By: Doris C. Bongcac - Editor/CDN Digital | March 07,2020 - 10:21 AM

CEBU CITY, Philippines – After a 10-day operation, the municipality of Medellin in northern Cebu finally extracted this morning, March 7, 2020, the remains of a World War II tank that was buried in mud in its Dagusungan River.

The retrieval operation was initiated by the 53rd Engineering Brigade of the Philippine Army under the leadership of Captain Czar Guitering, says a Facebook post by the Municipality of Medellin past 9 a.m. today, March 7, 2020.

Army personnel “worked through the wee hours of the morning into midnight, taking advantage when the tide was at its lowest,” the post said.

Read: Medellin vintage tank: Extraction to prove town’s World War II stories

The US-owned tank was crossing the Dagusungan bridge during WWII when it was bombarded by Japanese troops causing this to fall into the water.

Over time, the tank was slowly covered in mud.

The tank’s turret was already recovered years back and is now on display at the Bogo-Medellin Milling Company, Inc. (Bomedco) plaza.

Mayor Benjun Mondigo wanted to recover the army tank for use in their town’s cultural and heritage program.

Read: Medellin officials search for WWII army tank ‘submerged’ on Dagusungan River

Mondigo, Councilor Titing Yurag and Tourism Consultant Bambi Pacquiao supervised the 10-day operation with the support by the Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP) and the Medellin Police Station.

Others who joined the retrieval operation include the BPAT, municipal motorpool and engineering offices and the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office.