YESTERDAY, the nation marked Araw ng Kagitingan.
But this day passed largely unnoticed to many despite its importance. This annual official non-working day, after all, translates to Day of Valor, and commemorates the fall of Bataan to Japanese troops during the Second World War, and the start of the Bataan Death March.
In its usual sense, valor equates with bravery in battle. We know very well that Filipinos firmly resisted Japanese occupation between 1941 and 1945.
Together with American allies, Filipino troops assisted by local guerrillas managed to regain our freedom from foreign invaders despite heavy loss of lives and huge economic cost.
Starting in 1946, the nation began to recover from the ruins of war and started to rebuild infrastructure and restart economic activities to allow Filipinos to face the future with confidence.
But valor is needed not just in wartime but perhaps more so in times of peace. Embarking on recovery and rehabilitation in the postwar era required determined efforts to rebuild political structures and processes, hasten economic development and fortify social institutions.
Valor—or what is also called heroism—is what the nation needs at this time, when our people stand at a crossroads, when Filipinos need to choose between democracy and demagoguery, between participatory democracy and iron-fisted rule.
It means speaking out against corruption in whatever form or scale.
It involves resisting those who use public office for personal gain. It asks us to be resolute in demanding those in government to truly serve the people and not steal from national treasury.
It entails taking the bull by the horns and exposing those who seek only to prolong their grip on power and protect their political and economic interests.
It demands the concerted effort of government, private sector and
civil society to put an end to poverty in this country and bridge the yawning gap between the rich and the poor or social inequality that breeds rebellion and criminality.
And it also compels us to defend national sovereignty and the integrity of the national territory despite overwhelming odds.
In this vein, we commend the efforts of groups like Akbayan to honor the courage and commitment of the women and men who stand as the first line of defense in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
They extolled the selfless service of our maritime frontliners from the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Navy, and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources that have stood firm against harassment and aggression to protect our sovereign rights and protect the livelihood of our fisherfolk.
We need to channel the spirit of modern-day heroism through active citizenship and solidarity as part of a broader movement to generate support for our struggle to defend our seas and our sovereignty.