Uncovering Forgotten Artifacts From WW2 In The Philippines - Rare Finds!

Added: 2026-05-30

[00:00:00]Hi folks, the Filipina P here and today I'm going to take you back in time to World War II where the battles were raging right here where I'm standing.

[00:00:10]Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to the guy who's been collecting this memorabilia for over six decades.

[00:00:18]Let's go.

[00:00:28]Welcome to the Catal World War II Museum. The only museum of its kind on the entire island of Negros Oriental and the largest personal collection of artifacts and memorabilia in the entire country.

[00:00:42]>> All right, folks. Meet the man of this beautiful place. So, Tat Felix, how did you start collecting stuff?

[00:00:49]>> The older brother of my mother died as a prisoner of war in Campo Donell in Kapasa. Mhm.

[00:00:56]>> That's why my mother prohibited me to join anything with a gun. She always say to me, "You're only worth one bullet.

[00:01:03]When you're hit, I do not have a son anymore."

[00:01:06]>> I am just like saving private Ryan. I cannot become a soldier. You just go to the forest and you can just pick up anything you like.

[00:01:15]>> Wow. So, you got most of this.

[00:01:18]>> This was the last stand of the Japanese, the last battlefield for the Second World War. Mhm.

[00:01:23]>> The war ended here.

[00:01:25]here in Negros.

[00:01:27]>> Yes. On the mountains here. Mountains.

[00:01:28]Okay.

[00:01:29]>> Battle of the ridges. I love the >> Japanese occupied the most strategic areas on top of the ridge.

[00:01:36]>> Mhm.

[00:01:37]>> They were waiting at the top.

[00:01:39]>> How did you find them? I mean the Filipinos.

[00:01:42]>> They put all their bullets or their grenades in front of them. They do not have to stoop down. Everything is in front of them.

[00:01:50]>> So Tata, you got behind them.

[00:01:52]>> Yes. So what kind of weapons did the Filipinos have back then? That day, >> there was a submarine delivering >> guns and ammunition in Basai, 117 kilometers going to the south, bringing 2,000 submachine guns per person.

[00:02:12]It is heavy.

[00:02:14]Thousands of machine guns with ammunition, the M1 carbine, the M1 Garan, the Browning automatic rifles and the machine guns.

[00:02:25]>> So basically, they were working with the Americans to supply uh you know Phil Filipinos here, Negros. Correct.

[00:02:32]>> We are the only colony of the United States. So the Americans are giving us weapons.

[00:02:38]>> Mhm. Most of my family members were protected by the Americans and the guerillas. When the Japanese retreated to the hills, the Americans follow them >> and put artillery pieces on our land.

[00:02:51]The 155 mm and the 105 shooting of the Japanese in the mountain.

[00:02:57]>> The enemy is just 100 m away.

[00:03:00]>> Mhm.

[00:03:00]>> This was the last battlefield. So, you can find World War II items in the mountains here.

[00:03:06]>> Mhm. So that are you afraid of unexloded ordinance?

[00:03:12]>> At four years old, I still had all my fingers. I diffused thousands of bombs.

[00:03:18]The 1,000 lb bomb. When I open them, I made a hole. I am the only one there opening it. So when it explode, it will be the killing me only.

[00:03:32]So that you know how to diffuse a bomb >> at 1 meter away from an exploding bomb, 100 pounds. Nothing can be found of your body. Nobody now nobody to bury.

[00:03:48]You don't even smell anything. You just turn into dust at that race.

[00:03:54]>> I v >> the bomb that is going to kill me. They had not made it yet.

[00:04:01]All right, so let's take a tour and check out Pate's place. Well, look at all this ammo. Machine gun ammunition.

[00:04:11]Browning 30 caliber Japanese 7.7 mm machine gun. Wow. And look at this.

[00:04:24]It's an anti-aircraft cannon ammunition.

[00:04:28]Those are massive.

[00:04:31]Look at this guys. A fuel tank from a Japanese zero.

[00:04:38]That is too cool.

[00:04:41]Well, here's another fuel tank from Force Nakajima Ki27.

[00:04:51]Well, just look at these uniforms.

[00:04:57]Oh, I bet this one was from Tata's relatives because it's Katal. That's the name plate.

[00:05:05]>> My brother was a member of Sabur, >> the head of Chris Pon.

[00:05:10]>> Okay. So, this is your father's.

[00:05:13]>> Okay. So, that's Tatai Felix's father's uniform.

[00:05:18]>> Oh, boy. Look at this silver coin collection. I hope that Tate locks this place up at night because the silver price is quite high at the moment. This is worth a fortune.

[00:05:31]So, these are Filipino knives. It's uh actually made out of ivory elephant tusk the handles. I know it says here do not touch, but I got you know I got permission from Tadai and I want to show you this middle one. Look at that.

[00:05:49]That's a wicked, wicked knife.

[00:05:53]Just look at how cool that is. Just the detail. And these are all from World War II. But look at this. This is the ultimate moab.

[00:06:10]Mother of all bolos. You can chop off three heads all at the same time. Maybe this is lapu lapus. You know, this is what he used to kill Mellin.

[00:06:22]Check this out, guys. Shrapnel from a fragmentation grenade. These are the pieces. This is what it looks like when it exploded. And these are the pieces that'll tear into your body and you die in agonizing pain. Good thing everything's been diffused here, so we're pretty safe. Check out this Japanese stuff. It's type 94 large smoke canister. I guess the Japs use this to hide their movements. They have to set off one of these to run and hide. And they've got shovels here as well.

[00:07:02]Oh, I shouldn't be touching this, but look at this. It's a It's missing a handle, obviously. It's very old. And here's a Japanese antimmalaria sprayer.

[00:07:15]They're used extensively to eradicate breeding areas of malaria carrying mosquitoes. It's got the tank, the pumps, the compressors, agitators, and the valves.

[00:07:28]And it says hands off, so I'm not touching it. What about this Felix? Uh, what can you tell us about?

[00:07:36]>> That is a backpack radio.

[00:07:38]>> Backpack radio. How do they power it? Is it like do you have to crank it?

[00:07:42]>> There's battery at the bottom.

[00:07:44]>> Ah, it's battery operated.

[00:07:47]And you've got the cantens.

[00:07:49]>> A water purification unit.

[00:07:51]>> Ah, this one.

[00:07:52]>> One of the host goes to the water source.

[00:07:54]>> Mhm.

[00:07:56]>> That one the water source. The other one goes to the contains.

[00:08:00]>> Okay. So, it purifies the water. Okay.

[00:08:04]So, this is the machine that purifies it.

[00:08:06]>> You pump.

[00:08:07]>> You pump this. Okay, >> you can come for one minute to fill the canteen.

[00:08:13]>> Ah, cool. Tell us about this tie. What is this thing?

[00:08:19]>> Gun that won the Second World War. The N1 Garand.

[00:08:22]>> Ah, it's got a gun and it's got a knife to to make sure that the enem is dead. It's a bayonet. It's got a bayonet to make sure that >> That's the tip.

[00:08:35]>> Yeah, the tip. Oh my goodness. It's still >> still very sharp.

[00:08:39]>> It's still very sharp.

[00:08:42]And different hand grenades. Are these I think for sure they won't explode, right?

[00:08:48]>> I did diffuse thousands of bombs already. Okay.

[00:08:51]>> There's no explosive content on all the bombs.

[00:08:54]>> Okay. So, these are safe.

[00:08:58]Okay.

[00:09:00]Eight rounds. Eight round clips.

[00:09:03]>> That won the Second World War.

[00:09:04]>> Oh, it's an Okay. Okay. It's a guarantee >> that the Japanese copied it.

[00:09:08]>> The Japanese >> Even the British copied it.

[00:09:11]>> Wow.

[00:09:13]And these are the bullets.

[00:09:15]>> That are the bullets for the M1.

[00:09:18]>> So folks, I'm not sure if you could see through the glass, but that is what quite a collection of German caps and helmets. I'm sure some of you will be mad at me for saying this, but in my opinion, the Germans have the coolest looking caps and helmets. We have fashion sense, but I'm not on their side. I'm just saying. Just saying.

[00:09:41]Oh boy, look at this. More silver and Russian nesting dolls and Russian caps and helmets. I don't like them.

[00:09:54]They're kind of ugly.

[00:09:56]A US Navy uniform.

[00:10:00]Why does it feel like it's older than World War II?

[00:10:04]Maybe it's the cap.

[00:10:06]>> I don't know. Well, for some of you who are watching this, if you know, let me know in the comment section.

[00:10:13]>> Oh my goodness. Look at these cantens.

[00:10:16]It makes you wonder who owned them, whose lips touch those cantens while the guys are under fire. For me, it just brings it, you know, brings it home. I have an appreciation for those American troops that are here in Negros uh protecting Filipinos and fighting for our freedom.

[00:10:38]>> So what are these type?

[00:10:41]>> Artillery shells.

[00:10:42]>> Artillery.

[00:10:43]>> The 155 mm. And that's the shrapnel.

[00:10:46]>> Uhhuh.

[00:10:46]>> The 105. And those are the shrapnels of the pl.

[00:10:49]>> Ah, okay.

[00:10:53]Can you just imagine being hit by one of these? You'll be obliterated. You're going to turn into a, you know, into dust.

[00:11:02]>> Wow. Another,000 pound bomb. Can you imagine carrying it here? I wonder how T got it here. And I think this is what he was talking about.

[00:11:14]Uh, the allies uh laying these on a muddy road so that the tanks and vehicles can pass through. And it's like a train track. Um, it's like a makeshift train track because you can just lift it and put it in a different place. It's pretty cool. Look at those those ammos and mortars and cannons and oh my goodness, it's on and on and on and on. You take one of these, put this in, cover your ears, and hope you obliterate your enemy far, far away.

[00:11:49]And there's a machine gun over here.

[00:11:53]And it's still got its bullets, too.

[00:11:55]Wow. It's an aircraft machine gun. This is a gas operated air cooled link belt fed. Full automatic weapon. This machine gun is for fixed wing mounting. Uh left wing of a downed Nakajima Nate fighter.

[00:12:14]Cool.

[00:12:17]And there's this model 92. It's a heavy machine gun. Can you imagine firing one of these? And you know what? I think this is a Japanese um this is a Japanese machine gun. You know why? Because of its design. It's the this part here.

[00:12:35]Looks like a bell.

[00:12:38]I think I read it somewhere from Tatai's museum like the booklet. So, let me just say Oh, yeah. This is Oh, I was right.

[00:12:47]It's a m It's a Japanese machine gun.

[00:12:52]I think Rambo's got nothing compared to this machine gun. I know he used to carry big stuff, you know, big machine guns, but I think this is way cooler than that. And this is a gong.

[00:13:05]Okay, maybe from up in the mountains to say like the war is over.

[00:13:13]Well, Tate Felix, thank you so much for the tour of this amazing museum. I really appreciate your time. And for our viewers out there, do you have something to uh, you know, to say?

[00:13:25]>> We have to remember the past in order not to repeat it.

[00:13:30]>> I totally agree. Again, Tate, thank you so much for your time. Thank you so much. And guys, if you want to visit Katal Museum, it's here in Valencia. And I'm going to put the address and the contact info in the description box.

[00:13:43]That's it for today. I hope you enjoyed this episode because this has been amazing. I'll be back next week with something unexpected. So stay tuned. Bye for now.