“There are still battles to fight on.”
If only for that, people will always remember the battles of Bataan and Corregidor and the men, both Filipino and American, who made it so. This story of valour is a drama of guts and glory, of battle hardened men standing up to impossible odds, of a surrender turned into a triumph if not the chance of a renewed will to resist - in the most heroic fight, in the view of history, this side of World War II. This narrative is not complete, though. But it is also the tale of a relationship between two peoples and two countries, that made one described as "Strong enough to bear the challenges of war," and "rich in living ideas to confront the many and severe difficulties of peace."
However, this commemoration doesn’t stop in remembering the struggles of those who fought, died, surrendered and endured hardships in the prison camps, or escaped and continued resisting with all their lives till victory. And now with today’s existing and emerging imperialists with scrupulous agendas, and of corrupt bureaucrats and despots trying to oppress the folk, this note would say that then as now that the spirit of Bataan, Corregidor, or earlier ones like Tirad Pass or in San Juan shows that those who swore to defend freedom, despite facing pain and suffering while resisting did not die in vain.
And such actions would say leaves a lifelong commitment, or should say an unfinished business like that struggle as necessary for a country and all nations that value freedom to continue to grow and endure. The painstaking task of nation building that includes acceptance of sacrifice, of seeking truth from facts, of valuing a nation’s freedom and the people’s desire for justice, even in this modern day world of skyscrapers and state of the art gadgetry.
Perhaps, how may people express their thanks to those who defend Bataan and Corregidor in this day of valour? Given that they spilt their blood (among other things) to maintain the nation's "patrimony" for future generations? For sure some will answer the ideal such as promoting development in the province as well as ensuring the welfare of surviving veterans and its descendants, while others shrug it as if history is meant to be forgotten. But, even in this modern day setting that there are still battles to fight on- a battle against poverty, illiteracy, injustice from within and without; these battles would say that no matter it is protracted so long as the people take part in this battle then this will not end in vain as what those who fought and died decades ago.