Day of Valor
The Day of Valor, officially known as Araw ng Kagitingan, is a national observance in the Philippines which commemorates the fall of Bataan to Japanese troops during World War II. The day is officially celebrated every April 9, the start of the Bataan Death March, although the date was moved on several occasions to avoid it from coinciding with the observance of the Holy Week in the country, especially the Easter Triduum and Easter Sunday, such as in 2009 and 2023.[1][2][3]
Day of Valor
Araw ng Kagitingan
- Bataan Day
- Bataan and Corregidor Day
Philippines (nationwide), United States (Maywood, Illinois)
Commemorates the fall of Bataan during World War II
April 9, 2025
Annual
April 9, 1961 (as Philippine holiday)
Due to Bataan's significance in World War II, the holiday was officially known as Bataan Day or Corregidor Day prior to the 2000s and still known under this name by others. In the United States, the holiday is celebrated in Maywood, Illinois, where it is referred to by its old name.
History[edit]
Philippines[edit]
In April 1961, Philippine President Carlos P. Garcia signed Republic Act No. 3022 into law, declaring April 9 of every year as "Bataan Day".[9]
In June 1987, Executive Order No. 203 revised all national holidays in the Philippines, referring to the April 9 holiday as "Araw ng Kagitingan (Bataan and Corregidor Day)".[10] Less than a month later, another executive order (No. 292) revised the holidays anew, again referring to the April 9 holiday as "Araw ng Kagitingan (Bataan and Corregidor Day)".[11]
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 (Bataan and Corregidor Day)".[12] Starting in 2008, the holiday was called simply as "Araw ng Kagitingan", and was celebrated on the nearest Monday.[13] This practice was repeated in 2009.[14] In 2010, the holiday was still named as such, but was celebrated on April 9.[15]
Starting with the administration of President Benigno Aquino III, 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" since 2011.[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]
However, during the term of President Bongbong Marcos, April 10, 2023 was declared a special non-working holiday instead of April 9, by virtue of Proclamation No. 90.[28] The holiday was included in the "holiday economics", adjusting the observance of the holiday to the nearest Monday for a longer weekend, while Easter Sunday would fall on April 9, 2023.[29]
United States[edit]
The United States Congress passed a joint resolution on April 8, 1954, declaring the next day, April 9, 1954, the 12th anniversary of the fall of Bataan, as "Bataan Day." The joint resolution also mentioned that Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay had earlier declared it to be such.[30]
On April 8, 1987, U.S. President Ronald Reagan, by virtue of Senate Joint Resolution 47 declared April 9, 1987, as "National Former POW Recognition Day".[31] President Joe Biden continued the tradition, declaring April 9, 2021, as such.[32]