DAVAO City Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte led the wreath laying at the Veteran's Memorial Monument in C. Bangoy Street, Davao City, in commemoration of the 82nd Araw ng Kagitingan on Tuesday, April 9, 2024.
"So today, we remember the sacrifices of our fallen heroes and war veterans who displayed great valor and patriotism throughout the Second World War," he said.
Duterte recalled the struggles of all the Filipino soldiers in Bataan and those who served during World War II. He expressed that with the veterans' sacrifices, Filipinos could enjoy Philippine freedom.
The mayor also highlighted that even though the Philippines is no longer under the rule of foreign invaders, Filipinos still need to fight the battle against "apathy, indifference, and forgetfulness." He then stressed that everybody must use this opportunity to instill patriotism and nationalism in the younger generation.
Meanwhile, BGen. Frederick M. Cutler, PAF, Wing Commander of the Tactical Operations Wing Eastern Mindanao, said that Filipinos should recognize the veterans' courage and draw inspiration from their determination to fight the colonizers.
“For those of us who want to maintain our freedom we must work hard to protect it or else, we are not entitled to it. May we find the honor and pride to serve our country with devotion and commitment to protect it from harm… either coming from foreign or domestic hostile forces,” he said.
Echoing Duterte’s sentiments on remembering the sacrifices of the veterans, Cutler said that Filipinos should use the memories of war heroes as inspiration and hopes that future generations will learn from them.
“We must ensure that the memories of those who fought to preserve our nation will inspire us and the coming generation would learn and remember the past lessons in order to uphold the principles of freedom, liberty to all, and justice for which so many laid their lives,” he said.
This year's theme is "Pagpaparangal sa Kagitingan ng mga Beterano: Saligan para sa Nagkakaisang Pilipino." Several post-war veterans and representatives from China, Japan, Indonesia, and Malaysia consulates attended the event. RGP