As a local historian, I just found out that thanks to former President Manuel Quezon, the Philippines played an important role in helping the survivors of the Holocaust of World War II.

Last Thursday, I was invited to attend the viewing of an introduction to the documentary entitled Rescue in the Philippines by the public affairs office of the US Embassy. According to their write-up, “Rescue in the Philippines will tell the story of how our own charismatic president, Manuel Quezon, with Paul McNutt, US High Commissioner of the Philippines, Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Philip, Morris, Alexander, and Herbert Frieder——four brothers from Cincinnati who manufactured cigars in Manila—rescued more than 1,200 Jews fleeing certain death in Nazi Europe. “

“Buoyed by the extraordinary support of the first president of the Philippine Republic, President Manuel Quezon said, ‘It is my hope, and indeed my expectation, that the people of the Philippines will have in the future every reason to be glad that when the time of need came, their country was willing to extend a hand of welcome.’”

At that time, when no other country in the world was willing to take in the masses of fleeing refugees, they alone implemented an intricate plan of rescue and settlement for tens of thousands of people, simply because “it was the right thing to do.”

Rescue in the Philippines is a story that needs to be told, especially to us Filipinos.  Few know how many Jews found sanctuary in Manila, says the write-up, and how open and welcoming we Filipinos were.  And our present generation do not realize how hard American Jews fought to save those fleeing the Holocaust. In addition to telling the story of lives saved, the documentary will show how the actual rescue work in the Philippines defeated racist doctrine by crossing religious, social, ethnic and political divides.

At the core of the story lies the integrity and compassion of a few poker buddies—Jewish, Protestant and Catholic, civilian and military.  The story of the rescue work is dramatic, elevating and inventive.  The plans evolved over games of poker between good friends during the hot and muggy tropical afternoons.  These men were touched by the intense concern and dedication the Frieder brothers had for those fleeing for their lives, without visas or places of destination, waiting on ships docked at the port in Manila.  The Jewish Refugee Committee was established to save lives, and to work together on the monumental bureaucratic and logistic task of saving lives before the Holocaust consumed them, states the write-up.

Rescue in the Philippines is a project of Frieder Films, LLC. produced in association with The Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education in Cincinnati, Ohio.  It will be distributed worldwide with an educational package if requested by those interested.

In attendance at that dinner were the children of Nini Quezon Avancena, daughter of President Quezon.  She was interviewed that same day by the producers.

More than seventy years later, the public still needs to be made aware of the efforts of American Jews to rescue their brethren in Europe.  It is a story that can show us so many morals and lessons of compassion for today.  The involvement of the Philippine government at that time will show the compassion of our people for those affected by horrific sufferings in another part of the world, something which is happening up to today to victims of natural and manmade disasters.

The brief video that I watched shows historical photos of our President Quezon and some scenes of Manila then.  It is a documentary worth watching.