TIMELINE OF THE JAPANESE ERA IN THE PHILIPPINES THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION OF THE

PHILIPPINES OCCURRED BETWEEN 1942 AND 1945, WHEN THE EMPIRE OF JAPAN OCCUPIED
THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES DURING WORLD WAR II.

1939

• SEPTEMBER 1 – World War II broke out as a result of Adolf Hitler’s blitzkrieg or lightning attack
of Poland. As a result of this incident, Britain and France were forced to declare war against
Germany.

1941

• DECEMBER 7 – In the morning, Japan attacked the American Naval Base in Pearl Harbor in
Hawaii, without a formal declaration of war.

• DECEMBER 8 – The invasion of the Japanese in the Philippines started 10 hours after the
surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, The Japanese began bombing Davao, Tuguegarao, Zambales,
Pampanga and Tarlac.

• DECEMBER 11 – Germany and Italy declared war against the United States

• DECEMBER 22 – General Masaharu Homma, the Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Imperial

Forces in the Philippines, landed 43,000 Japanese troops at the Lingayen Gulf and starting
marching south toward Manila

• DECEMBER 26 - Manila was declared an open city by US general Douglas MacArthur during the
Japanese invasion of the Philippines. The Imperial Japanese Army ignored the declaration and
bombed the city.

1942

• JANUARY 2 – The Japanese occupied Manila.

• JANUARY 3 – General Homma, the commander of the Japanese Imperial Forces in the
Philippines, announced the ending of American Sovereignty in the country and the beginning of
Martial Law.

• JANUARY 29 – The Council State was formed because General Homma appointed Jorge Vargas.

• FEBRUARY 17 – The Japanese propagated their Greater East-Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere with
education and labor

• MARCH 11 - Roosevelt appointed MacArthur army commander in the Pacific but he proceeded
to Australia famously telling reports there, “I shall return.”

• MARCH 29 – The Communists and Socialists organized the People’s Anti-Japanese Army
(HUKBALAHAP), which had 30,000 guerilla fighters led by Luis Taruc and Casto Alejandrino with
thousands of supporters north of Manila.

• APRIL 9 – United States and Filipino defendants in Bataan surrendered to Japanese - Death
March began on which 7,000–10,000 died or were murdered.

• MAY 2 - Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos, who was captured in Cebu, was executed by the
Japanese in Malabang, Lanao.

• MAY 5-6 – The Battle of Corregidor was the culmination of the Japanese campaign for the
conquest of the Commonwealth of the Philippines during World War II, resulting in Japanese
victory.

1943

• SEPTEMBER 4- The proposed Constitution was signed by the members of the Commission.

• SEPTEMBER 7- The approved charter was ratified by the members of the KALIBAPI. (Kapisanan
sa Paglilingkod Sa Bagong Pilipinas.)

• SEPTEMBER 23- Jose Protacio Garcia Laurel was elected President of the Philippine Republic,
while Benigno S. Aquino was elected Speaker of the National Assembly.

• OCTOBER 14 – The Second Philippine Republic or the Japanese-sponsored Republic was

inaugurated. 1944

• JUNE 19 – The American forces moved step by step across the Pacific Ocean and began the
Battle of the Philppine Sea by invading Guam.

• AUGUST 1- President Manuel L. Quezon died in Saranac Lake, New York and succeeded
immediately by Sergio Osmeña.

• SEPTEMBER 21 – Planes from United States carriers attacked Manila.

• OCTOBER 20 – Americans landed on the beaches of Leyte. General MacArthur threatened to

send high commissioner back home, and Roosevelt let the arrogant General have his way to
Philippines.

• OCTOBER 23 - MacArthur formally proclaimed the restoration of the Commonwealth

Government at Tacloban.

• OCTOBER 23-26 – The Battle of Leyte Gulf has been called the greatest naval battle in history.

• DECEMBER 8 – The Makabayang Katipunan ng mga Pilipino (MAKAPILI) was essentially a

politico-military organization formed by the Japanese High Command.

1945

• JANUARY 9 – The Americans took Lingayen Gulf by surprise. Kamikaze pilots dove their planes
into US ships in the Lingayen Gulf, destroying 24 ships and damaging 70.

• JULY 4 - MacArthur proclaimed that the Philippines had been liberated from the Japanese.

• AUGUST 6 – Hiroshima was bombed.

• AUGUST 9 – Another bomb was dropped at Nagasaki.

• AUGUST 14 – The Japanese Empire surrendered.

• AUGUST 17 – Laurel issued a proclamation dissolving the Second Philippine Republic

• SEPTEMBER 2 – MacArthur presided over the ceremonial signing of papers