Their Bravery and Heroism

-


The Fall of Bataan is now remembered as a tragic story. However, unlike The Shining or American Psycho, this is not a story based on a novel. It is a tragedy that will live on in the collective memory of our history. The Araw ng Kagitingan, or Day of Valour, honors Filipino and American soldiers who fought Japanese forces during World War II. The ability or right to act, talk, or think as one wishes without hindrance or restriction, freedom. It has the ability to keep us alive in the life we most want. It represents a new vision of not giving up and continuing to pursue the dream of sustainability and optimism.
Many Filipinos laid down their lives for the liberation of our nation and its people, seventy-nine years ago. The country has seen a tragic loss of many lives, widespread property damage, a pause in economic development, and a conflict that has robbed children of the opportunity to grow up in a peaceful environment. They bravely faced danger and fear in the name of allowing us to openly display our national identity, our beloved country's flag. They had to overcome immense obstacles and suffer hunger and thirst. Following the collapse of Bataan, they marched for several hundred kilometers. Our veterans who wanted to get away from the colonization's suffering. They are the ones whose sole goal is to gain equality for themselves. They are the ones whose sole desire is for our homeland, the land of promises, the Philippines, to be free.

Veterans of the Second World War march in several cities around the Philippines every year on April 9th. The main event takes place in Bataan at the Mt. Samat Shrine, which honors the bravery and devotion of Filipino and American troops during WWII. The Day of Valor was a national holiday until November 26, 1980, when a Letter of Instruction No. 1087 declared “Araw ng Kagitingan” a national public holiday to commemorate those who helped bring democracy and independence to the Philippines during WWII. On June 30, 1987, Executive Order No. 203 was issued, designating April 9 as “Araw Ng Kagitingan” in honor of the heroes of the Philippine Revolution.

We honored our brave heroes battling the pandemic during this year's "Araw ng Kagitingan" celebration. Our "bagong mga bayani," our "frontliners." They are sacrificing their lives in the same way that our great grandparents did many years ago for our country and us, its citizens. They are the ones who stood in front of our existing venture with their head elevated and arms crossed, promising that we will prosper all together.

Image retrieved at https://thestrategybridge.org/the-bridge/2018/4/10/the-battle-of-bataan-and-the-bataan-death-march?format=amp

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Viva Vigan Binatbatan Festival of the Arts

-
Image
Viva Vigan Binatbatan Festival of the Arts celebrated from the last week of April to the first week of May was originally the Feast of the Natives that began on May 3, 1883, according to the writings of Damaso King, a well-known Vigan historian. This is the third festival of this city that we celebrate every year, the first is the Vigan Cityhood anniversary featuring the Longganisa Festival on January 22, and the Vigan City fiesta on January 25 in honor of the city’s patron saint, Saint Paul the Apostle. Last last years without the invisible enemy of us which is the pandemic, they usually celebrate Binatbatan Festival in culminating the Binatbatan street dancing, which started in front of the Vigan Cathedral, and ended along Crisologo Street, where old houses were festooned with abel iloco decor for the house decorating contest. The term binatbatan refers to the first step of the weaving process, wherein the cotton balls are separated from the seeds by beating them with the use of two...
Read more

Earthquake: Devising an inexorable

-
Image
 Seismic and volcanic tremors are commonly encountered in the Philippines since it lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is a region where a significant number of earthquakes occur in the Pacific Ocean basin. A number of earthquakes in recent months, for example, have shaken parts of the world. While no significant damage or loss of life has been reported, these incidents could mean that the big one is likely to come as the major Philippine fault lines have been disrupted. As our nation is located in the most dangerous area of the Pacific region where virtually all kinds of disasters occur and originate. One global tragedy has the power to wash away thousands and millions of lives. Earthquakes are land movements caused by a sudden slip on a fault, and calamities such as earthquakes are one of the most dangerous threats to mankind. It is dangerous enough that thousands of infrastructures can be destroyed and loads of people can be killed, particularly by severe earthquakes. It ...
Read more