Kagitingan

"Kagitingan" is not just courage in battle. It also includes courage and a willingness to sacrifice even one's own life to succeed in national aspirations.

Every Araw ng Kagitingan, April 9, we commemorate the Fall of Bataan. This is the day of the year 1942 when, against the order of Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Jonathan Wainwright, surrendered by Maj. Gen. Edward P. King Jr. to the Japanese invaders the peninsula province on the edge of Manila Bay. More than 76,000 United States Armed Forces in the Far East personnel - 63,000 Filipinos, 1,000 Chinese, and 12,000 Americans - were captured. They were robbed of personal equipment, and forced to walk 140 km on the Death March to Camp O-Donnell, Tarlac. Thousands died of fatigue, hunger, heat, wounds, disease, and unreasonable bayonet. Only about 54,000 made it to the concentration camp. And many more died there from the disease.

Why celebrate a defeat as “bravery”? Because, the meaning of the Fall of Bataan is not a collapse, but a temporary failure. Although the USAFFE-Luzon was destroyed, many captives fled to continue the struggle for independence. They established guerrilla units in Luzon or joined groups in Visayas and Mindanao. They inspired Filipino civilians to join the fight until they won in 1945.

It was not only the strikers against the Japanese who were brave. They were preceded by the Filipinos who rebelled against the Spaniards in 1896-1898, and the Americans in 1899-1902. They were followed by those who fought against the Marcos dictatorship in 1972-1986. And they will be followed in case anyone tries to enslave the Philippines.

The Battle in Bataan was the strongest fight, and the defense in our Country persisted at the Japanese who almost broke into the defense because of their continuous assaults. Our Battle was worth mentioning, and one's sacrifices shall be paid with even more. It will never be forgotten; the same hardships and odds shall be made fresh in mind again to be told to New Generations and so on.

Citations:

https://slsu.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/arawngkagitingan.png

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Philippine_Islands_Jap_tanks_full.gif

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bataan_Day

https://philippineculturaleducation.com.ph/araw-ng-kagitingan/

https://www.philstar.com/opinyon/2012/04/09/794818/araw-ng-kagitingan-kabuluhan-sa-atin

https://ph.asiatatler.com/life/heres-everything-that-happened-on-araw-ng-kagitingan