LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—With the tranquil shores of Lingayen Gulf as a witness, officials and veterans, together with their families, gathered to honor and celebrate the 81st Lingayen Gulf Landings Anniversary and 19th Pangasinan Veterans Day on January 09, 2026.
Thanksgiving Mass and Military Honors
The ceremonial commemoration began with a thanksgiving mass presided over by His Excellency Most Rev. Fidelis B. Layug, D.D., in honor of the valor, sacrifice, and enduring legacy of our war veterans. This was followed by a wreath-laying ceremony and a 21-gun salute led by the 71st Infantry Battalion (71IB) to signify utmost respect and gratitude for their heroic deeds.
The wreath-laying was headed by the following officials: His Excellency Marc Innes-Brown, Ambassador of the Australian Embassy, represented by LEUT Callum Heath, Royal Australian Navy-Liaison Officer (RAN LO); District 7 Commander Garrett Bridges of Veterans of Foreign Wars; MAJ Cesarjin M Manalon (MI) PA, Acting Executive Officer 702nd Infantry Brigade, 7th Infantry Division of Philippine Army Armed Forces of the Philippines, with PCOL Arbel C Mercullo, Provincial Director of the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office; Mr. Eulogio V. Catabran III, president of the Philippine Veterans Bank and Sons & Daughters Assoc. Inc., represented by Mr. Miguel Angelo C. Villa-Real, First Vice President, Marketing Communication and Consumer Protection Group, with MGEN Romeo D Alamillo (Ret), President and CEO of the Veterans Federation of the Philippines; USEC. Reynaldo Mapagu, administrator of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, represented by Atty. Brian James Cuevas, Chief, Veterans Affairs Management Division together with Serapio Medrano Placido, World War II Veteran; Hon. Ramon V. Guico III, DPM, Governor of the Province of Pangasinan; Hon. Gilberto Teodoro, Jr., secretary of the Department of National Defense, represented by USEC. Pablo M. Lorenzo, Defense Undersecretary for Civil Veteran and Reserve Affairs.
In a message delivered on behalf of Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr., Undersecretary Pablo M. Lorenzo underscored the enduring relevance of the commemoration. “More than anything else, this morning’s commemoration of the 81st Lingayen Gulf Landings and the 19th Pangasinan Veterans Day Celebration is an avenue to remind our fellow Filipinos that freedom, democracy, and the lives we enjoy now were valiantly fought for and deservedly-earned by those who came before us,” USEC Lorenzo stated.
Continuing the Legacy
As the number of living World War II veterans continues to dwindle, the ceremony carried an added weight. One of urgency, gratitude, and responsibility.
USEC Lorenzo reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to ensuring that remembrance goes beyond annual rites, “these veterans—our heroes—who gave so much and were even ready to sacrifice their own lives for us, deserve the benefits, recognition, and sustained support of a grateful nation.”
Meanwhile, Governor Ramon V. Guico III likewise highlighted in his notable speech the initiatives and programs the government launched to translate remembrance into tangible support for veterans and their families, including the reconstruction of the Veterans Park, the establishment of community hospitals, and the creation of institutions intended to ease the health, financial, and social burdens borne by Pangasinan’s war veterans.
“Through these efforts, we aim to liberate the people of Pangasinan from challenges such as health limitations, lack of education, financial burdens, and inaccessibility,” Governor Guico said.
In honoring the past, the province recommits itself to the living legacy of its veterans: that freedom must not only be remembered, but continuously upheld, protected, and made worthy of the sacrifice that won it.
Following the commemoration, a medical mission was conducted for the veterans and their families, providing free consultations, basic health services, and medical assistance.
/MJGE & JJVC
Photos: MRTE
