Summary
Highlights
The documentary opens by establishing the past importance of trains in the Philippines. In 1892, the first Manila-Dagupan line was built, using prime materials and British engineering. It brought rapid progress to towns like Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Dagupan, facilitating commerce and regional development. However, under American rule, the focus shifted to automobiles and highways, leading to the railway system's decline, with the Manila-Dagupan line eventually closing in 1988.
Using an old map, the documentary team ventures to find remnants of the old railway. In Maykawayan, Bulacan, they discover an old two-story building that matches a photograph from March 1899, believed to be the battleground during the Philippine-American War. Despite its deteriorating state, the station still holds the history of battles fought by American and Filipino soldiers.
The search continues to Guiguinto, Bulacan, where locals initially claim the old station is gone. However, after persistent searching, an old red-brick building is found at the end of the market. This station, built in 1896, witnessed a bloody battle during the revolution against the Spanish. Today, it stands in ruins, overgrown with plants and trash, its historical significance almost lost.
The documentary highlights the train's critical role in wars, particularly the Philippine-American War. Pictures show soldiers along the tracks, indicating the railway was the main axis of battle. The Malolos train station, a red building, was a significant battleground. American forces would capture stations, and Filipinos would try to destroy the rails to impede their advance. Today, the Malolos station, captured by Americans in 1899, serves as an office for Northrail.
In San Fernando, Pampanga, the local government has made efforts to preserve the old train station. This station was visited by Jose Rizal in 1892 as he formed La Liga Filipina. Later, in 1942, it became a tragic site during the Bataan Death March. Survivors like Lola Ruen recount being forced to march from Bataan to Pampanga, enduring extreme conditions. The station was where they were loaded onto 'death trains' to Capas, Tarlac, with many perishing due to the inhumane conditions inside the sealed, airless wagons.
The Death March survivors recall a moment of humanity at the Angeles, Pampanga station, where residents offered them water and food. However, the Angeles station is now dilapidated and used as a dumping ground. In Capas, Tarlac, the destination of the death trains, remnants of the tracks are found, some even repurposed as furniture or stolen. The Capas station itself has been converted into a museum, a poignant memorial to the soldiers who suffered there.
In Hermosa, Tarlac, much of the old railway is gone, replaced by houses or buried by lahars. However, under an old bridge, remarkably preserved original railway foundations and iron structures, dating back over 100 years, are discovered. These enduring materials speak to the original strength and quality of the railway. The Hermosa station, almost consumed by nature, symbolized progress, boosting the town's population by 75% due to increased commerce after its construction.
Continuing to Dagupan, the terminus of the line, the team observes various states of neglect for the old stations; some are barbershops, chapels, or even homes. The lament is that these historical pillars are crumbling. Although a Northrail project aimed to revive the Manila-Dagupan line, controversies have stalled it. The documentary concludes by emphasizing that while the physical tracks may be gone, the land remains owned by the railway, offering a potential path to re-establish this vital connection, reminding us that 'where tracks lead, progress follows'.