DANILO D. BELLONG JR.
BS-CRIM/BLK1
JAPANESE OCCUPATION OF THE
PHILIPPINES BEGINS
The Japanese Air Force bombed Pearl harbor
on December 7, 1941 (December 8 in the
Philippines), simultaneously with the bombing of
American Military installations in the Philippines-
Manila, Clark Field in Pampanga, Sangley Point
in Cavite, and Camp John Hay in Baguoi. To save
the city of Manila from further destruction, Gen.
Douglas MacArthur declared Manila an open
City. The declaration was not respected by the
Japanese and bombings continued. The bombings
were followed by invading forces landing in
Cagayan, Ilocos sur, La Union and Pangasinan.
THE CHURCH RESISTS
CAPTIVITY
The Japanese Religious Section composed of
Japanese Christian Catholic and protestant
clergymen was organized on orders of Japanese
war strategists with the following Philippines College of agriculture in Los
objectives to unite the churches and Baños, Laguna.
Filipinize them; to discredit the American
missionaries; to serve as a buffer between
the Japanese military and the Filipino
Churches ; and to use the pulpit, religious
press and personnel to spread the
doctrines of the Japanese empire. Towards
the end of 1943, the Religious Section of
the Japanese Imperial Army ordered all PROTESTANT CHURCHES
religious denominations headed by FORCED TO MERGE
foreigners hostile to Japan to elect
Filipinos as their head.
The Protestant Churches were asked to
LIMITED MOVEMENT
form a Japanese-sponsored and controlled
FOR MISSIONARIES
federation of Evangelical Churches. They
wanted to duplicate the Nippon Kirisuto
Kyodan, a mergern of all Protestant
denominations in Japan. A General Convention
of the Federation composed of United
Evangelical Church, (Navarro-Stagg group),
In the initial period of the Imperial
Japanese Military rule of the Philippines,
the missionaries of both the Roman
Catholic and Protestant churches were
confined in three prisoners of war
camps- Camp John Hay in Baguoi,
University of Sto. Tomas campus in
Manila , and University of the IEMELIF, The Iglesia Unida de Cristo, the
church of Christ, the Salvation Army, Mga
DANILO D. BELLONG JR.

BS-CRIM/BLK1

Iglesia ni Cristo sa Philipinas, the Baptist Francisco S. Galvez to that position

Church in the Philippines and the United ad intern.
Christian Church of God was called by
the Japanese Religious Section On
October 10-11, 1942 at the United Church
of Manila on Azcarraga and Lepanto
streets. TYhe churches were represented by
their heads. Rev. Francisco S. Galvez,
Superintendent of the Manila District,
represented The Methodist Church and was
elected Vice-President.

METHODIST LEADERS
REJECT CALL FOR ELECTION
OF NATIONAL BISHOP

Atty. Juan Nabong, in his capacity as

Acting Chairman, in the absence of
Chairman Bishop lee, who was trapped by
World War II in Singapore convened the
executive Committee of the Philippines
Central Conference. The Executive
Committee created the Office of the Acting
Head and immediately elected Rev.