We were deeply honored and very proud indeed to have been invited to keynote yesterdays (11 April) Capas Freedom March to our National Shrine at the site of the World War II Concentration Camp in ODonnell, Capas, Tarlac for Bataan Death March survivors. This was made possible through the partnership of the Department of National Defense, Department of Tourism, and the Automobile Association of the Philippines to honor our Filipino heroes of World War II.

It was the first sizeable, national-level re-enactment of the northern end-portion of the 101 km-long Death March with the secondary purpose of raising funds for a future Capas POW Camp replica.

THE SPIRIT OF BATAAN

To emphasize the occasions importance, let us recall the stirring tribute to the Filipino-American defenders of Bataan composed by then Captain Salvador Lopez later UP President and secretary of foreign affairs and broadcast over the Voice of Freedom by Lieutenant Norman Reyes on 09 April 1942:

BATAAN HAS FALLEN.

WITH HEADS BLOODY BUT UNBOWED, WE YIELD TO THE ENEMY.

THE WORLD WILL LONG REMEMBER THE EPIC STRUGGLE.

WE HAVE STOOD UP UNCOMPLAINING.

BESIEGED ON LAND AND BLOCKADED BY SEA,

WE HAVE DONE ALL THAT HUMAN ENDURANCE COULD BEAR.

Read the rest here:

March to freedom, peace, development