Intramuros Learning Sessions episode no. 28
Heroes of World War II Series
Part 3: Sifting Through the Myths of General Douglas MacArthur
Overview
75 years after the war, it seems that history has not been very kind to General Douglas MacArthur. While the earlier generation of Filipinos who grew up during the war adore him, there seems to be a growing dislike and distrust of this great military commander among the younger generation. He is not remembered so much today as the man who said “I Shall Return” and did just that victoriously, but he is remembered more as “Dugout Doug,” who “left” the Philippines during the darkest days of the war. While much of what his detractors say may be true, many controversies about him are also not true – undermining the man’s many great achievements. Join us as we learn more about one of the most misunderstood figures in our history. Our experts for this episode include James Zobel – Director and Archivist of the MacArthur Memorial Library and Museum in Norfolk, Virginia; foremost WW2 historian Dr Ricardo Jose of the UP Diliman History Department, with Desiree Benipayo of the Philippine World War II Memorial Foundation, moderating.
This episode is Part 3 of the series Heroes of World War II.
- Guest speakers: James Zobel and Ricardo Jose, Ph.D.
- Moderator: Desiree Ann Cua Benipayo
About the Speakers
James Zobel
James is an archivist based in Virginia. He is currently the Director and Archivist of the MacArthur Memorial Library and Museum. He has a BA and an MA in History from the Old Dominion University. As a scholar on World War II history, he is authory of Victory at All Cost, MacArthur and the Korean War, and MacArthur: The Supreme Commander at War in the Pacific.
Ricardo Jose, Ph.D.
Prof. Dr. Ricardo Jose is a Professor of History at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. He has a BA and an MA in History from the University of the Philippines, and a Ph.D. in History from the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. He authored The Philippine Army, 1935-1942 and Volume 7 of Kasaysayan. His accolades include: Outstanding Young Scientist Award in the field of social sciences, 1997; Gawad Chancellor Para sa Natatanging Guro, 2011; Batobalani Many Faces of a Teacher Award, 2018; and Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipino in Teaching, 2019.
About the Guest Moderator
Desiree Ann Cua Benipayo
Desiree Ann Cua Benipayo is a writer and film producer. She is currently the Vice President for Research and Education at the Philippine World War II Memorial Foundation, and the Secretary at the Memorare Manila 1945. Ms. Benipayo is author of Honor: The Legacy of Jose Abad Santos, which was recently awarded Best Book of Nonfiction Prose in English in the 2019 National Book Awards. Ms. Benipayo, together with her husband, also produced a film documentary adaptation of her book, which received an “A” rating by the Philippine Cinema Evaluation Board.
About the Host: Rancho Arcilla
John Paul Escandor Arcilla, known professionally as Rancho Arcilla, is the author of the Intramuros Register of Styles (2021). He served as Chairperson of the Intramuros Technical Committee on Architectural Standards (TCAS) from June 2022 to May 2024. As TCAS Chairperson, Arcilla oversaw the review of all development, including new constructions, in the Walled City.
Arcilla was also the first Archivist of the Intramuros Administration. With a mandate from Atty. Guiller Asido, Administrator of Intramuros from 2017 to 2022, Arcilla established the Administration’s Archives and Central Records Section, serving as its first Section Head from July 2019 to June 2024.
He has an MA in Philippine Studies from UP Diliman and a BA in Asian Studies from the University of Santo Tomas. Arcilla specializes on colonial architecture.
In 2021, Arcilla was instrumental in the development of the Revised 2021 Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Presidential Decree No. 1616, the main framework and legal instrument in the management of Intramuros District. The architectural provisions of the IRR and the Intramuros Register of Styles (2021) is based on his MA thesis Walls within Walls: The Architecture of Intramuros (2021).
About the Intramuros Learning Sessions
The Intramuros Learning Sessions (ILS) is the educational lecture series of the Intramuros Administration (IA). The IA is an attached national government agency under the Department of Tourism.
Topics are interdisciplinary and cover themes related to Intramuros and Manila studies, Philippine studies, as well as cultural heritage studies. Pursuant to IA’s charter, the ILS aims to contribute to the strengthening of the Filipino’s national identity and sense of belonging and pride.
For inquiries contact us at [email protected]
| See Previous ILS Episode Letania: Architectural Documentation of San Agustin Church Retablos | See Next ILS Episode A Discussion on the Conservation Management Plan of Intramuros |
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