Manuel Quezon, US High Commissioner Paul McNutt, erstwhile General Dwight Eisenhower, and Jewish community leaders known as the Frieder brothers mapped out plans in 1937 to bring the persecuted Jews into the country.

Visa requirements were eased, prompting thousands of Jews to submit applications.

Jewish refugees in the Philippines came and lived in communities far away from the sounds of war. They worked, studied, and took part in recreation activities alongside Filipinos.

Former Philippine president Manuel Quezon formally opens the doors of his property, Marikina Hall, to Jewish refugees in this 1940 photo. Image courtesy of 3 Roads Communications Inc.

Families who were unable to find a place to stay were given shelter in Marikina Hall, one of Quezon�s properties.

"Filipinos were always very nice to us. We had lots of Filipino friends. You know, we got along pretty well with Filipinos," said Wachs, who lived in the country with her family from Austria when she was six years old.

Solace, however, came to a shattering halt. In 1941, Japanese troops invaded Manila and declared it as an Open City. The evacuation of Jews to the Philippines was over, along with the goal of bringing in 10,000 refugees into the country.

The following year, American forces led by General Douglas MacArthur returned to the Philippines. Violence escalated as Japanese militia burned down buildings and went on shooting rampages.

Jews gather at the Manila home of Alex Frieder, one of the heads of the refugee committee in the Philippines. Image courtesy of 3 Roads Communications Inc.

Wachs said Jewish refugees felt a renewed sense of fear. "The city was burning. All the houses around us were burning. So what our family did was that we used to dig these foxholes. As the fire came, we moved into another foxhole. We kept moving towards the bay, towards Dewey Boulevard because we thought that if the fire really came close, we were by the water."

Most of the Jewish refugees had already left the country by 1945 as World War II came to a close.

The world has changed a lot since then, but Lowenstein said they will never forget the time when the Philippines opened its doors to the Jews.

"It is a very proud part of your history," Loewenstein said.