The 4th Infantry Division (4ID) of the Philippine Army has renamed its Division Multi-Purpose Building inside Camp Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro City into Jose Manuel Corrales Montalvan Hall to honor its first Camp Commander who is considered a war hero after serving with the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) in Mindanao against the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. The new Building Marker was unveiled during a ceremony last June 19, 2023.
4ID Commander Maj. Gen. Jose Maria R. Cuerpo II led the said activity together with the other 4ID Officers, Enlisted Personnel, and Civilian Human Resources, as well as the immediate family of the late Maj. Montalvan. Maj. Gen. Cuerpo II said the inauguration of the Montalvan Hall recognizes the contribution and honors the sacrifices of the late Maj. Montalvan to the country being a war veteran.
Then First Lieutenant Montalvan was assigned as a cadre commander of the 2nd Misamis Oriental (Machine Gun) Cadre at Camp Bulua throughout 1939. He would then become the first camp commander and mobilization officer in the same camp now renamed as Camp Edilberto Evangelista from January 1, 1940, until the onset of World War II.
all photos by 4ID, PA
