September 6, 1923 At the crack of dawn, in a two-storey home by Reposo street in Sta.

Mesa Manila, Honorata and Eugenio Rosales welcomed a baby girl named Maria into the world. Being the sixth child amongst a brood of ten kids that was mostly composed of girls, Maria was always taken cared for by her older sisters. But even with six sisters to play with, she grew a fondness for Pacifico, the eldest son who stood as the disciplinarian whenever their mother was away. Her father had a stable job as a driver for Texaco, an American oil company that was based in Manila while her mother made a living by offering laundry and dry cleaning services. After classes in Pio De Pilar Elementary school, she along wth her sisters would readily join their mother to wash the parish priests cassocks and vestments. The Rosales family lived a fairly comfortable life since income was constant and the children were obediently cooperating to do their household chores and were even better students. Unfortunately, the family had to go through the heartbreak of losing four children two sisters and two brothers through the years of lack of proper medication for illnesses. Still having two sons and four daughters, both Eugenio and Honorata knew that life must go on for their other children so they never stopped working until all of them were educated enough to be ready for the real world. Apart from giving much importance to education, Marias parents firmly believe in the power of prayer. Growing up, all of the Rosales children patiently prayed the rosary every night. Going to mass every Sunday was also a tradition that they all valued as a family.

Since the fall in Manila in 1898, the Americans ruled the political, economic and social aspects of the Philippines. As prominent Filipino politicians desired and pushed for the countrys independence, young Maria oblivious to how the Philippines was exploited for the benefit of American social and economic interest saw the foreigners as a friendly ally instead. She has never met an American that made her think otherwise. And their gentle presence in the classroom encouraged her to believe that the colonizers have given the country a chance to develop under their guidance. It was also through her education wherein Maria realized that she wanted to become a nurse one day. She wished this as a child, hoping that she could help the Filipino soldiers who served in the army. April 1941 A year after World War I transpired, the Philippines continued to suffer from the damages that it has done in their economy and in their preparation for independence. The serious threat of a war with Japan caused the Philippine Commonwealth and American Government to agree that it was time to take necessary actions. The Philippine government started preparations by forming the Civilian Emergency Administration. This organization was tasked to disseminate instructions to Filipino families with regards to practice evacuations and air raid drills. Apart from this, the Philippine Army in collaboration with U.S Army Forces joined together to form the U.S Army Forces in the Far East or most commonly known as USAFFE. This alliance served

as the countrys military defense. Determined to fight for their country and way of life, scores of young Filipinos enlisted in the army. Life at eighteen was now different for Maria. Though she had hopes of continuing her studies to become a nurse, she had to let go of that desire because her parents did not have enough to support all their childrens schooling. Since Maria was already of age and is capable for work, she traded her dreams in order to give way to his younger brother Felipes education. Maria continued to help her mother in the laundry business. Since the tension of war has stopped most companies from operating, Marias father lost his job. To keep up with the times, they had to rent out the first floor of their house while they all lived in the second floor. This wasnt much of a problem then for they had more space because Marias older sisters and brothers had lived with their own families already. In order to generate more money, Maria and her sisters helped their mother maintain their garden filled with banana trees that they would be later cooked into rice cakes. Once the desserts are cooked, her parents go to Divisoria to sell them. Every once in a while the Rosales family would be part of practice evacuations that would be signaled by a sharp ringing of an alarm bell. Pamphlets would also be distributed house to house for further reminders on how to survive once the invasion occurs. The obvious panic and tension that could be felt in the Manila was apparent. But for Maria, these changes werent enough to be at the point of fear. As she obediently followed her parents instructions, she believed that everything was going to be okay.

December 8, 1941 The Feast of the Immaculate Conception has always been an important event for Catholic Filipinos. Some celebrate it in their local churches while some devotees even take pilgrimage to hear dawn mass in Antipolo. But on that day, the Filipinos experienced the opposite of solemnity as news of the bombing of Pearl Harbor filled hearts with fear. The war between America and Japan has officially begun. As a colony of America, and with the strategic location of the country in Asia, the Philippines also became a target for the Japanese. On the same day of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the imperial Japanese army bombed Baguio, Davao and Clark Field. Besides the loss of human life, the bombings destroyed most of the General MacArthurs bombers and fighters. In an instant advantage, the Japanese took complete control of air over the Philippines.

Acknowledgements Breaking the Silence by Lourdes Montinola The Filipino saga: History as Social Change