\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.

An official of Police Regional Office 11 (PRO 11) confirmed to Edge Davao that officials from the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (OSSA) have arrived in Davao City on Monday.

PRO 11 spokesperson Major Catherine Dela Rey said the officials are director III Manny Parlade and director II Gil Valdez.

She said the purpose of their visit is to serve the upper chamber’s arrest order against Kingdom Of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Pastor Apollo Quiboloy in the following days.

The OSSA officials also hold a coordination meeting attended by National Bureau of Investigation-Davao director Arcelito Albao; PRO 11 director Brigadier General Alden Delvo; Brigadier General Ramil R. Montilla, Executive Office of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Area Police Command – Eastern Mindanao; Major Florencio Tayo III of Task Force Davao; and Captain Bartolome Embisan III of 1003rd Infantry Brigade.

Meanwhile, Albao vowed they would continue the manhunt against Quiboloy until they arrest him.

On the other hand, Quiboloy recently affirmed in an audio recording released on Saturday that he is not hiding and is willing to face the charges if his conditions are followed.

Quiboloy cited conditions for him to appear and face the charges. He wanted a guarantee that the American authorities would not interfere with his case in the Philippines; a guarantee that the Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the US embassy would not interfere; a guarantee from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla, Philippine National Police (PNP) head General Rommel Marbil, the NBI, and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

He also emphasized the guarantee that there will be no extraordinary rendition.

He also underscored that these guarantees should be in written form.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Joji Ilagan-Bian, chairperson of Joji Ilagan International Schools, and Anthony Sales, regional director of the Department of Science and Technology 11 (DOST 11), on Monday ushered in the commitment of both parties to bolster the Halal industry in the Davao Region.

The MOU signing, which was held at the ICHEF Restaurant in Davao City, was witnessed by Nicole Hao Bian-Ledesma, chief operating officer of Joji Ilagan International Schools, and Mirasol Domingo, provincial director/assistant regional director of the technical support services division of DOST 11.

DOST is implementing the DOST Halal S and T Program in support of the national goal of the Halal program in recognizing the significant role of exports in the national economic development, while JIIS owns the Institute of International Culinary and Hospitality Entrepreneurship (ICHEF), which has a certified Halal kitchen that provides an opportunity for entrepreneurs to engage in Halal business.

Among the goals of the partnership include providing Halal-compliant tourism-related products and services to meet customer delight; developing and implementing Halal-compliant and effective systems, processes, and protocols in support of the Halal tourism industry; and developing and enhancing human resources on Halal science, technology, and innovation for the Halal tourism industry.

The parties aim to carry out scientific and technological cooperation through joint research and development, conduct joint training and specialized training courses, and promotion of collaboration.

The parties will also execute modes of cooperation in the fields of Halal research and development, human resource development, Halal standards, and Halal verification and testing.

Sales reiterated the commitment of DOST being the program leader of the system-wide DOST Halal S and T program.

“Science Technology and Innovation (STI) initiatives are aligned to make Philippine Halal products more competitive through research and development, quality assurance measures, value-adding mechanisms, and human resource development,” Sales said.

“We reaffirmed our commitment in our advocacy to also contribute to making Mindanao a Halal center or a Halal hub for the Philippines,” Ledesma said.

Bian said Halal is a big contributor not only to economic development but also to regional development and countryside development providing opportunities to micro, small, or even large companies.

“I want JIB to be very active in Halal. Since we are very strong in academe already and very strong on educational partnerships I said why not put up a Halal kitchen? It was hard at the start because there were many challenges that we needed to hurdle plus the Covid. But finally, we were able to do it,” she said.

In 2022, ICHEF achieved significant milestones by obtaining certificates for “Catering” from PRIME Certification and Inspection Asia Pacific Inc.

These certifications ensure compliance with Halal standards, the International Code of Practice-General of Food Hygiene, and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) standards.