1030: All quiet and probably over till the afternoon. I ducked out to see if there were any carretelas in Buenos Aires as I wanted to buy some food. There wasn't even a mouse on the street. I decided to chance it at 1100. I took my bike and two bayongs, and went out. At least six fires were raging, three of them big. No stores were open; sellers probably figure they can get better prices tomorrow. The Sampaloc market was clean as a whistle so I went to Quiapo, stopping for bananas on the way at P1.00 each! At Quiapo I even paid P35 for a clump of 18 — big ones though. I was at Echague at 1135 when I heard the biggest explosion yet coming from the Port Area. The few people about were too busy trying to buy food to get excited. Someone pointed to the sky. I looked up and saw smoke from the latest explosion going straight up in the air to a good altitude — all white like dynamite.

On the way back I ran into a lad who used to work for my brother Joe. "What's that fire over there?" I asked. "Constabulary Headquarters," he said. I gulped. My Dad's office building — a small and humble two-story building — is adjacent to it. The Japanese occupied it long ago, paying one-tenth the rent it's worth today. Later, a cochero confirmed the building took a direct hit. Joe's lad told me that Pier 7 was a total wreck. And that's something because Pier 7 is huge. Japanese horizontal bombers missed it in 1941.

1230: I heard a big explosion as I was having lunch at home. At 1405, another big explosion jolted me out of my siesta. A few planes are high above the Port Area and there's some antiaircraft but the breeze is picking up and I expect it will end soon.

The All Clear sounded at 1505, possibly skipping the Alert. The weather worsened and it's starting to rain. Secondary explosions are still coming from the Port Area.

In the middle of this short afternoon raid, two Japanese planes appeared — putt-putters, I call them — and barely cleared our roof with their 200-hp motors. I watched them half-expecting the wind to tip 'em over anytime ... and that was all I saw of the Japanese Air Force today though I heard them warming up at 0200 or 0300 at Nichols, and again at 0600.

continues...