Tolosa Honors Heroic Scouts in 81st Signal Day Commemoration

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Theme: “Freedom’s Price: Honoring the Past, Protecting the Future”
(“Halaga ng Kalayaan: Parangal ng Nakaraan, Pag-iingat sa Kinabukasan”)

Tolosa, Leyte – The Municipality of Tolosa proudly marked the 81st Signal Day Commemoration today, October 18, 2025, at Barangay Telegrafo, honoring the bravery and patriotism of three young Boy Scouts whose courage helped save their town during World War II.

The event, held with the theme “Freedom’s Price: Honoring the Past, Protecting the Future”, was attended by local government officials of Tolosa headed by Mayor Erwin Cinco Ocaña and Hon. Frances Ann B. Petilla, Chairperson of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines–Leyte Council.

Signal Day in Tolosa commemorates the historic event of October 18, 1944, when three Boy Scouts — Valeriano Abello, Antero Junia Sr., and Vicente Tiston — used semaphore flags to signal Allied forces offshore, preventing the bombing of Tolosa during the Leyte Gulf Landings. Despite heavy Japanese shelling, the scouts courageously warned the Allied ships, saving countless lives and weakening enemy defenses in preparation for General Douglas MacArthur’s return two days later.

The commemoration featured reenactments of the scouts’ heroic act, a thanksgiving mass, flag-raising, and wreath-laying ceremonies in remembrance of the town’s wartime heroes and Filipino veterans. Events photos are available for viewing at Eastern Visayas Communities Gallery

Mayor Erwin Cinco Ocaña and local officials emphasized the importance of preserving the memory of this defining moment in Tolosa’s history, underscoring the message that freedom comes with sacrifice and vigilance.

Signal Day is celebrated annually every October 18 as a prelude to the Leyte Gulf Landings commemoration on October 20, one of the most significant turning points in the liberation of the Philippines during World War II. END #leyteinitiatives