Every day planes fly overhead, and nearly every day there are bombings and machine gunning. The people of Iloilo and Jaro are getting jittery, and many have left for the hills and countryside where they feel they will be safe from American bombs. Those who stay in the city, are going to the colleges, hospitals, convent, and seminary to seek safety. Today more people arrived at the college from Iloilo. Jaro is like a ghost town.
Two days ago the Japanese closed all roads leading out of the city and anyone caught leaving is severely punished. Guerillas have become so daring that they walk on the streets in Jaro. A Japanese car drove by the plaza and was ambushed by the guerillas, killing 2 Japanese and wounding one. That same day a sentry was posted up in the Jaro Cathedral tower.
A week ago there was an hour of shooting in Jaro and three USAFFE soldiers were killed. This morning the airport was bombed and machine gunned by the Americans. In the afternoon it was the waterfront and the airport again. It is terrible to hear them dive towards their target, knowing that soon the sound will be followed by machine gunning and bombing!
It surely gets on one’s nerves and it affects the appetite, and with the scarcity of food, everyone is becoming thinner. When I first entered the college my weight was down to 85 lbs. but I have gained 4 lbs. as I sleep better and do not feel so nervous.
Dolly has dysentery, but is getting better.