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.

IN SEARCH OF THE LOST BURIAL GROUNDS OF BAMBAN: THE GUSI RIDGE ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE May 07, 2023

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This morning, the BHS Field Recon Team conducted extensive surveys including drone aerial imagery for documentations. Results of this field surveys will be submitted to Bamban LGU, the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts NCCA, the National Museum, and the Provincial Government of Tarlac. BHS and Bamban Museum will work with the Bamban …

IN SEARCH OF THE LOST BURIAL GROUNDS OF BAMBAN: THE GUSI RIDGE ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE May 07, 2023 Read More »

OPERATION FIREFLIES: RE-OPENING AND DISCOVERING NEW JAPANESE WAR TUNNELS OF PANAISAN, BAMBAN HILLS; 6-May-2023

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Video Clip: RE-OPENING AND DISCOVERING NEW JAPANESE WAR TUNNELS OF PANAISAN, BAMBAN HILLS; 6-May-2023 Watch this video clip as I Enter a newly re-opened Japanese war tunnel in Panaisan Hills, Bamban, as captured by my Iphone and explored the inside of what remains of this WWII battle site. Our fellow explorer, Aries Dizon was the …

OPERATION FIREFLIES: RE-OPENING AND DISCOVERING NEW JAPANESE WAR TUNNELS OF PANAISAN, BAMBAN HILLS; 6-May-2023 Read More »

OPERATION FIREFLIES: RE-OPENING AND DISCOVERING NEW JAPANESE WAR TUNNELS OF PANAISAN, BAMBAN HILLS

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It was a fruitful Saturday morning with our BHS Field Recon Team with the re-opening of Panaisan Japanese War Tunnel No. 1 and the discovery of a new (not yet registered and surveyed) War Tunnel No. 2 with the help of the land owner Jose Marimla. The BHS Field Recon Team conducted field survey and …

OPERATION FIREFLIES: RE-OPENING AND DISCOVERING NEW JAPANESE WAR TUNNELS OF PANAISAN, BAMBAN HILLS Read More »

Museum Visitors: The 60th Air Defense Artillery Regiment At Bamban Museum

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The regiment can trace its evolution from the early years in 1917 and was based in the Philippines under the USAFFE’s harbor defense forces in Manila Bay area including Corregidor and Fort Wint. Now based in Oklahoma, elements of the regiment are here for a short period and the guys decided to visit our WWII …

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Project Sharing and Gift Giving for our Aeta families: April 4, 2023

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PROJECT “SHARING AND GIVING FOR AETA BROTHERS” Successfully concluded our Gift Giving and Food Sharing project for our Aeta families near Malago settlement, courtesy of our dearest Tita Gigi Winterrowd and Family. Our Field Recon Team and Aeta Scouts joined us in our morning trek and in handing out the food stuff. Bamban Museum and …

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