WORLD WAR II EXPERIENCES OF THE BLAAN RESIDENTS IN BARANGAY UPPER LABAY, GENERAL SANTOS CITY

Barangay Upper Labay is one of the 26 (twenty-six) barangays of General Santos City. It is also one of the barangays that was occupied by the Japanese during World War ll. Mostly of the inhabitants of the barangay were Blaans, which were the most affected residents during the war. The aim of this study is to know the experiences, struggles and strategies on surviving the second world war of the Blaan residents. The method in gathering data is through personal interviews from the reliable respondents that are knowledgeable about the topic. The result shows that the Blaan residents of barangay Upper Labay struggled in many ways such as, dislocation, cruelty, and famine. They were able to survive the war through the help of the agriculture in their area. The results of the study can be used as a basis in the future studies related in the topic and as guide for learning the local history of Barangay Upper Labay.

KEY WORDS: Barangay Upper Labay, World War Il, Experiences, Blaan