(Photo from DepEd)
To instill their contribution to the country in the minds of the younger generation, DepEd – in cooperation with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) – conducted a virtual symposium on the significance and relevance of the 79th anniversary of Araw ng Kagitingan and Philippine Veterans Week.
In a statement issued Tuesday, April 20, DepEd said that the virtual symposium was hosted by its Region III office and Schools Division Office (SDO) of Bataan and Balanga.
“The annual commemoration aims to preserve and memorialize the principles, ideals, and deeds of our war veterans as a means to promote patriotism and love of country, especially among students,” DepEd said.
Vice President Leni Robredo (Photo by Jansen Romero / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Just like the country’s brave heroes who fought for the freedom decades ago, the vice president urged Filipinos to show the same unity and courage during these trying times.
“Tulad ng Bataan noon, nababalot tayo ng kadiliman ngayon dahil sa pandemya. Marami na sa atin ang nagsakripisyo, ang nagdusa, ang nawalan. Pero paalala rin ang araw na ito: Walang Pilipinong kailangang maging magiting mag-isa. Sama-sama tayo. Tulong-tulong tayo (Like in Bataan before, we are gripped by darkness today due to the pandemic. Many have sacrificed, suffered and lost. But the day reminds us that no Filipino need to be brave alone. Let us stay united. Let’s help each other),” she said in her Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) message Friday, April 9.
In today’s virtual commemoration of the 79th Araw ng Kagitingan, Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko reaffirmed Japan’s strong ties to the Philippines and its effort to nurture a solid partnership.
“Since the war ended, Japan has devoted itself to being a peace-loving nation. Echoing what our prime minister has consistently conveyed, Japan [will] never again repeat the devastation of war,” Kazuhiko emphasized.
“This year marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations as well as the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership between the two nations. We can confidently say that our bilateral relation has never been better. One that President Rodrigo Duterte called the Golden Age of our Strategic Partnership,” he furthered.
SunStar
SunStar File April 09, 2021 THE threat of Covid-19 may have kept many war veterans at home on Araw ng Kagitingan, a national holiday celebrated with wreath laying, but the pandemic did not stop 10 veterans from showing up at Cebu City’s Plaza Independencia to honor those who fought shoulder to shoulder with them during World War II.
The veterans attended a wreath laying ceremony at the Cebu Veterans Memorial marker on Friday, April 9, 2021. The ceremony was organized by the Cultural and Historial Affairs Commission (Chac).
In a message, Mayor Edgardo Labella said while bravery and love of country emanated from the heroes who fought during World War II, such bravery and valor continue even today.
In his message during the virtual commemoration of the 79th Araw ng Kagitingan, Charge d’ Affaires John Law saluted the Filipino and American soldiers who fought and sacrificed during the battle of Bataan and to all those civilians who risked their own safety to comfort and assist them.
Today for reasons we all understand, we’ve gathered virtually in the face of a new type of challenge. But though we are not there in person, we are there in spirit,” Law conveyed.
And even as we face the trials and circumstances created by the pandemic, we still draw strength and inspiration from the experiences and examples of those brave men and women, he furthered.