Book IV

THE DISENCHANTED VICTORY

A day of many fires and explosions. The city is tense as the Japanese rush final preparations for the coming battle: mines, anti-tank barricades and more pillboxes including one on top of the Great Eastern Hotel. I got "confirmation" that the Arias Building is mined, and some say the San Miguel Brewery too. Meanwhile, Makapili are raising a mild wave of terror by pointing accusing fingers, mostly to settle old scores or repay fancied slights. The Japanese navy people here are going around Ermita arresting the accused, usually picking on the wrong families.

The Japanese blew up the bridges on the northern entrances to Manila yesterday. They warned people in Ermita, particularly those living within a kilometer of the Pasig bridges, to evacuate before the coming fight. Most residents are preparing underground shelters, intending to stay because everything they own is sunk in those homes and it's almost impossible to move. The Hospicio de San Jose, a complete hospital close to the Ayala Bridge, has already been evacuated.

There were less people downtown than ever before — all split on whether today or tomorrow was the last day that they could come downtown. The only action is in currency exchange at between 95 to 105 and even 120:1 depending on your hurry and luck. Food prices were steady or a little less than their recent highs.

Nadisco still holds the Cassava Flour that Guinto once promised to distribute. Someone went there two days ago to ask his friend if he could buy some. "We can't sell any," said the man looking around furtively. "But come in here ... come in," he added, leading my friend into a bodega full of the stuff. "Go ahead," said the guardian of the keys, "load-up your bayong." And that's how he got a free bayong-load of the Cassava Flour that Nadisco is supposed to be distributing to the starving thousands in the city — and all this while the organization is being investigated!

Meanwhile, it looks like the Japanese propaganda machine will continue its quixotic pretensions until the TVT presses are blown up. Today's best sentence: "The enemy ... apparently aims at achieving the propagandistic effect of capturing Manila"! Speaking of which, the Americans took Calumpit and crossed the Pampanga River — only 23 miles to Manila. MacArthur is mum about the Nasugbu landing, which the Japanese claim is an "insignificant" force.