Death March monument to benefit from Balikatan, movie

CAPAS, Tarlac — Thanks to the "Balikatan 02-02" joint maneuvers and Hollywood, where a war film titled Death March has been reportedly hatched and has heartthrob Tom Cruise as the leading actor, the long-neglected Capas Death March Monument may finally see itself renovated and refurbished.

The Death March Monument, located along the MacArthur Highway here, is a 1.54-hectare memorial dedicated to the tens of thousands of Filipino and American prisoners-of-war (POWs) who suffered and perished in the infamous march from Bataan to this town during World War.

Lamentably, the monument has been dissuading local and foreign tourists from visiting it due to its dismal conditions, what with high cogon grasses prominently sprouting in the area.

It was the Central Luzon Tourism Council (CLTC) that has finally asked the national government to implement "the long overdue face-lifting" of the Death March Monument, as Hollywood will reportedly put out a film about the ill-famed trek of POWs, while over 2,500 US soldiers will also commence joint exercises with Filipino counterparts at the Crow Valley shooting range in this town.

Crow Valley, which was formerly under US military control when the Americans used to occupy the Subic and Clark bases, is only a few kilometers away from the Death March Monument and the Capas National Shrine.

CLTC chair Romy Maglaqui, said that the historical marker is "an important sign for our World War II Filipino and American veterans," adding that its improvement will boost the province’s tourism front.

It was gathered that developing and refurbishing the memorial is being hampered by "territorial jurisdiction."

Presently, the Death March Monument is listed in the "park system" of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). However, apparently due to lack of funds, the DENR has failed to implement any significant improvement on the historical site.