Boxcars, wall of valor, war memorials, Bataan Death March markers. These are just some of the reminders of the horrors of war, man’s cruelty to his fellow men and the Philippines wasn’t spared. After World War II, Manila was the second most destroyed city in the world. Araw ng Kagitingan, Day of Valor. It is celebrated every 9 April in the Philippines. Being a holiday, many look forward to going on extended vacation or just stay at home.
But then, Araw ng Kagitingan is not just another holiday. It is a day to commemorate our brave heroes who sacrificed their lives, the ultimate human expression. In the Philippines, war memorials have been erected to remind the living of those who offered there lives during the most cruel of historical atrocities, World War II.
And this will be my way of paying homage to these men and women who are now remembered, their names emblazoned on stone and to the countless masses who are still nameless and unaccounted for.
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