ILOILO City officially transferred 5,824 square meters of land to the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) for the Balantang Memorial Cemetery National Shrine.
A ceremonial signing of a Deed of Donation and Acceptance occurred on June 9, 2025, in Barangay Quintin Salas, Jaro District.
“It is the honor of the city to finally donate this property to you. As a son of a veteran, I understand the value of a national shrine for our veterans who fought bravely. You can introduce whatever improvements you want so that the place will be even better, and so that everyone will know that here in Iloilo, there were freedom fighters,” said Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas.
Undersecretary Reynaldo Mapagu, PVAO administrator, expressed gratitude to the mayor, the City Council, and the people of Iloilo City.
“Rest assured that we will take care of this national shrine, which it is incumbent upon us to maintain and improve as necessary,” he said during the acceptance ceremony.
The donated land was reserved for national shrine purposes by virtue of Proclamation 425, issued on July 13, 1994, placing the Balantang Memorial Cemetery National Shrine under the administration of PVAO. The site honors Filipino World War II veterans, particularly those from Panay who resisted Japanese occupation forces.
Mayor Treñas, Undersecretary Mapagu, and Engineer Diomedes C. Palor, officer-in-charge of PVAO's Veterans Memorial and Historical Division, signed the Deed of Donation and Acceptance.
Engineer Neil Ravena of the Iloilo City General Services Office and members of the Veterans Federation of the Philippines witnessed the signing.
The Balantang Memorial Cemetery National Shrine is the only national shrine outside Metro Manila dedicated to Filipino World War II veterans.
The land donation ensures its preservation and allows for future improvements to commemorate the sacrifices of war heroes from Western Visayas. (Leo Solinap/SunStar Philippines)