Craigs in Cauayan

On March 12th 1942, just before the fall of Corregidor, General Douglas McArthur, on direct orders from the President of the United States, climbed aboard PT boat 41 at the North Mine Dock under cover of darkness and fled Corregidor and the Philippines for Australia.  He left with the 3 word promise:  "I SHALL RETURN".  Washington and the Military asked that he amend the promise to "We" shall return.  He refused.  To him the promise was deeply personal and sacred.  On October 23, 1944, after the extreme and bitter Battle of Leyte Gulf and with the 6th Army now controlling the beachhead, Douglas McArthur, with then Philippines President Sergio Osmena at his side, stepped again on Philippines soil.  He would broadcast  the following:     "TO THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES     I have returned.  By the grace of Almighty God, our forces again stand again on Philippine soil - soil         consec...

This week we travelled to the remote town of Lagawe, high in the Cordillera mountains.  We used to travel through Lagawe once every 6 weeks on the way to Banaue, but we have only been there once in the last 21 months due to the strict protocols in Ifugao Province.  Our trip this week was to attend another humanitarian hand over, this time a new well and electric pump and water tanks to supply water to an elementary school in central Lagawe.  The new water system will provide water for washing, drinking and sanitation for 272 students and staff at the school.  We were the first guests to arrive, so the teachers showed us around.  We walked into one of the empty classrooms.  There have not been face-to-face classes in the Philippines since March of 2020.  The floors were clean.  Teaching materials adorned the room, to help with reading, writing and arithmetic.  Stacks of completed modules were neatly piled at one end of the room.  Tea...