BAGUIO CITY – Filipinos should always be ready to protect the nation’s freedom and peace as the best way to honor the sacrifices of veterans, a lawmaker said on Wednesday.
“Beyond resistance, we owe our veterans something greater, which is action,” House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Raymond Mendoza said in his message delivered by Philippine Veterans Bank First Vice President Miguel Angelo Villareal for the commemoration of the Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) at the Veterans’ Park here on Wednesday.
Mendoza, son of a war veteran and national president of the Sons and Daughters Association, Inc., said the youth have a responsibility to remember and live by the legacy of heroism and bravery of the country’s veterans.
“We not only inherited our dear veterans’ memories and history but also their duty to protect peace. We strive to build a future where such sacrifices are no longer needed,” he said.
On the same occasion, Mayor Benjamin Magalong said the bravery of veterans is not just a story of the past but a living legacy that continues to guide and inspire Filipinos today.
“Sa gitna ng ganitong dilim, kailangan natin ang kagitingan na hindi lamang nasusukat sa laban sa digmaan, hindi eksklusibo sa mga sundalo na humaharap sa bala, sa kanyon. Ang kagitingan ay makikita sa lahat ng tumatayo para sa tama kahit mahirap, delikado, at kahit walang kasiguraduhan (Amid the darkness, we need the valor that is not just measured by fighting in wars. It is not exclusive to soldiers facing bullets and canons, but is present in anybody who stands up for the truth, even if it is difficult, dangerous, and uncertain).”
Magalong said the importance of valor and patriotism remains constant amid varying forms of conflict.
Under Proclamation 466, the Philippine Veterans Week is commemorated from April 5 to 11 every year, with April 9 declared as a regular holiday to commemorate the 1942 Fall of Bataan, when Filipino and American forces surrendered to the Japanese Imperial Army after resisting for months with limited weapons, ammunition, and supplies.**Liza Agoot
