FILIPINO, AMERICAN VETERANS HONORED IN FALL OF BATAAN’S 82ND ANNIVERSARY IN SAN FRANCISCO
Philippine Consul General Neil Ferrer (center) and Acting Mexican Deputy Consul General Vicente Sanchez lead the wreath-laying ceremony in honor of Filipino and American World War II veterans, during the 82nd anniversary commemoration of the Fall of Bataan and Bataan Death March at the San Francisco National Cemetery on 13 April 2024. (San Francisco PCG photo)
SAN FRANCISCO, USA – Against the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge and amid a damp spring morning, the U.S. veteran and Filipino American communities marked the 82nd anniversary of the Fall of Bataan and the Bataan Death March in a solemn ceremony organized by the Bataan Legacy Historical Society at the San Francisco National Cemetery on 13 April 2024.
Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Ferrer took part in the commemorative event, where he recognized the 18 Filipino war veterans who were interred at the San Francisco National Cemetery, namely, Major Anastacio Q. Ver; Technician 5th Grade Andy Ramos Andra; 1st Lieutenant Elias Guzman Basa; Steward Petty Officer 1st Class Bernardo Ababao Bitoon; Seaman Sutro Cabanilli; 2nd Lieutenant Pedro Flores Cabiluna; Senior Master Sergeant Leoncio Joseph Javier Cruz; Master Sergeant Isabelo Manois de Vera; Sergeant Vicente Cortez Diala; Operations Specialist 1st Class Andres Duque Escobar; Sergeant Benito Cabutotan Isla; Sergeant Morris D. Junio; Corporal Pedro Maguddato; Colonel Narciso Manzano; 1st Lieutenant Andro Salvador Marana; Shipfitter 1st Class Elias Mina Riveral; Sergeant Vicente Robillos; and 1st Lieutenant Sid Ortiz Valledor.
In his remarks, Consul General Ferrer said: “What transpired in Bataan led to our most important triumph: Filipinos never lost hope, and showed bravery and resilience under the most dire circumstances. The enemy failed to break the indomitable spirit of the fighting Filipino. It is for this reason that the Fall of Bataan anniversary on April 9 is officially celebrated in the Philippines as the Araw ng Kagitingan, the Day of Valor.”
Consul General Ferrer further said that the Philippines-U.S. relations, a legacy left behind by Filipino and American World War II veterans, are “at an all-time high.”
“This was made evident this week in Washington D.C. in the first-ever United States-Philippines-Japan Trilateral Summit, led by President Joe Biden, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The strategic partnership among these three erstwhile rivals is a testament that peace is achievable when like-minded states work hand-in-hand in securing regional stability and economic prosperity for their peoples,” Consul General Ferrer said.
Vice Admiral Andrew J. Tiongson, the Filipino American Commander for the Pacific Area and Defense Force West of the U.S. Coast Guard, delivered the keynote speech, where he highlighted the strategic ties between the Philippine and U.S. Coast Guards.
A U.S. Congressional Gold Medal awarding ceremony for eight Filipino World War II veterans, represented by their descendants, also took place during the commemorative event. It marked the 105th awarding ceremony held in the U.S., since America’s highest civilian award was conferred on Filipino veterans in a public law signed by then-U.S. President Barack Obama in 2016.
Filipino American Community leader Cynthia Bonta, mother of Fil-Am California Attorney General Rob Bonta, took part in the “tolling of the bells,” which paid tribute to all those who perished during the Second World War. Mrs. Bonta survived the massacre of Los Baños, Laguna in February 1945.
Following the “tolling of the bells,” Consul General Ferrer and Acting Mexican Consul General Vicente Sanchez Ventura led a wreath-laying ceremony in honor of Filipino and American World War II veterans. An aerial flyover by the Memorial Squadron, flying past the San Francisco Bay, capped the event.
The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco has been a partner of the Bataan Legacy Historical Society in activities such as the “Remember Bataan” exhibit at the Philippine Center in San Francisco in April 2022, and the 6th Conference on World War II in the Philippines at the University of San Francisco in September 2023.
On 9 April 1942, officials in command of Philippine and American forces in Bataan Peninsula surrendered to the Japanese Imperial Army after three months of valiant resistance to the foreign invaders.
Close to 80,000 Filipino and American fighters then walked mostly on foot along a 70-mile route, from Mariveles, Bataan to Camp O’Donnell, Tarlac, in what is now known as the Bataan Death March. Almost 20,000 perished due to starvation, disease, abuse, and summary killings. Many consider the Bataan Death March as one of the worst atrocities committed on the Pacific front of the Second World War. END
Scenes from the 82nd anniversary commemoration of the Fall of Bataan and Bataan Death March, organized by the Bataan Legacy Historical Society at the San Francisco National Cemetery on 13 April 2024. (San Francisco PCG photos)
Philippine Consul General Neil Ferrer (center) with Vice Admiral Andrew Tiongson (center-right)—the Filipino American Commander for the Pacific Area and Defense Force West of the U.S. Coast Guard, and keynote speaker at the 82nd Fall of Bataan anniversary event at the San Francisco National Cemetery on 13 April 2024. (San Francisco PCG photo)