The country’s Official Gazette states that Executive Order 203 issued in 1987 declared every 9th of April as “Araw ng Kagitingan.” Proclamation 466, series of 1989, on the other hand, designated 5 to 11 April of each year as Philippine Veterans Week.
Both celebrations had been utilized by the government to honor the many heroes the country had during World War 2 when the Japanese occupied the Philippines from 1942 to 1945. The date commemorates the Fall of Bataan on 9 April 1942.
The EO and the proclamation sought to “promote, preserve and memorialize the principles, ideals, and deeds of the Filipino war veteran as a means to enhance patriotism and love of country, especially among the youth of the land.”
Still, “Araw ng Kagitingan” and Philippine Veterans Week are not exclusive to those who fought and died or who lived through the horrors of WW2, acknowledged as the deadliest military conflict so far with 70 to 85 million people dead, representing about 3 percent of the world’s 2.3 billion population at the time.
The measures were intended to recognize and remember all Filipinos who rendered military service in defending the country both in times of war and peace.
“This is to gratefully acknowledge their contributions in preserving our sovereignty and defending our national security,” the OG said.
This year, “Araw ng Kagitingan” coincided and fell under the shadow of Easter Sunday during which Christians, especially Catholics, celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to underpin God’s promise of eternal life to all people.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed a resolution that declared today, 10 April, a nationwide holiday in view of the Day of Valor. The move was most welcome as it gives Filipinos who spent the Holy Week in the provinces an extra day to go back to their jobs or schools or residences in the cities.
For Marcos, Filipinos can show the valor and heroism of their forebears not just during times of war, but also in peaceful but trying times that call for resolve and an “indomitable spirit.” In a way, the President lent his Day of Valor message to the nation with a touch of Easter joy by urging Filipinos to honor the lives of heroes by showing kindness to one another.
Against challenges that would have buckled those made of weaker stuff, Marcos said that the country has “stood tall and proud, guided by the principles of justice, truth and democracy.”
“As the legacy of our heroes and heroines came at a great and hefty cost, may we also re-examine our values and honor their lives by speaking up against discrimination, extending help to those in need, and working towards a better future,” he said, adding that the country’s future rests on what the present generation of Filipinos would work hard for.
Mr. Marcos said to move forward, present-day Filipinos must make “wise and sound decisions” toward developing a “more humane, fair and progressive society that allows our citizenry to relish liberty and achieve their individual and collective aspirations.”
Conspicuous about the President’s “Araw ng Kagitingan” message is that it did not touch on the ever-worsening threat being posed by China in the Indo-Pacific region with its present conduct of military exercises in the Taiwan Strait.
This is not an ordinary military exercise by Beijing as it has always considered Taiwan a part of its territory which Chinese its President Xi Jinping said they would take back, “using military force if necessary.”
The Philippines itself has been at the receiving end of what is being seen as China’s expansionist moves, with our Coast Guard and Navy patrols being harassed and bullied in the West Philippine Sea, parts of which had been acknowledged by a 2016 arbitral ruling as our exclusive economic zone.
But valor does not equate to having the predisposition to go to war at the slightest provocation, thus the President’s “Araw ng Kagitingan” message can be described as being in line with what world leaders should be guided with having — calm resolve and an openness to talk to resolve conflicts instead of resorting to arms like the brutes of yesteryears and warmongers of today like that madman of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin.