The Pacific War started on 08 December 1941 with the Japanese Imperial Forces and the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). On January 1, 1942, major units of the United States Army Forces in the Philippines retreated to Bataan and Corregidor for a “last ditch stand” against invading Japanese, until assistance from the United States (which never came) shall arrive.
Meanwhile, the Fall of Bataan became inevitable because of continuous Japanese onslaughts. Twenty-seven days later, the citadel of Corregidor fell on May 6, 1942.
Three years of Japanese occupation ensued, during which, the Filipino-American forces gathered strength. The momentum of their combined effort culminated in the American Landings at Leyte on Oct. 20, 1944 and their subsequent return to Luzon on January 9, 1945.
Although most of the Philippine territories were already “liberated," many battles had yet to be fought in view of the tough resistance to the enemy. With the presence of General Tomoyuki Yamashita’s Shobu Army Group in Northern Luzon, the Battle of Bessang Pass became inevitable. The Pass, a key terrain, was the gateway to the Japanese Redoubt in the Mountain Province. On June 14, 1945, Bessang Pass was finally recovered by the Filipino forces, the USAFIP-NL.
As expected, these three epics in the fight for freedom and justice were immortalized in the memories of the Filipino people, immediately after the defeat of the enemy in Northern Luzon on Sept. 2, 1945. Many of those who participated in the epic battle began to work in commemorating the valor of those who participated in the last stand of Bataan, Corregifor and the Victory at Bessang Pass.
On April 9, 1946, the Fall of Bataan was commemorated in simple but meaningful rites, the Fall of Corregidor followed shortly on May 6, 1946. Eventually, the celebration of Bessang Pass Day on June 14, 1946 was capped by the putting up of a marker on the spot where victory was attained.
After thirty years of commemorating these three important historical events, it was decided to celebrate the events at Bataan, Corregidor and Bessang Pass into one memorable day. This led to the issuance of Letter of Instruction No. 1087 dated Nov. 26, 1980, displacing April 9 and every year thereafter, set as “Araw ng Kagitingan” honoring those who sacrificed for the defense of democracy and freedom. Executive Order No. 203 dated June 30, 1987, proclaimed April 9 of every year as “Araw Ng Kagitingan.”
In 1989, Pres. Corazon Aquino issued Proclamation No. 466 declaring the period from April 5 to April 11 of every year as Philippine Veterans Week with the view to promote, preserve, and memorialize the principles, ideals and deeds of the Filipino war veterans as a means to enhance patriotism and love of country, especially among the youth.
Subject: The 'Araw ng Kagitingan' commemoration 
Mon Apr 06, 2009 1:03 pm
