Breaking the Silence Book

Breaking the Silence is a story reluctantly told by the author, a survivor of Japanese atrocities during the liberation of Manila. It was first partially recounted to Nick Joaquin who had been commissioned by the author's family and the Far Eastern University to write a biography of Dr. Nicanor Reyes, university founder and first president. Nick Joaquin's book was launched on February 11, 1995, by coincidence almost exactly 50 years after Dr. Reyes and his family had perished. A memorial to the non-combatant victims of the battle for the liberation of Manila was inaugurated in the Plazuela de Sta. Isabel in Intramuros on February 18. The author and other survivors belonging to Memorare-Manila raised funds for the monument. They were asked to surmount the pain and anguish of reliving their experiences, and to tell the story of the innocent civilians who had died in the battle. This is Lourdes R. Montinola's sharing of her story.

History of Philippines revolution, 1896-1897.