Juan Labrador

Spanish member of the Order of Preachers; Rector of Colegio de San Juan de Letran.

December 7, 1941

There was the traditional First Communion Mass at Letran. The Father Provincial should have celebrated it, but the boat “Cetus” which was to bring him

December 8, 1941

After breakfast, I read the Daily Bulletin, the only newspaper published on Mondays. The Bulletin carried no news of special interest. At seven in the

December 9, 1941

Some boys came to school, not knowing that classes had been suspended. The Fathers and the workers went to the seashore in the school bus to

December 10, 1941

Tonight the few interns stayed with us because they did not have any place to go, and the Fathers brought their things down to the

December 11, 1941

The day before yesterday, the ROTC Commandant informed me that General Valdes had ordered all cadets to report to their respective schools for several weeks

December 12, 1941

Newspapers and the radio announced a Japanese landing in Legazpi, Albay. Some of our friends had sent their families to that province, believing it out

December 13, 1941

There are continuous bombings and burnings of military camps around Manila. The capital has not yet been touched. A bomb was dropped between Letran and

December 14, 1941

Yesterday, American High Commissioner Francis B. Sayre radioed a message to his homeland. It sounded like a drowning man’s desperate call for help. It was

December 15, 1941

Night before last, rumors spread like wildfire that the tap water has been poisoned by the Japanese, or by the Germans, or by fifth columnists…

December 16, 1941

The daily visits of the winged machines continue, almost always interrupting our meals. From the garden we can see them, flying in perfect formations of

December 17, 1941

Bamboos are no longer being burned at night. Nobody can explain such fantastic illuminations in different places during the first nightly raids. They tell us

Wednesday, December 24, 1941

December 24, 1941

Four days ago, the President of the Philippines addressed the American public assuring the people of the United States that we Filipinos realize that this

December 26, 1941

Tokyo broadcast the news of the surrender of Hong Kong and London confirmed the news. Yesterday the musicians of the sky respected the day, but

December 29, 1941

A sleepless night. The three-engined planes droned in my dreams. Every engine that sounded in the streets reminded me of them, and the crackling of

December 30, 1941

After yesterday’s bombings, the bomber planes merely hovered around Manila. I made a quick round of the site of the tragedy so that the ruins

December 31, 1941

A day of conflagration. Yesterday, some of the big gasoline depots started burning. At first the gasoline was being emptied into the Pasig River. But

January 1, 1942

It was a day of looting. The year 1941 passed and was buried in the midst of a tragic, uncertain and restless silence. The new

January 2, 1942

The Japanese have entered Manila, but not a single Japanese soldier can yet be seen in the streets, and the looting has become still [portion

January 3, 1942

At midnight, half a dozen soldiers posted themselves at the gate of the University campus. Two soldiers, accompanied by a Japanese resident who serves as

January 18, 1942

Today’s papers reported that the New Order has solved the traffic problem. Obviously. The best remedy for a headache is to cut off the head.

January 19, 1942*

January 19, 1942

*probably erroneously published as January 18, 1942 in the printed version According to the information I gathered, the condition of the internees has greatly improved. The

January 20, 1942

Only three newspapers of the TVT are in circulation: one in English, one in Spanish, and one in Tagalog. They are the most insipid papers

January 21-29, 1942

January 29, 1942

I went to Calamba for a week of rest, taking advantage of the trips which the administrator of Hacienda Real had to make with his

January 30, 1942

When I returned from Calamba last night, I found the city a little changed. They have resumed the blackouts at night. Perhaps because a few

January 31, 1942

I visited Fr. Daniel Castrillo, an Augustinian and a townmate of mine, who was Parish Priest of Porac, Pampanga, and Señor Suárez, a Spanish national

February 1, 1942

The newspapers published today an order requiring the surrender of all transmitting equipment and prohibiting radio antennas. Perhaps they are suspecting that a lot of

February 2, 1942

The Philippines already has a new spic-and-span government. Jorge Vargas, who has surfaced overnight, was named head of the Executive Commission, the central administrative organization.

February 3, 1942

The yard of Letran has been completely cleared of debris and plants. We thought of turning it into a garden where we can plant things

February 4, 1942

Having assessed the opinion of representative and impartial persons in the country these last few days on the causes and effects of the fast occupation

February 5, 1942

Japan possesses inexhaustible human reserves. Aside from the 70,000,000 in the mainland, they have another 20,000,000 in Korea, 35,000,000 in Manchukuo, and innumerable millions in