18/09/2026
Jose B. Lingad and his brothers joined the armed resistance following the surrender of the USAFFE in 1942. Lingad became an important guerrilla leader in Pampanga and helped organize the Pampanga Military District. During the Japanese occupation, Pampanga's guerrilla forces carried out ambushes, raids, and sabotage operations against Japanese troops and installations, making the province an important center of resistance.
After the war, however, the political and military situation changed dramatically. The Hukbalahap, which had emerged as a major anti-Japanese guerrilla movement during the occupation, continued its struggle after liberation and eventually became involved in an armed rebellion against the Philippine government. The postwar conflict was rooted in a combination of agrarian grievances, political exclusion, and tensions between the peasantry and government authorities.
Lingad was elected governor of Pampanga in 1948 and served until 1951, during one of the most turbulent periods of the Huk insurgency. As governor, he was responsible for maintaining peace and order in a province where Huk influence remained substantial. His administration cooperated with national government authorities and security forces in efforts to counter the insurgency, while also confronting the underlying political and social tensions that had made Pampanga a major center of the conflict.
In this program entitled "Tara Bundok: Guerrilleros and the Huks", we are honored to be joined by Mr. Frank Elie V. Morales, LPT, MASSed, MBA, from Bataan Peninsula State University, who will discuss guerrilla warfare and the Huk insurgencyโtwo important aspects of the history of Pampanga and Central Luzon.
Through this discussion, we will explore the experiences of the wartime guerrillas, the emergence and development of the Huk movement, and the political and social conditions that shaped the conflict in the postwar period. We will also examine the significance of these events in understanding the history and heritage of Pampanga and Central Luzon.