Countless Filipinos sacrificed their lives for our freedom and for our homeland to remain standing. The Battle of Bataan is one of the many wars our country has faced, it only showed the bravery and heroism in our blood. To pay tribute to the Filipinos and Americans who fought in Bataan in defense of freedom and democracy, April 9 is declared as the Day of Valor or Araw ng Kagitingan which the people of Bataan consider as Bataan Day.

 

The Day of Valour, also known as the Araw ng Kagitingan, commemorates the Filipino and American soldiers who stood up against Japanese forces during World War II. The soldiers were forced to endure the 140-kilometer Bataan Death March to Camp O'Donnell in Capas, Tarlac.

Major General Edward P. King, of the United States Army, was forced to surrender more than 76,000 Filipinos, Chinese and American soldiers to the Japanese at dawn on April 9, 1942. The soldiers were forced to take a 90-mile hike to Camp O’Donnell in San Fernando. Thousands of prisoners died during the hike also known as the Bataan Death March due to starvation, dehydration, and diseases before they could reach the camp. Due to Bataan's significance in World War II, the holiday was officially known as Bataan Day before the 2000s  And now The Fall of Bataan remains a devastating tale a tragedy engraved in the dark pages of our history.