PILAR, Bataan — Paying tribute to the sacrifi ces of World War II veterans, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on Monday asked Filipinos to be vigilant in the new war and enemies the country faces.
Medialdea was guest of honor and speaker during the 76th Commemoration of Araw ng Kagitingan at the Mt. Samat Shrine here.
He said that after “one of the worst chapters in history” that is the Fall of Bataan on April 9, 1942, the country faces new enemies in the form of poverty, corruption, terrorism, illegal drugs, criminality and threats to environment.
Medialdea recalled the Battle of Marawi where 165 soldiers and police died to free the city last year from the invasion of Islamic State-inspired attacks.
“Another threat that we should diligently guard against and not allow to prosper are acts against our sovereignty and democratic process by foreign bodies,” he said.
These enemies, he said, are creeping into the very fabric of society that remembers the sacrifice of 76,000 soldiers who endured the Bataan Death March, of whom approximately were 66,000 Filipinos and 10,000 Americans.
“It is constant vigilance, courage and by saving our nation from these forces that we can continue to enjoy the liberty that our forbearers fought for,” Medialdea said.
The Executive Secretary assured veterans and their families that the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte will provide better health benefits and improve the management of pension accounts of more than 44,000 military and war veterans, in which are over 6,000 aging citizens who fought in WWII.
From 2017 until March this year, more than 6,000 veterans and their dependents benefi ted in medical services through 270 accredited hospitals, he said.
In the same period, P50.7 billion worth of educational assistance was allocated for the Iskolar ng mga Bayani program, which produces 450 college graduates annually, he added.
Medialdea also highlighted Philippine relations with WWII ally United States of America and erstwhile aggressor Japan.
“To this day, America has remained our strong military and economic ally. The Japanese against whom our soldiers defended Bataan for many years now remains as one of our biggest regional allies, a major trading partner, and the largest provider of official development assistance that aids in our fight against poverty and our quest for economic progress,” he said.
Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda and US Embassy Charge d’ Affaires Michael Klecheski both acknowledged the gallantry of war heroes during the Japanese invasion in 1941 to 1945 and cited stronger relations with the Philippines.
Haneda expressed condolence and deep sense of remorse to all those who suffered. It was his first visit to the hallowed ground of Mt. Samat.
Medialdea led in the groundbreaking ceremony of the Mt. Samat Flagship Tourism Enterprise Zone that will develop infrastructure in the national shrine that will include cable cars, underground museum and a center for World War II studies.
