The City of Talisay in the Province of Cebu marked the 79^th commemoration of “Takas sa Talisay (Landing in Talisay)” that was graced by government officials, police force, the military, and veterans of World War II on March 26, 2024.

A parade of land assets of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Visayas Command, a floral offering at the Liberation Monument in Talisay Liberation Park, as well a program to honor war veterans led by Rodulfo Redulla, president of the Veterans Association in Talisay City,  highlight the commemoration.

The event was also honored by the presence of Japanese Consul General Hideaki Matsuo.

“This celebration is to honor the lives lost, to honor history, and to honor the freedom that we continue to enjoy today. We wouldn't be standing as firm as we are today if it wasn't because of all the lessons that history has taught us over the course of 79 years,” Talisay Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas said.

To recall, the “Takas sa Talisay” was led by General William Howard Arnold and Captain Albert Tilden Sprague.

The monument consists of seven life-size statues. The lead statue armed with a pistol represents General Arnold, commander of the Americal Division that landed on Talisay Beach on March 26, 1945.

Though a number of residents may still confuse Arnold with the more popularly known General Douglas MacArthur, the latter also has a memorial in Palo town, Province of Leyte that marked an earlier landing on October 20, 1944.

MacArthur was the commanding general of the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE).

The “Takas sa Talisay” was part of the Operation Victor II implemented by Lieutenant General Robert Eichelberger’s 8^th Army to take the island of Cebu, Bohol, and Negros from the Japanese forces with the help of the Philippine Guerrilla-8^th Military District under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel James Cushing.