\Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte led the commemoration of the 82nd Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) at the Veterans Memorial Monument in Davao City on Tuesday.
The mayor emphasized that this year’s observance must be used to instill the virtues of nationalism and patriotism in the younger generation.
“Let us save a future worthy of the sacrifices made by the Filipino heroes of World War II,” the mayor said in his message.
He urged the public to remember today the sacrifices of the fallen heroes and war veterans who displayed great valor and patriotism throughout the second World War.
“Ngayong Araw ng Kagitingan, parangalan natin ang ating mga beterano. Let us honor and thank them for it is upon their sacrifices that we can enjoy our freedom today. Let their courage, their stories, and the lives that they lived be the foundation upon which we hold our independence, our constitution, and our right to create a better future today. We may no longer be enslaved by the shackles of foreign invaders but we are all still in the battle against apathy, indifference, and forgetfulness,” Duterte said.
The mayor cited the fall of the Bataan Peninsula 82 years ago and the Bataan Death March, which was the forcible transfer by the Imperial Japanese Army of 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war (POW).
“So more than 16,000 succumb to the exhaustion, starvation, and abuse. Bataan may be miles away from us here in Mindanao but the significance of the various battles of World War II and the horrors that they experienced must remain in our collective consciousness,” Duterte said.
The ceremony was attended by the the officials and employees of the city government of Davao, military, police personnel, war veterans, and their families.
This year’s commemoration carries the theme “Pagpaparangal sa Kagitingan ng mga Beterano: Saligan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino.”
Meanwhile, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte is one with fellow Filipino people in paying tribute to the veterans for their unforgivable sacrifice for the freedom that Filipinos enjoy today.
“Sila ay natatanging halimbawa ng tapang at pagmamahal sa bayan. Ang kanilang hangarin na ipagtanggol ang dangal at integridad ng ating bansa sa panahon ng digmaan ay inspirasyon na dapat nating tularan at alagaan. Kaya’t patuloy nating isapuso at tutukan ang mga aral ng ating kasaysayan,” she said.
She said the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education aims to teach and make every Filipino youth understand the value of history and the heroes who risked their lives.
