There are times when history is not recorded in books, official documents, or old photographs. Sometimes, it is just left in a movie, a family video, or a personal memory of a child who once passed through our town.
One of these strange memories is a video from February 1979, shared by Bill Bowen in a Facebook group called I Remember Clark Air Base.
Back then, Bill was only nine years old. He was with his family on a day-trip to Mariveles, Bataan. From the Clark Air Base area, they traveled in their Toyota Land Cruiser to the farthest part of Bataan Peninsula.
It was not known that this simple family trip would become a small but significant visual record of Mariveles in 1979.
Upon arriving in Mariveles
In the video, you can see their vehicle as they enter the town.
Around them, you can see people, decorations, flags, and the actions of a town that seemed to be in the middle of a celebration. According to Bill, it was as if they were there one day.
And that's how the footage became special.
It was not shot as a historical documentary.
No director.
No script.
No one thinking back in 1979 about what Mariveles looked like.
It was just a simple family home movie.
But almost five decades later, the ordinary video became a window into Mariveles for our parents and grandparents.
The young boy with white hair, wearing yellow clothes and bell-bottom pants, was a fashion symbol of the 1970s.
That boy was Bill Bowen.
He was only nine years old back then.
For him, it might have been just a happy trip with the family. But in his camera and memory, he unintentionally captured a part of our town that we might never see again in other historical footage.
Behind him is Mariveles in 1979.
The streets before the arrival of many modern buildings.
The usual vehicles of the 1970s.
People walking in the town.
Festival decorations.
And a town busy with its daily life.
Mariveles Before the Big Change
The year 1979 was a crucial time in Mariveles' transformation.
This was the time when the town was rapidly changing due to industrialization and the growth of the export processing zone in Bataan.
It was a time when the town was slowly becoming a bustling hub, attracting workers from all over the Philippines.
However, in Bowen's video, you can still see a Mariveles with a clear character of an old town.
A Mariveles where the streets, churches, plazas, shops, and markets were bustling with life.
And when it comes to festivals, almost the entire town would participate.
From Mariveles to Corregidor
But their journey didn't end there.
According to Bill, after arriving in Mariveles, his father boarded two small boats to take his family to Corregidor Island.
This is the story of how Mariveles became a hub for the town's growth, a place where the town's history was written.
For Bill, it was a deeply meaningful experience that he would never forget.
It was a historical experience he will never forget.
And it's easy to understand why.
From the shores of Mariveles, you can see Corregidor, a landmark that has been a witness to the town's history and the defense of Manila Bay.
For many generations, Mariveles has been a natural gateway to Corregidor.
So, this simple family trip brought together two historical sites: Mariveles and Corregidor.
The true value of a home movie
At first glance, you might say:
"This is just an old video."
But for a history lover, researcher, or a Mariveleño who wants to know the origin of their town, this footage is invaluable.
In every second, you can see details like:
the condition of the roads,
the shops,
the buildings,
the vehicles,
the clothing of the people,
the billboards,
the flags,
and even the way people interacted.
The details that seemed insignificant in 1979 can now help us reconstruct the visual history of Mariveles.
Who will get to know Mariveles?
And this is where the most important part of the story begins.
Mariveles residents in the 1970s, do you recognize the places in the video?
What street is this?
What buildings can you see?
Do you know any of the shops?
Do you remember which celebration took place during the last part of February 1979?
And most importantly:
Maybe one of the people in front of the camera is a relative, family member, grandfather or grandmother of yours.
If you are in Mariveles at that time, share your memories.
Because the history of a town is not just the history of its mayor, buildings, wars, and official documents.
It is also the history of ordinary people.
Of their clothes.
Of their vehicles.
Of their shops.
Of their festivals.
Of their laughter.
And of a simple day that will one day become part of Mariveles' history.
Every picture has a story.
Every memory has value.
And every Mariveleño is part of our history.
MARIVELES HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Preserving the Past. Remembering Our People. Giving Voice to the History of Mariveles.
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