Biker group retraces Death March route
Saturday, March 20, 2010
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CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Some 150 cyclists and biker groups from Pampanga and Bataan stopped and paid homage to Kilometer 102 of the Death March of 1942 on Saturday afternoon.
They made a stop along the old Philippine National Railways station in their attempt to retrace the route of the World War II historical event through the bike-a-thon dubbed “Alay Sikad sa Kagitingan.”
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The groups, composed of cyclists from the Philippine Air Force, Philippine Army, Philippine Navy, Bikers Alliance of Pampanga and Bataan Cyclists Association, were led by Cycling General Nicolas Ojeda.
They laid a wreath at the Death March marker during the 100-kilometer bike-a-thon that started in Mariveles, Bataan and will culminate in Capas, Tarlac.
The bike run is part of this year’s celebration of Philippine Veterans Week themed “Beterano: Gabay sa Makabuluhang Pagbabago at Matatag na Republika.”
Ojeda said the cycling caravan is a way for the country’s men in uniform from all service branches to remember the heroism of their forefather-freedom fighters.
City Administrator Ferdinand Caylao said the City Government has been working for the preservation of the spot and observance of Veterans Week in order to “ignite that spirit of patriotism” in the young.
Caylao recalled how some 70,000 Filipino and American troops made the ultimate sacrifice for the country during the war that saw thousands dying during the six-day Death March. (JTD)
