The Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) Department of History has opened 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝘂𝘆 𝗢. 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, a special two-day exhibition featuring for the first time ever, rare archival and ethnographic materials connected to one of Mindanao’s most compelling wartime figures. Admission is free to this rare exhibition from April 9-10, 2026 at the Second Floor of the Filipiniana Section of the MSU-IIT University Library.
Visitors can view ethnographic materials such as vintage weapons like kris, bamboo spears, bows and arrows, shields, brassware, and other items from the early 1900s.
However, the real treasure trove are the archival materials including personal correspondence, reports, personal items of notable World War II guerrillas, culture and geographic reports, and photo albums of period photographs from Zamboanga, Agusan, Jolo, and Davao, dating from the early 1900s, journals of the Philippine Constabulary from 1911-1915 & 1921, and Fort’s personal maps of route sketch trails in Central Mindanao dated August, 1912, and sketch of trails from Tucuran to Panguil Bay dated January, 1915.
History
Brig. Gen. Guy O. Fort played a crucial role in the defense of Mindanao during the Second World War and remains a remarkable figure in the region’s historical memory.
Fort was a brigadier general in the Philippine Army under the control of the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). Fort led the 81st Division (Philippines) during the initial Battle of the Philippines and the Japanese invasion of Malabang. After fighting a last-ditch stand, Fort was ordered by his higher command to surrender and be taken prisoner by Japanese forces. His captors demanded Fort help persuade his former soldiers engaged in guerrilla warfare to stop resisting the occupation. Fort refused and was executed by firing squad. Fort is the only American-born general officer to be executed by enemy forces
Background
Fort enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1899. He settled in the Philippines with his first wife, Marguerite Eugine Fort, who died in 1927 but later married again Mary Angeles Adams who died at the start of World War II. His great-granddaughter was the late child actress, singer and model Julie Vega.
Fort served for three years in the 4th U.S. Cavalry in the Philippines before being discharged in 1902. Two years later he was commissioned as a 3rd Lieutenant in the Philippine Constabulary and helped suppress the Moro Rebellion.
Except for a stint as a plantation manager from 1917 to 1922, Fort remained with the constabulary until World War II, advancing to the rank of Colonel. Stationed mainly in Mindanao, Fort was noted for both studying and observing the rituals and customs of the people he served among and for convincing outlaw bands to lay down their arms. In particular, Fort was known among the Americans as an expert on the Moro people. While in the constabulary, he also served briefly as the interim governor of the province of Agusan.
This exhibition brings together documents, photographs, maps, diaries, and artifacts spanning 1904–1942 donated by the stepdaughter of the late James Fort, one of the general’s sons.
Visitors’ Guide
While the event is free, guests are still required to secure free tickets online for campus entry. This is not pre-registration for the event itself, but a requirement to facilitate smooth access to the campus. Secure your free campus entry tickets by registering here or by scanning the QR code on the poster: https://tinyurl.com/GOF-eventbrite
This exhibit is presented by the MSU-IIT Department of History through its Project Pasundayag, the Bangsamoro Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage – Lanao del Sur Office (BCPCH-Lanao del Norte), and Asymmetric MIA Accounting Group, Inc., in collaboration with the Philippine National Historical Society (PNHS) and the Northern Mindanao Heritage Network, and made possible through the generous support of the Office of the University Chancellor. (RMB)
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