Statement of apology ng Japan, tila isang tradisyon na tuwing gugunitain ang Araw ng Kagitingan.
Abril 10, 2012 – Sa pagdiriwang kahapon, Abril 9, ng ika-70 Araw ng Kagitingan, ay muling humingi ng paumanhin ang opisyal ng bansang Japan sa naging karahasan ng Japanese Imperial Army sa mga sundalong Pinoy noong Second World War.
Ginanap ang pagdiriwang sa Mt. Samat Shrine sa Pilar Bataan, kung saan ipinahayag ni Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Toshinao Urabe ang kalungkutan sa mga kaganapan noong giyera at ito’y muli niyang ihinihingi ng taos pusong paumanhin, kahit pa pitumpung taon na ang lumipas.
“I solemnly pray for those souls who paid the ultimate sacrifice. I also hereby express our heartfelt apology and deep sense of remorse for the tragedy,” ayon pa kay Urabe sa kanyang pagsasalita sa nabanggit na pagdiriwang.
Samantala, ayon pa kay Urabe ay patuloy ang paghanga nito sa ugaling Pinoy, sa hindi pagtatanim ng galit sa kabila ng mga pangyayari.
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The “Araw ng Kagitingan” (Day of Valor) celebrates the Filipino gallantry, bravery and heroism in the provinces of Bataan and Corregidor.
In celebrating Araw ng Kagitingan, the Battle of Bataan is commemorated and Filipinos pay tribute to fellow citizens who gave up their lives during World War II as well as to the soldiers–now old veterans–who fought in the name of freedom.
Bataan was the last province to surrender to the Japanese invaders during the War. The Battle of Bataan saw local forces alongside American allies engaging in war against the Japanese. After the Fall came the infamous Death March–a long and difficult walk from Mariveles, Bataan to Capas, Tarlac that the captured Filipino and American soldiers were subjected to. For many, it was fatal; almost 10,000 fatigued and starved warriors perished along the trail.
Shrine of Valor atop Mt. Samat
As a tribute to the warriors, a 60-foot cross was erected on Mount Samat in Pilar, Bataan in April 1942. It is called the “Dambana ng Kagitingan,” now a World War II military shrine.
The Dambana ng Kagitingan, completed and inaugurated in 1970, consists of the Colonnade and the huge Memorial Cross, the Colonnade being a marble-capped structure with an altar, esplanade (walkway) and a museum.
