University of Santo Tomas
The oldest university in Asia, the University of Santo Tomas dates back to 1611, founded by Catholic Church via an order of the Archbishop of Manila. Originally situated inside the walls of the Intramuros, expanding enrollment during the American Territorial Period led to the construction of a new campus in the Sampolac district in 1927. Over its long history, the distinguished alumni of the university included Dr. Jose Rizal, a hero of the revolution against the Spanish considered the greatest national hero of the Philippines, Presidents of the Commonwealth Manuel Quezon and Sergio Osmena, and the Japanese puppet President, Jose Laurel.
After a short period of closure as the Philippines became a battlefield between the Americans and the Spanish in 1898 was followed by more turmoil as an anti-American revolt raged, the university was incorporated as an accredited American university in 1906. Following this the school expanded, opening it’s new campus in Sampolac in 1927, that being the first of a series of reinforced concrete “earthquake proof” buildings in the city.
The Education Building surrounded by huts used by internees
With the coming of war once again in 1941, the university was again closed, and when the Japanese entered the city in early January of 1942 they set about collecting all American and British citizens, as well as other civilians that could potentially be problematic to their new regime, effectively using the complex for the same purpose the Americans had used Bilibid Prison for Japanese and German residents before they abandoned the capitol.
The prisoners were mostly left to their own devices, but communication was almost totally cut between the internees and the outside world, with bamboo mats fixed to the wrought iron fences surrounding the campus, and internees crammed into the buildings of the university. A group of internees were appointed as a government for the camp by the Japanese commandant, and they enforced a set of regulations, even going so far as to build their own jail for violators.
As the war dragged on conditions in the camp deteriorated, with meat disappearing completely from rations by late 1943. A typhoon later that year also destroyed several of the shacks that internees lived in on the sprawling campus, as well as stockpiled supplies.
By early 1944 the Imperial Japanese Army took direct control of the camp, breaking up the internee administration and closing all channels to the outside world, including the transfer of foodstuffs from civilians living outside. Rations began to drop rapidly, from 1,500 calories a day in February 1944 to 1,100 by November. Internees began to starve, loosing an average of 32% of their body weight and contracting various illnesses, such as Beri Beri, as a result of malnutrition.
As the American Army approached in late January, the Japanese confiscated the meager foodstuffs remaining in the camp, as the garrison prepared for the defense of Manila in a suicidal stand. The prisoners began to fall into despair, but their spirits were buoyed by the increasing frequency of American aircraft over the city, with crowds forming to watch even as the Japanese punished those they caught doing so by forcing them to stand in the yard staring into the sun for six hours.
As MacArthur’s forces approached the city, the general issued a direct command to the 1st Cavalry Division as he sent them into the city; one of three objectives of the operation was to liberate the prisoners at Santo Tomas.