Philippines Marks 65th Anniversary of Fall of Bataan

by jayr_patron | April 9, 2008 at 03:03 am | 649 views | 4 comments

The Philippines commemorates today the 65th anniversary of the fall of Bataan in World War II, contemporarily known as Araw ng Kagitingan or "Day of Valor".

Today marks the 65th anniversary of the fall of Bataan. David McCullough, in his prize-winning biography of Harry Truman, describes the surrender of some 75,000 Filipino and American troops on Bataan as "the largest surrender of an American fighting force since Appomattox." (Appomattox, a small village in Virginia, was the scene of Gen. Robert E. Lee's surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in 1865, bringing the US Civil War to an end. Lee's surrender involved some 28,231 men of the Confederate army. After laying down their arms, they were allowed to go home.)

Last Saturday, I drove up to the province of Bataan, a three-hour journey from the nation's capital Manila, to spend the three-day weekend. Part of the agenda was to bring a couple of friends to some of the province's tourist destinations.

First stop of our journey was Mt. Samat, site of the Shrine of Valor (Bandana ng Kagitingan) which was built at the time of former President Marcos. It was founded to commemorate the Filipino and American forces who fought the Japanese during the second World War.

At the summit is a 90-meter cross which houses an elevator leading to the arms. From here is a breathtaking 360-degree view of the province of Bataan and Pampanga, Manila bay, and towards the south east horizon, the skyscrapers of Metro Manila.

To our surprise, the huge door leading to the lone elevator was padlocked. Even more disappointing was that the other establishments including the collonade was closed to public--all except the museum which has on display World War II relics like guns, ammunitions, 1940s-era peso and dollar bills, uniforms, etc.

We asked why there were restricted places--and found out that the whole site was being spruced up for the commencement of events for Bataan Day. This explained the unusual number of workers there that day.

Then it hit me. I almost forgot why that shrine was built in the first place. I almost forgot why there was so much to look up to that would otherwise be culturally devastating if we we disregarded the past. I almost forgot my history.

For years, Filipino war veterans and their families have been fighting for just compensation from the government, and finally, the first step has been taken...if it's enough and not all too late.

President Arroyo is expected to sign into law today a bill increasing the pension received by war veterans who are at least 65 years old.

The still unnumbered Republic Act would increase the monthly old-age pension received by the veterans or their surviving spouse from P500 to P5,000 through an amendment of Section 10 of RA 6948.

The signing will be timed to coincide with the nation’s commemoration of Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor when tribute is given to the men and women who risked or gave up their lives defending the country.

At the same time, Arroyo announced the formation of a joint executive-legislative team that would go to the US this month to lobby for the passage of the Filipino veterans bill before the US Congress.

The Filipino veterans bill purports that Filipino World War II veterans get the same benefits as their US counterparts, on the premise that they fought under the USAFFE (United States Armed Forces in the Far East).

Other related readings that you may be interested in include:

Bataan Death March

Raid at Cabanatuan

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Dave Keating

at 03:43 on April 9th, 2008

good stuff:

jayr_patron, I like this story. It's good stuff.

jayr_patron

at 03:46 on April 9th, 2008

Thanks Dave!

jordan

at 10:29 on April 9th, 2008

good stuff:

jayr_patron, I like this story. It's good stuff.

PEP

at 11:30 on April 9th, 2008

The fall was then followed by the Bataan Death March, and the Japenese military's routine atrocities in prison camps not only towards soldiers, but also towards women and children civilians rounded up and imprisoned. Plus the atrocities toward the villages and countryside and their peoples.