Rhonie Dela Cruz

RHONIE C. DELA CRUZ, an historian, is the Chairman of the Bamban Historical Society (an active organization in the preservation and promotion of history and heritage in Bamban, Tarlac) with particular interest in the military history and the Aetas. He is also the curator and owner the Bamban WWII Museum, the institution has been recognized as an important WWII educational site and a center for public history.

He is a recognized Historian by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), being a lecturer and guest speaker on national and international conferences on WWII History from 2017 to 2020. His research journals in WWII were published by the NHCP on its Journal of the Philippine Local History and Heritage. He is also a prominent speaker on various historical events with subjects mostly on WWII History and Museum.

Mr. Dela Cruz advocacy, passion and interest in WWII is in fact based on his family lineage, as he is a descendant of WWII veterans. Further, he had also written on the history of the Aetas on the Mag-Antsi and Aberling Tribes of Bamban and Capas, Tarlac; the former formed part of the Claim Book of the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) Application.

As an historian, he is the key person in the pursuit of finding remains of the war dead left in the battlefields of the Bamban through the Operation Fireflies, and in exploring and opening of Japanese war tunnels with the Project Discovery War Tunnels. At present, he is also engaged in the production of various historical documentaries related to Bamban-Clark area in the social media, as You Tube vlogger, through the Investigating History Series.

MABALACAT EAST AIRFIELD UNDER AERIAL ATTACK, NOVEMBER 19, 1944 – 1944 年 11 月 19 日、マバラカット東彦城でのアメリカ軍の空襲

Investigating History – Japanese Airfields at Clark & Tarlac Air CenterMABALACAT EAST AIRFIELD UNDER AERIAL ATTACK, NOVEMBER 19, 1944 – 1944 年 11 月 19 日、マバラカット東彦城でのアメリカ軍の空襲 INVESTIGATING HISTORY SERIES – WWII AIRFIELDS CLARK-TARLAC AREA – クラーク地域の日本軍飛行場の調査Our region of Clark-Bamban-Tarlac is a WWII historical locality, where Filipinos, Americans and Japanese forces were based and engaged in …

MABALACAT EAST AIRFIELD UNDER AERIAL ATTACK, NOVEMBER 19, 1944 – 1944 年 11 月 19 日、マバラカット東彦城でのアメリカ軍の空襲 Read More »

SEPTEMBER 21, 1944: THE STRIKE OF THE AMERICAN NAVAL AIR POWER ON JAPANESE BASES IN LUZON – 1944年9月21: アメリカ海軍航空隊による日本空軍基地への攻撃

Investigating HistorySEPTEMBER 21, 1944: THE STRIKE OF THE AMERICAN NAVAL AIR POWER ON JAPANESE BASES IN LUZON – 1944年9月21: アメリカ海軍航空隊による日本空軍基地への攻撃 Today is an historic day as Filipino, for we as people are voicing our sentiments and desire for a better Philippines and eradicate corruptions that plaque our Nation with the recent developments. Groups and individuals …

SEPTEMBER 21, 1944: THE STRIKE OF THE AMERICAN NAVAL AIR POWER ON JAPANESE BASES IN LUZON – 1944年9月21: アメリカ海軍航空隊による日本空軍基地への攻撃 Read More »

KUDIARO LAXAMANA & THE WWII AETA NEGRITO MOUNTAIN PATROL OF CLARK-STOTSENBURG AREA

WWII HEROES PROJECT 2025 KUDIARO LAXAMANA & THE WWII AETA NEGRITO MOUNTAIN PATROL OF CLARK-STOTSENBURG AREA It was a rarity in the history of WWII in the Philippines where Indigenous People, as in this case, an Aeta Negrito from the mountains of Porac (Tamboa,Dias, Muzon, Sapang Ebos, Camachiles, Magkabayo), became a commanding officer of the …

KUDIARO LAXAMANA & THE WWII AETA NEGRITO MOUNTAIN PATROL OF CLARK-STOTSENBURG AREA Read More »

THE BAMBAN TUNNEL DEPOT: THE LOST JAPANESE WAR TUNNELS OF BAMBAN HILLS

PROJECT DISCOVERY WWII TUNNELS 2025THE BAMBAN TUNNEL DEPOT: THE LOST JAPANESE WAR TUNNELS OF BAMBAN HILLSI have been researching on the Japanese WWII Tunnels of Stotsenburg-Bamban Hills for the past 2 decades now, and had the opportunity to conduct field survey, mapping and studying about 100 tunnels spread in the former battlefields. Most of the …

THE BAMBAN TUNNEL DEPOT: THE LOST JAPANESE WAR TUNNELS OF BAMBAN HILLS Read More »

PAMPANGA PASUDECO SUGAR CENTRAL, UNDER ATTACK FROM VF-7 FIGHTER SQUADRON, U.S.S. HANCOCK CV-19; 15-DECEMBER-1944

Investigating History PAMPANGA PASUDECO SUGAR CENTRAL, UNDER ATTACK FROM VF-7 FIGHTER SQUADRON, U.S.S. HANCOCK CV-19; 15-DECEMBER-1944 An iconic man-made landmark in the capital city of Pampanga in San Fernando, the Sugar Central of Pampanga Sugar Development Company PASUDECO was an economic achievement of Filipino businessmen and investors. It was constructed in 1921 by the Honolulu …

PAMPANGA PASUDECO SUGAR CENTRAL, UNDER ATTACK FROM VF-7 FIGHTER SQUADRON, U.S.S. HANCOCK CV-19; 15-DECEMBER-1944 Read More »

THE LAST DAYS & SURRENDER OF THE JAPANESE KEMBU COMPOSITE DIVISION IN PINATUBO AREA – 1945 バンバン・ピナツボ地域における日本剣舞集団の降伏 – 1945年

THE LAST DAYS & SURRENDER OF THE JAPANESE KEMBU COMPOSITE DIVISION IN PINATUBO AREA – 1945 – バンバン・ピナツボ地域における日本剣舞集団の降伏 – 1945年 THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF THE WAR 戦争の終結September 3, 1945 marked an important milestone in the History of WWII, the official surrender of all Japanese forces in the Philippines with the outcome of the …

THE LAST DAYS & SURRENDER OF THE JAPANESE KEMBU COMPOSITE DIVISION IN PINATUBO AREA – 1945 バンバン・ピナツボ地域における日本剣舞集団の降伏 – 1945年 Read More »

THE MALABANAS RAILROAD BRIDGE: AN IMPORTANT RELIC OF THE PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN WAR 1899

Investigating HistoryTHE MALABANAS RAILROAD BRIDGE: AN IMPORTANT RELIC OF THE PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN WAR 1899 Currently, I am doing extensive research on the Philippine-American War in Pampanga, Tarlac and the Aeta domain in a period of 1899-1900, where I plan to publish a book about these forgotten conflicts. In the course of my academic research, I visit …

THE MALABANAS RAILROAD BRIDGE: AN IMPORTANT RELIC OF THE PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN WAR 1899 Read More »

THE BATTLE OF ANGELES AND FORGOTTEN HISTORY OF PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN WAR: AUGUST 1899

Investigating HistoryTHE BATTLE OF ANGELES AND FORGOTTEN HISTORY OF PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN WAR: AUGUST 1899 Today in History, is the 126th anniversary and commemoration of the First Battle of Angeles, where the strategic town was defended by troops General Luciano San Miguel of the Brigade with support of the Generals Mascardo and Aquino Brigades (numbering between 1,500-2,500 …

THE BATTLE OF ANGELES AND FORGOTTEN HISTORY OF PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN WAR: AUGUST 1899 Read More »

REMEMBERING MR. MOJI CHIKANORI: A JAPANESE NAVAL OFFICER IN BAMBAN IN WWII 大東亜戦争のバンバン丘陵にいた日本の海軍士官、門司親則を偲んでいる

REMEMBERING MR. MOJI CHIKANORI: A JAPANESE NAVAL OFFICER IN BAMBAN IN WWII大東亜戦争のバンバン丘陵にいた日本の海軍士官、門司親則を偲んでいる I was in Japan in 2000 to 2001 on a job internship. At the same time, I was also there to conduct my research for my Japanese Study of WWII in Bamban area during my spare time. In the course of activities, I …

REMEMBERING MR. MOJI CHIKANORI: A JAPANESE NAVAL OFFICER IN BAMBAN IN WWII 大東亜戦争のバンバン丘陵にいた日本の海軍士官、門司親則を偲んでいる Read More »

USAFFE GUERRILLA OFFICERS OF NORTHWEST PAMPANGA AND SOUTH TARLAC, JANUARY 30, 1945; CONCEPCION, TARLAC

USAFFE GUERRILLA OFFICERS OF NORTHWEST PAMPANGA AND SOUTH TARLAC, JANUARY 30, 1945; CONCEPCION, TARLAC 80 years since the Liberation of Luzon and the war ended, there are still forgotten history that needs to be highlighted. In the province of Tarlac, a photograph of the USAFFE guerrilla leaders and organizers tells a thousand words of forgotten …

USAFFE GUERRILLA OFFICERS OF NORTHWEST PAMPANGA AND SOUTH TARLAC, JANUARY 30, 1945; CONCEPCION, TARLAC Read More »

Bamban WWII Museum
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