Elpidio Quirino and the "White Russians".

       President Elpidio Quirino helped save the lives of almost 6,000 “White Russians.”

     President Elpidio Quirino (left) and photos showing Russian children (upper right) and a Russian wedding (lower right) in the refugee camp in Tubahao, Eastern Samar. Sources: “Tubabao Island 1948-1951: The last refuge of the Russian Far East emigration”.

     If President Quezon was the savior of the Holocaust Jews, President Quirino should be the unsung hero of “White Russians.” In 1948, China was on the brink of a total invasion by the Communists led by Mao-Tse-Tung. For this reason, Russian emigrants living in Peking, Hankow, Tiensin, and other nearby cities in northern China were forced to evacuate to

Shanghai. However, they were aware that the Communist army would eventually take over the rest of China, so they had to move somewhere else or they would end up dying in Russian labor camps.

        This is when the International Refugee Organization (IRO) came to the rescue. They knew the danger that might ensue so they asked help from other countries to provide temporary shelter for the “White Russians.”

        These “White Russians” were named after the color of the tsarist court and the Russian soldiers’ uniforms. If you can recall your world history, the “White Russians” were opposed to the Communist regime (i.e. the “Red Russians”) who went against the Tsar during the 1917 Bolshevic revolution. The conflict resulted to a civil war, forcing the White Russians to transfer to other countries including China.

        Going back to IRO, no country had responded to their plea for fear of China. They were about to lose hope when the Philippines under President Elpidio Quirino agreed to convert the small island of Tubahao in Eastern Samar as a Russian refugee camp. In 1949, about 5, 000 to 6, 000 White Russians finally arrived in the country and settled in Tubahao for about 27 months.

        The Russian Refugee Camp was divided into 14 districts and the White Russians who stayed there had their own hospital, electricity, churches, as well as a cemetery. After more than 2 years in the island, most of the refugees were eventually admitted in other countries like France, Australia, and the United States. To honor Quirino’s kind act, a Russian sculptor made a bronze artwork featuring the late Philippine president being blessed by St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco. It was unveiled in 2011 at the lobby of the Philippine Trade Training Center in Pasay City.

Reference:

http://www.filipiknow.net/philippine-history-facts/