DAGUPAN CITY— Where did General Douglas MacArthur and his forces really make their historic landing in Pangasinan?

Sixty one years after MacArthur and his allied forces landed in Lingayen Gulf on Jan. 9, 1945 during the World War II to liberate the country from Japanese forces, Mayor Benjamin Lim wants to know the truth behind the real place as to where the landing was exactly made: Was it in Lingayen or in Dagupan City.

Lim echoed this query again during the commemoration of the Jan. 9 Lingayen Gulf landings last Friday here where former President Fidel Ramos, Philippine Veterans Ba nk officials and war veterans were in attendance.

Lim said he wants to request the veterans and historians to help them “because Dagupeños have a secret evidence, two pictures where MacArthur landed in this part of Pangasinan”.

The first photo showed MacArthur walking along then Torres Bugallon now known as A.B Fernandez and the other taken at the Home Economics Building of West Central Elementary School where the general was giving instructions to his troop, according to Lim.

“Gusto po naming malaman yong talagang katotohanan kung saan ba talaga naglanding si Gen. Douglas MacArthur dahil wala pa po kaming nakikitang ebidensiya galing sa Lingayen (We want to know the truth where Mac Arthur really landed because we don’t see any evidence from Lingayen),” Lim said.

“So I would like to take this opportunity to draw that question to you so that we can have a clearer understanding and re-write history if needed,” the mayor said, addressing the statement to Ramos and the war veterans.

He said he hopes even the US government can probably help Dagupeños determine the truth of the matter.

Ramos advised Lim who was then his campaign manager when he ran as president in 1992 “to review the record and do a good job of it”.

He said though he was born in Lingayen, his heart is closer in this city because his sister, former Consul Gloria Ramos Baroga was born at the then Provincial Hospital here. He added that his parents used to bring him and his siblings here to enjoy a more civilized place without having to go to Manila.

However, Ramos said as to the exact landing place, that should not be the center of debate now adding that efforts should be geared towards the development of the city, Pangasinan and the entire country.

Traditionally, the commemoration of the Lingayen Gulf Landings were held in Lingayen town, the capital town of Pangasinan.