The noble heroism of Filipino and American soldiers after the enslaving Japanese troops had triumphantly occupied the Philippine soil, is being commemorated every 9th day of April each year. Historically, it is otherwise known as the “Araw Ng Kagitingan”. In retrospect, a dynamic and courageous general in the person of Edward King, an American Major General was forced to bitterly abdicate an approximate of 76,000 soldiers from three sovereign countries namely, America, China and the Philippines on the glorious dawn of April in 1942. As a result, these gallant defenders of the State were reluctantly compelled to do a 90-mile march from Camp O’Donnell in San Fernando, Pampanga to the province of Bataan. Unfortunately, their weak and tired bodies were not able to withstand the heat that they had to bear in order to fight for their beloved Philippines. In fact, thousands of these freedom fighters had succumbed due to dehydration and gastrointestinal ailments brought about by extreme starvation.
- Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom – President Benigno Aquino III, assisted by U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines His Excellency Harry Thomas, Jr. and Japan Ambassador to the Philippines His Excellency Toshinao Urabe, offers a wreath in front of the stained glass mural at the Colonnade during the 71st Commemoration of the “Araw ng Kagitingan” (Day of Valor) at the Dambana ng Kagitingan, Mt. Samat Shrine in Pilar, Bataan April 9, 2013. (Photo by Gil Nartea, Malacañang Photo Bureau)
Meanwhile, some of those soldiers who were caught in the most nostalgic and tragic event in the history of the Philippines were able to victoriously survive the most inhumane test of character and strength. The historic Fall of Bataan was a precursor to another fateful eventuality which was the unexpected abatement of Corregidor. However, based on the critical analysis of Filipino historians this was one of the best political and tactical maneuverings of the Philippines and the United States of America to protect the Philippine territory from thrashing all the significant American bases in the whole region of the Pacific. In essence, the pitfall of Bataan paved the way for the warring forces to take it slow. Thus, it gave their respective collaborators the once in a lifetime to think of the best strategies for the sake of winning.
In addition, the endless saga of conflict which sparked other historical battles such as the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Midway Battle were the untainted and solid proofs that the Filipinos never held back their long lost freedom and honor, no matter what it takes. Therefore, the Filipino and American comrades had recovered the helpless beauty of Bataan on the 8th day of February, 1945.
Heroism and valor are tantamount to every ounce of blood of every Filipino who dearly knows the real meaning of FREEDOM AND NATIONALISM. The Day of Valor in the lives of the Filipinos connotes the supremacy of the Philippines in the battlefields, which lovingly witnessed and preserved the nobility of the country in the name of liberty. Currently, the Araw Ng Kagitingan is being relived in the most special ways by today’s modern day heroes who never failed to show their inherent courageousness in times of calamities and political uncertainties.
