Bataan Day


Araw ng Kagitingan, also known as Bataan Day or Bataan and Corregidor Day, is a national observance in the Philippines which commemorates the fall of Bataan during World War II. It falls on April 9, although in 2009 it would have coincided with Maundy Thursday and its celebration for 2009 was moved to April 6.

Official name

Official instruments designating this holiday have specified several different names.
In 1961, Congress passed Republic Act 3022 declaring April 9 of every year as Bataan Day.
In 1987, Executive Order 203 revised all national holidays in the Philippines, referring to the April 9 holiday as "Araw ng Kagitingan ".
Less than a month later, another executive order revised the holidays anew, again referring to the April 9 holiday as "Araw ng Kagitingan ".
In 2007, Congress passed Republic Act No. 9492 putting into law the "Holiday Economics" policy of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo; this put the observance of each holiday, with the exception of New Year's Day and Christmas, to the Monday nearest it. The order referred to the holiday celebrated on the Monday nearest April 9 as "Araw ng Kagitingan ". Starting with the administration of President Benigno Aquino III, all celebrations of the holiday have been observed on April 9, instead of being moved to the nearest Monday, and the holiday has been called simply "Araw ng Kagitingan".
In 2010, Presidential proclamation No. 84 again revised the holidays, referring to the April 9 holiday as "Araw ng Kagitingan".
DateInstrumentNameObservance dateNotes
Republic Act No. 3022Bataan DayApril 9
Letter of Instruction No. 1087Araw ng Kagitingan May 6
Executive Order No. 203Araw ng Kagitingan April 9
Executive Order No. 292, the Administrative Code of 1987. Chapter 7 of that code specified regular holidays and special days to be observed in the Philippines.Araw ng Kagitingan April 9EO292 established the Administrative Code of the Philippines. Chapter 7 of that code specified regular holidays and special days to be observed in the Philippines.
Republic Act No. 9492Araw ng Kagitingan The Monday nearest April 9
Presidential Proclamation No. 84Araw ng KagitinganApril 9
  • PP84 limited its application regarding holiday dates to the year 2011.
  • PP84 was effective under authority provided by section 26 of RA9492, which provided that the list of Regular Holidays and Nationwide Special Days specified therein could be modified by "law, order or proclamation".
Presidential Proclamation No. 295Araw ng KagitinganApril 9
  • PP295 limited its application to the year 2012.
  • PP295 was effective under authority provided by section 26 of RA9492, which provided that the list of Regular Holidays and Nationwide Special Days specified therein could be modified by "law, order or proclamation".
    • Presidential Proclamation No. 459Araw ng KagitinganApril 9
  • PP459 limited its application to the year 2013.
  • PP459 was effective under authority provided by section 26 of RA9492, which provided that the list of Regular Holidays and Nationwide Special Days specified therein could be modified by "law, order or proclamation".
    • Presidential Proclamation No. 655Araw ng KagitinganApril 9
  • PP655 limited its application to the year 2014.
  • PP655 was effective under authority provided by section 26 of RA9492, which provided that the list of Regular Holidays and Nationwide Special Days specified therein could be modified by "law, order or proclamation".
    • Presidential Proclamation No. 831Araw ng KagitinganApril 9
  • PP831 limited its application to the year 2015.
  • PP831 was effective under authority provided by section 26 of RA9492, which provided that the list of Regular Holidays and Nationwide Special Days specified therein could be modified by "law, order or proclamation".
    • Presidential Proclamation No. 1105Araw ng KagitinganApril 9
  • PP1105 limited its application to the year 2016.
  • PP1105 was effective under authority provided by section 26 of RA9492, which provided that the list of Regular Holidays and Nationwide Special Days specified therein could be modified by "law, order or proclamation".

    • History

    At dawn on 9 April 1942, against the orders of Generals Douglas MacArthur and Jonathan Wainwright, the commander of the Luzon Force, Bataan, Major General Edward P. King, Jr., surrendered more than 76,000 starving and disease-ridden soldiers to Japanese troops.
    The majority of these prisoners of war had their belongings confiscated before being forced to endure the infamous Bataan Death March to Camp O'Donnell in Capas, Tarlac. En route, thousands died from dehydration, heat prostration, untreated wounds, and execution while walking in deep dust over vehicle-broken Macadam roads, and crammed into rail cars for transport to captivity.
    The few who were lucky enough to travel by truck to San Fernando, Pampanga would still have to endure more than an additional of marching. Prisoners were beaten randomly and often denied promised food and water. Those who fell behind were usually executed or left to die, with the sides of the roads becoming littered with dead bodies and those moaning for help.
    Only some 54,000 of the 76,000 prisoners reached their destination; the exact death toll is difficult to assess because thousands of captives were able to escape from their guards. Approximately 5,000-10,000 Filipino and 600-650 American prisoners-of-war died before they could reach Camp O'Donnell.

    United States

    In Maywood, Illinois the second Sunday in September is remembered as Bataan Day. Maywood provided Illinois National Guard soldiers of the 192nd Tank Battalion who served on Bataan.

    2012 observance

    2012 marked the 70th anniversary of the Fall of Bataan, which was commemorated at Mount Samat Shrine in Pilár, Bataan by some of the over 18,000 still-living Filipino veterans.
    Incumbent President Benigno S. Aquino III and former President Fidel V. Ramos attended this 2012 rites. Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Toshina Urabe expressed "deep apology and a deep sense of remorse to the tragedy", while United States Deputy of Mission Leslie Bassett said their Embassy has provided a total of US$220 million to Filipino war veterans.