MSU IIT Department of History

🚨𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭!🚨

𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨-𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐬-𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐞𝐞𝐫-𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥

The Department of History of Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) congratulates 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳. 𝗥𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗠. 𝗗𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗻 on the publication of her co-authored research article, "𝙐𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙀𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙋𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙄𝙣𝙛𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨: 𝙇𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙤," in the Journal of Peacebuilding & Development, a peer-reviewed international journal published by SAGE.

The article, which appeared online on June 4, 2026, is co-authored with Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology Chancellor Prof. Atty. Alizedney M. Ditucalan, Pro. Nancy Q. Echavez, and Prof. Primitivo III C. Ragandang. It draws on Mindanao as a case study to examine how universities function not merely as academic institutions but as embedded infrastructures of peace — actors structurally woven into the social and political fabric of conflict-affected communities.

The publication is a significant contribution to the growing body of scholarship on higher education and peacebuilding in the Philippines, and reflects the department's sustained engagement with the histories, communities, and peace processes that define the Mindanao region.

The Department of History takes pride in Prof. Derogongan's achievement and recognizes this publication as a testament to the scholarly work being produced from within our institution and from within Mindanao itself.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15423166261457595

𝗗𝗢𝗜:
https://doi.org/10.1177/15423166261457595

Universities as Embedded Peace Infrastructures: Lessons from Mindanao - Alizedney M. Ditucalan, Rohane M. Derogongan, Nancy Q. Echavez, Primitivo C. Ragandang, 2026 This briefing examines how universities in conflict-affected Mindanao contribute to peacebuilding through everyday academic practice. It argues that universitie...

𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐨 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭

Following the successful conduct of the first writeshop last August 2025, the Department of History, Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology, convened the second writing session of the 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗼 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 (WOBH) earlier today, June 3, 2026, at the Conference Room of the Principal's Office, MSU-IIT IDS Hinaplanon Campus.

The morning session featured a keynote address by 𝗗𝗿. 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗼 𝗜𝗜𝗜 𝗖. 𝗥𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗴, Director of the MSU - IIT Research and Enterprise-Office of Research Dissemination and MSU-IIT Press, titled "𝙒𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙈𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙚𝙡𝙛." Drawing on his experience as a researcher and writer, Dr. Ragandang offered reflections on the relationship between historical writing and the researcher's own positionality, underscoring the discipline and intentionality that serious scholarly work demands. His address set the tone for the day's collaborative effort.

The writeshop then moved into its core work: the development of the book's chapters and articles. Faculty members worked through the structure of the projected volume, deliberating on its thematic organization, identifying the individual articles that will constitute each chapter, and working out the outline and flow of each contribution. The afternoon sessions were spent deepening this work, with participants refining their article topics, sharpening their arguments, and mapping the internal logic of their respective pieces within the larger architecture of the book.

The Writing of the Bangsamoro History Project aims to produce a scholarly account of the contemporary Bangsamoro history, with the Department of History as its institutional home.

🇵🇭 𝓡𝓐𝓘𝓢𝓔 𝓨𝓞𝓤𝓡 𝓕𝓛𝓐𝓖❗ 🇵🇭

Starting today, we celebrate the National Flag Days by displaying our National Flag in our homes, schools, and offices in celebration of our nation’s independence.

Ceremonies will be held throughout the country, especially in the following sites:
📌 Dambana ng Pambansang Watawat, Alapan, Imus City, Cavite (with City Government of Imus)
📌 Rizal Park Luneta, Ermita, Manila (with National Parks Development Committee and Salute To A Clean Flag Movement)
📌 NHCP Museo nina Marcela Mariño at Felipe Agoncillo, Taal, Batangas (with Municipality of TAAL)
📌 Samonte Park, Cavite City, Cavite (in the afternoon, with City Government of Cavite)

May 28 was selected as the start of the National Flag Days as it is the anniversary of the Battle of Alapan. Filipino revolutionary forces under the overall command of General Emilio Aguinaldo, who returned from exile on 18 May 1898, defeated a large Spanish force at the field of Alapan, Imus, Cavite. In celebration of the victory, Aguinaldo unfurled and showed to the Filipino people for the first time the new National Flag made by Marcela Mariño de Agoncillo in Hong Kong at the Teatro Caviteño in Cavite City.

The new flag, which featured the red and blue fields with a white triangle superimposed by a sun with eight rays and three stars, would become the Flag of the Philippine nation and is the basis for our present-day standard.

➡️ Download and use our official posters:
bit.ly/Kalayaan2026posters

➡️ Learn how to properly display our National Flag:
bit.ly/FlagAndHeraldicCode2018

ANNOUNCEMENT 😊

The Philippine National Historical Society is now opening its call for abstracts for its 47th National Conference on Local and National History to be held in Catarman, Northern Samar on October 22-24, 2026

This conference is a special one as your historical society is celebrating its 85th year!

Please send abstracts and bio notes to [email protected]. Length of each should be 300 words maximum. Deadline on June 30, 2026, 11:59PM. Kindly see the poster for more details.

Note: The image used in the poster is a colored AI version of a painting of the corvettes of the Malaspina Expedition in the Palapag Port in 1792.

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐬 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐇𝐂𝐏 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝!

The MSU-IIT Department of History invites everyone to witness 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐭. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐑𝐞𝐲 𝐋𝐮𝐢𝐬 𝐀. 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐬 as a resource person for 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐀 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠, the Closing Conference for the 125th Anniversary of Philippine Independence and Nationhood 2023–2026.

Organized by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), in partnership with the Ayala Foundation, Ayala Museum, and the member-affiliates of the Local Historical Committees Network (LHCN), the conference seeks to revisit and examine the enduring legacies of the Philippine Revolution, the Philippine-American War, and the First Philippine Republic beyond 1901.

As part of the session on 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐨 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝, Asst. Prof. Montesclaros will present his paper, “𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙤 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙎𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙊𝙘𝙘𝙪𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙤 𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.”

📅 25 May 2026 (Monday)
⏰ 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
📍 Ayala Museum, Makati City (in-person)

📌 Registration for online participants is still open:
https://forms.gle/6FXBZXPM7h64mTJCA

𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝘁. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳. 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗛𝗖𝗣 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺!
https://www.facebook.com/nhcp1933

The participation and engagement of Asst. Prof. Montesclaros in this national conference reflects the continuing commitment of the MSU-IIT Department of History, as a member-affiliate of the Local Historical Committees Network (LHCN), in advancing historical scholarship, local history studies, and critical conversations on Philippine nationhood and Mindanao history.

𝐌𝐒𝐔-𝐈𝐈𝐓 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐨'𝐬 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠!

A joint initiative of the NCCA-NCHR, Ecosystems Work for Essential Benefits (ECOWEB), Inc., and Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology for National Heritage Month 2026 brings together historians, cultural agencies, and emerging researchers from across Mindanao.

Iligan City, May 20–21, 2026 — The Department of History of Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) joined the National Committee on Historical Research (NCHR) and Ecosystems Work for Essential Benefits, Inc. (EcoWEB) in hosting the 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽: 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗼 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 at the PRISM Hall, MSU-IIT, on May 20 and 21, 2026.

Held in observance of the 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵, the two-day event gathered historians, cultural agency representatives, and emerging researchers to advance the writing and publication of Mindanao's local histories as integral contributions to Philippine national historiography.

𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭 opened with the program's institutional framing before moving into a series of lectures on the methodological foundations of historical research. 𝗗𝗿. 𝗖𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗻 of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines addressed the foundations of historical research methods; 𝗗𝗿. 𝗝𝘂𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶 𝗖𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗼 of the MSU-IIT Department of History spoke on multidisciplinary approaches to writing history; 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳. 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝘂𝗴 of MSU-IIT discussed the use of digital archives in historical research; and 𝗗𝗿. 𝗜𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗕. 𝗔𝗹𝗳𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼 of the University of the Philippines Diliman closed the day with a lecture on research publication pathways for historians.

𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮 shifted to workshop-based engagement, with twelve emerging researchers presenting their work across four thematic sessions: Pre-Colonial and Indigenous Mindanao; Colonial Encounters and Spanish Rule; Colonialism, Resistance and Cultural Persistence, Post-Independence Transitions and Identity. A panel of reactors — drawn from the NCHR, the MSU-IIT Department of History, and partner institutions — provided formative feedback intended to strengthen the manuscripts toward eventual publication.

Representatives from key national cultural institutions delivered messages in the final session, including the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Bangsamoro Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, and EcoWEB. The event concluded with the awarding of certificates and closing remarks by the MSU-IIT Department of History Chairperson and NCHR Executive Committee Member.

The writeshop reflects MSU-IIT's sustained institutional commitment to the production and circulation of regional historical knowledge. By situating Mindanao's histories within the broader narrative of Philippine nation-building, the event advances an inclusive historiography that recognizes the Bangsamoro experience, indigenous cultural communities, and the region's layered encounters with trade, colonialism, and modernity as constitutive of national history — not peripheral to it.

The event resonates with the commitments articulated in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), which calls for inclusive and equitable access to knowledge and lifelong learning; SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), which recognizes the role of cultural heritage in building inclusive, resilient communities; and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), which underscores the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in achieving shared developmental objectives.

The partnership among the NCHR, EcoWEB, and MSU-IIT exemplifies how academic institutions, civil society organizations, and government bodies can work together to produce historical knowledge that is both rigorous and publicly responsive.

The 𝗠𝗦𝗨-𝗜𝗜𝗧 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 remains committed to advancing the scholarly and public dimensions of Philippine historical research, particularly in Mindanao, where the work of documentation, analysis, and narration continues to carry urgent meaning.

History is shaped by the stories we remember, document, and continue to share across generations.

This National Heritage Month, join the Local History Writeshop: Mindanao History in the Making of a Nation and engage in meaningful conversations on the role of Mindanao’s histories, communities, and cultural narratives in shaping the Filipino identity.

Through research, storytelling, and shared learning, we continue to deepen our understanding of our collective past and the many voices that form our nation’s story.

𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠!

The Department of History of Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) announces the upcoming conduct of the 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩: 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐨 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, happening this 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎-𝟐𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔.

Held in observance of the 2026 National Heritage Month, this event is a flagship program of the 𝗡𝗖𝗖𝗔 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵. The writeshop serves as a vital institutional initiative to advance regional historiography, focusing on the refinement of local research methodologies and the integration of Mindanao’s historical narratives into the broader framework of national history.

𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀:

Host Department: Department of History, Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT)

Organizer: NCCA National Committee on Historical Research Flagship Program

Project Title: 𝙇𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙃𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙒𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙥: 𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙤 𝙃𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

Dates: May 20-21, 2026

Cooperating Agencies/Partners: National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Ecosystems Work for Essential Benefits (ECOWEB), Inc. (Implementing partner)

𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼-𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁.

🎨 𝙈𝙋 𝘾𝙖𝙙𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙤𝙜

𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐬

𝗜𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟱, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

The Department of History of Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) hosted a live public conversation on May 15, 2026 with 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗛𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗻𝘀, a 96-year-old veteran and eyewitness to some of the most consequential events of the Second World War in Mindanao. Broadcast live on Facebook under the title "𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙃𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮: 𝘽𝙚𝙣 𝙃𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙤 𝙃𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙨," the event was made possible through the collaboration of the Asymmetric MIA Accounting Group (AMAG) and the Bangsamoro Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (BCPCH-BARMM).

AMAG, a Virginia-based nonprofit founded by Mike Henshaw, is dedicated to the search and recovery of American soldiers who fell in past wars and whose remains have never been repatriated. Among its active objectives in Mindanao is the recovery of the remains of Brigadier General Guy O. Fort and three other American soldiers executed by the Japanese at Camp Keithley in Marawi in 1942. Hagans, who witnessed those events as a young prisoner of war, has become a key source of firsthand information for AMAG's ongoing recovery mission.

Born in Cebu and raised in Iligan on his family's coconut plantation, Hagans spoke at length about his early life in the town, including his father's career as an entrepreneur well-connected to prominent families and influential figures in the region. He recalled the social world of prewar Iligan with remarkable detail and spoke openly about Moro culture and the rhythms of daily life as he experienced them growing up alongside Filipino and Moro communities. He also recounted his experience as a young member of the Philippine Scouts, which he joined as a young teenager in the immediate aftermath of the Japanese invasion.

Hagans gave firsthand testimony of his role as a messenger during the Japanese occupation of Mindanao and his participation in what is known as the Mindanao Death March — the brutal forced march that subjected hundreds of American and Filipino prisoners to extreme deprivation, during which many did not survive. At liberation, Hagans weighed fifty-six pounds.

Now living in Dayton, Nevada, Hagans participated in the conversation virtually. His 2022 oral history interview with the National World War II Museum in New Orleans had already drawn international attention and set the recovery mission in Marawi in motion. The conversation hosted by the Department of History offered Mindanao historians a rare and direct engagement with one of the last surviving witnesses to the wartime history of Lanao — and to prewar Iligan as it actually was, in the years before the war reshaped everything that followed.