THE Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB) kicked off the 76th anniversary of the Bataan Death March commemoration with the Mariveles-San Fernando-Capas Freedom Trail (Freedom Trail) event on March 24 and 25.
The two-day, three province-wide event, which aims to instill the values of “Bravery, Sacrifice and Love for Country,” will be highlighted by a retracing of the actual Death March 160-kilometer route by reservists and personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, 160-km run relay, motorbike tour, march, float parade and poster-making contest awarding.
The Veterans Bank’s Freedom Trail also honors Filipino World War II heroes and survivors by involving the public in this solemn remembrance of heroism. Organizers have prepared different categories to accommodate civilian, military and police units by running, walking or riding in two wheels while retracing the steps of the country’s fallen heroes during the Bataan Death March.
“It is our generation’s responsibility to commemorate and honor the bravery and heroism of our veterans during the war. It will be a sin to forget how valiantly they fought and how they looked out for their fellow soldiers amid torture, injury and starvation. History will hold us accountable if the next generations forget the Bataan Death March,” said Mike Villa-Real, head of Veterans Bank’s Corporate and Consumer Relations Division.
The Death March, considered as one of the darkest days in Philippine history, is the forcible transfer of 60,000 to 80,000 Filipino and American prisoners of war (POWs) from Mariveles and Saysain Point, Bagac, Bataan, to Camp O’Donnell, Capas, Tarlac. The prisoners were loaded onto trains in San Fernando, Pampanga. The march began sometime on April 11, 1942 and left thousands dead and seriously wounded after enduring torture under the hands of the Japanese Imperial Army.
The Death March route stretches from Mariveles in Bataan to Capas, Tarlac via San Fernando, Pampanga, via the old roads.
The Freedom Trail will have three event categories: a competitive 160-km team relay; the Ride for Valor for big bikes; and the Freedom March.
The 160-km team relay is open to all. There is a registration fee of P1,500 per team. Teams are composed of eight riders, with a minimum of two female riders. All teams must provide their own support vehicle, head lamps and food. There will be checkpoints at every 10 km. Fastest top 3 teams to reach Capas National Shrine in Tarlac will win a trophy and cash prize. Assembly was at 5 a.m., March 24, at KM Zero, Mariveles, Bataan. Race started at 6 a.m.