THE VIEW FROM RIZAL
Tomorrow, the 9th of April, the nation will celebrate “Araw ng Kagitingan.”
The root word of “Kagitingan” is “giting,” and is translated in English as “bravery, valor, courage, or heroism.” By way of review, the date officially became the nationwide celebration of the Day of Valor in 1987, when the late President Cory Aquino signed Executive Order 203, changing the celebration's erstwhile label from “Bataan Day.”
While this may not be a loudly celebrated day, it is as relevant as ever. After all, our individual and shared “Kagitingan” matters today, especially as the world faces hard times and an uncertain future brought about by recent developments on the global stage.
We recall that the holiday's previous name contained a controversial reference to the historic “Fall of Bataan.” When it was still referred to by that name, a growing number of Filipinos of the post-war era started asking this question:
“Why do we, Filipinos, celebrate a ‘Fall’?”
Several years ago, I recall asking our elders in Rizal province about the former reference to the April 9 celebration. They offered a profound insight. They said that what was then referred to as the “Fall of Bataan” was actually a “win moment,” a “glorious occasion,” and a time to celebrate the “uncommon valor” of the Filipino soldier and of every Filipino.
Once again, let me share their perspective.
According to them, what Filipinos did in the events leading up to that infamous “Fall” was important to the peace-loving world.
They told us that Bataan – that peninsula west of Metro Manila – was the designated site of a “last stand” against invading forces. They said that at that point in the Second World War, the Philippines was the last country in the Far East left standing. The military forces made up of Filipinos and Americans were to give their all in a bid to delay the total victory of the invaders.
They were able to do so with just a meager supply of ammunition, little food, and water. They had to rely on pure courage and on the promise of an American general that he “shall return.”
The gallant stand in Bataan made by what was then known as the USAFFE (United States Armed Forces in the Far East) resulted in the deaths of thousands and the eventual surrender of some 80,000 wounded, sick, famished Filipinos soldiers who eventually joined the equally infamous “Death March” from Mariveles, Bataan to San Fernando, Pampanga.
Historians say that by holding off the enemy for three months, the 120,000 Filipino and American troops significantly delayed the enemy's advance. This was the last part of the region still resisting. By doing so, they diminished the adversary’s capability to approach and attack the almost indefensible northern coast of Australia.
Yes. The Fall of Bataan prevented the Fall of Australia and a total defeat of the Allied forces.
Our elders also point out that the defense of Bataan was a showcase of the Filipino’s sterling character. They say we have an enormous capacity for pain and suffering. We are a people who do not allow setbacks to bring us down and keep us on the ground. We do not surrender. We just keep fighting.
Today, this quality is often called the “Adversity Quotient,” or AQ, which applies to modern challenges as much as it did in the past.
AQ is a score, much like IQ and EQ. The AQ score helps one understand their ability to cope with life’s adversities. It shows how resilient one is. “Resilience” is what others call the “bounce back” power.
The Filipinos who stood up against superior forces displayed “Kagitingan.”
They showed the world they are not daunted by adversity. Scarcity of resources does not dictate how they fight the battle. They always rise after a brief, even if nasty, fall.
We do not know how long the present “adversity” will last. The powers that have triggered the latest round of global conflict have yet to tell the rest of the collateral-damaged world what the endgame is. Meanwhile, we will have to rely on our remarkable Adversity Quotient. We will have to adjust, innovate, and be creative to make it through these difficult times – just as our forebears did during the War.
We join the rest of the nation in remembering and saluting the uncommon valor of the Filipino soldiers who fought in Bataan in 1942. We also honor every Filipino fighting their own battle today.
(The author is a Doctor of Medicine, an entrepreneur and the mayor of Antipolo City, former Rizal governor, and DENR assistant secretary, LLDA general manager. Email: antipolocitygov@gmail.com)
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