Filipinos killed fighting Japanese ‘could not give up their dignity’ – Romualdez
The Death March
MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos should emulate the values shown by heroes who continued to fight foreign powers despite adversity so that they would not give up their dignity.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Day of Valor (Araw ng Kagitingan), House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez urged Filipinos to reflect on the sacrifices made by heroes eight decades ago, when Filipinos resisted Japanese occupation during the Second World War, even if the odds were stacked against them.
“Eighty-three years ago in Bataan, thousands of Filipinos stood their ground,” he said.
“They were tired. They were hungry. They were outnumbered. But they kept on fighting—not because they knew they’d win, but because they couldn’t give up their dignity as Filipinos,” he noted.
“Today, we remember more than just a battle. We remember the young lives lost too soon. The families who waited for loved ones who never came home. The quiet acts of courage that never made the headlines,” the speaker emphasized.
“Their bravery wasn’t loud—but it was firm, unshakable and true,” he said.
During the Pacific stage of the Second World War, the Philippines, which was under American rule, was dragged into the war against Japan.
As the Japanese Imperial Army invaded Luzon, the joint forces of Filipino and American soldiers were consolidated by General Douglas MacArthur in Bataan to make a last stand.
Bataan eventually fell exactly 83 years ago on April 9, 1942.
What followed was Japanese soldiers forcing over 70,000 Filipino and American prisoners of war (POWs) to make an excruciating trip on foot from Mariveles, Bataan, to San Fernando, Pampanga.
This came to be known as the Death March.
Thousands of POWs died from starvation, dehydration, disease, and execution along the way, with only about 54,000 of the 76,000 prisoners reaching the destination.
The day was originally known as Bataan Day or Corregidor Day.
The event was officially recognized through Republic Act No. 3022 in 1961 as Araw ng Kagitingan.
READ: April 9 declared regular holiday for Araw ng Kagitingan
The highlight of today’s commemoration is a ceremony at the Mount Samat National Shrine in Pilar, Bataan, where President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will lead the rites.
The event includes a wreath-laying at the Dambana ng Kagitingan and a keynote address reaffirming the government’s commitment to the welfare of the veterans.
