The Balangiga bells have finally arrived at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City at 10:35 a.m. December 11, 2018.
PASAY CITY, Philippines – The historic Balangiga bells have finally returned to the Philippines on Tuesday (December 11).
On board the US Air Force C-130 plane, the three bells were transported from the U.S. Air Base in Okinawa, Japan and arrived at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City at 10:35 a.m.
“The United States reunited all three Balangiga Bells on December 7, 2018 at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan,” the U.S. Embassy posted on its Facebook account.
The return of the Balangiga bells after 117 years marks an important milestone in the Philippines-US relations, according to Malacañang.
President Rodrigo Duterte did not attend the handover ceremony on Tuesday.
However, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana assures that the Chief Executive will be at Balangiga town in Samar in time for the reinstallation of the bells in Balangiga church on December 15. – Marje Pelayo (with reports from Lea Ylagan)
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