The Philippines is an Armed Forces Information Film (no. 48) newsreel from 1953 that gives a very brief overview of the recent history, people, government, military, and geography of the Philippines. The film opens with a 1946 parade in Manila celebrating the Philippines’ independence. Aerial footage shows viewers the Philippines (01:37). The film shows footage of statues, old Spanish churches and buildings, and a portrait of U.S. Admiral Dewey. Officers of the Philippine Military Academy march in full uniform (02:37). Viewers see footage of Congress in session (03:01). That is followed by footage of the bombing of Manila on 26 December 1941. People flee their homes and carry goods or wounded people through the streets. Filipino military leaders meet with a U.S. commander (04:18). There are several shots of Filipinos doing daily tasks, such as building homes, carrying goods, cooking, and cutting hair. Several of the country’s pygmies, Negritos, pose for the camera (04:47). Viewers see a Catholic Cathedral (05:00), and inside of the building women pray. People mill around near the docks. Zamboanga is a major city on Mindanao (05:48). Men thresh rice in a field. The film shows several homes, men casting fishing nets into the water (06:40), and a Filipino family sitting down for dinner. Aerial footage shows the mountains and forests of the islands. There is a chromite mine in Luzon (07:48); elsewhere men drill for iron-ore. Logging is another major industry (08:14). Men unload coconuts from a wagon (08:44). Abaca leaves, also called Manila hemp, are piled at a plantation (09:00). Men chop sugar cane and haul the cane onto trucks. The film then shows some power stations and power lines as the nation goes through post-war reconstruction. Men work at a shoe factory (10:08). Other men work in a hemp factory. Women cut and can pineapple. At Manila Harbor, a ship is loaded with cargo. A passenger plane takes off from Manila. Next, viewers see the University of the Philippines campus, featuring Quezon Hall with its Oblation sculpture (11:20). Students sit on steps with their books. Medical students watch a surgery. Filipino troops climb off a ship in Korea to fight with the U.S.-led coalition (12:44). The film shows Clark Air Force Base (13:39) and the U.S. Military Port of Manila, then concludes with footage of people working in factories, mines, and healthcare.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
