President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday honored the Filipino World War II heroes and asked the public to have faith and look to the future with confidence, as they face everyday challenges.
He also held out the promise of a stronger pension system for war veterans.
Speaking during the commemoration of the 81st Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) at the Mt. Samat National Shrine in Pilar, Bataan, President Marcos said that the Filipino nobility of spirit was once again demonstrated in the last worldwide crisis, where the nation’s men and women rose to the challenge of facing an unseen enemy – a new global challenge.
“Once again, Filipinos showed the world our purity of spirit and of compassion by willingly putting themselves in peril in the service of others,” the President said.
“So have faith. We can look to the future with confidence, guided with the knowledge that the most noble Filipino quality of heroism is aflame and burns brightly in every true Filipino,” Mr. Marcos said.
President Marcos expressed his gratitude to Filipino heroes “who fought and bled and died” in Bataan, saying they have shown the way how to make the best citizens of the republic.
That heroism, Mr. Marcos said, can be seen in Filipino war veterans who have passed on the shining legacy and treasure as well as in the eyes of every child who looks to the future with hope and eager anticipation.
As Filipinos toil and sacrifice to feed their families, help their communities and serve their country, the President called on the nation to celebrate these deeds that uphold the spirit of patriotism.
“We celebrate all the individual acts of valor and of sacrifice. We celebrate the Filipino spirit. We celebrate our countrymen’s deep, abiding love of every Filipino: love for our land, love for our people, and love for our freedom,” the President said.
“We have been called upon to stay true to that tradition, that tradition that Filipinos have demonstrated throughout our history. And so, it is today that the spirit of heroism is once again asked of us by our country,” the President said.
The President said these may not be grand acts displayed on the battlefield, but in the everyday challenges that Filipinos must face to defend themselves, the people, and the country.
Aside from the Day of Valor, the country also celebrates Philippine Veterans Week from April 5 to 11 every year to promote, preserve and memorialize the principles, ideals, and deeds of the war veterans as a means to enhance patriotism and love of country, especially among the Filipino youth.
In remarks to reporters, Marcos also said the government is seeking possible ways to strengthen the pension system for Filipino war veterans.
“What we are looking for is how we can strengthen the system of pension distribution for our veterans, because as of this moment, if we do not fix the system, it will not last long,” Marcos said.
“These problems will spring up, that is why what we are doing is to make sure that there is a system, so that our veterans can receive the right amount of pension.” he added.
“If we fix the pension system, then we can look at other benefits we can give our World War II veterans,” he added.
In his earlier message, the President encouraged the public to honor Filipino heroes by speaking up against discrimination and making decisions that would address the country’s problems with compassion.
The Day of Valor commemorates and honors the thousands of Filipinos who dedicated their lives to free the country during World War II.
Historian Dr. Ricardo Jose said Filipino military reservists and ordinary individuals such as farmers, students, office workers and non-professional armies fought against veteran and superior Japanese troops during this darkest period of the Philippines.
The province of Bataan became a symbol of hope and courage during the Second World War due to the unwavering determination of the Filipino and American troops to defend the province from the Japanese invaders.
Therefore, it was a painful defeat for Filipinos when it fell to the superior Japanese forces on April 9, 1942.
After the official surrender of Bataan to the Imperial Japanese Army, thousands of Filipino and American troops were forced to march from Mariveles, Bataan to Camp O’Donnell in Capas, Tarlac which was famously called the “Bataan Death March.” Hundreds of Filipino and American soldiers died enroute to the military concentration camp.
Also on Monday, Bataan Gov. Joet Garcia expressed his gratitude to World War II veterans.
Bataan 2nd District Rep. Abet Garcia echoed the governor’s sentiment and vowed to push programs for the veterans.
Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla expressed hopes that the Filipino people will continuously be inspired by the heroism and sacrifices made by those who fought and died during World War II.
“Though it happened many years ago, their valor should… continue to serve as an inspiration in showing love for our country,” he said. With Vito Barcelo, Butch Gunio and Rey Requejo