Local government and police officials lead the wreath-laying ceremony during the Day of Valor at the Plaza Independencia on April 9, 2021. | Photo courtesy of Cebu City Police Office.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella urged Cebuanos to remember and honor the frontliners, who are the modern heroes of this year, during the celebration of the Araw ng Kagitingan on Friday, April 9, 2021.
In a statement, Labella said that while everyone must remember and commemorate the heroes of the past from Datu Lapulapu to the soldiers of the recent wars in Mindanao, people must also remember the courage and bravery of the soldiers of today fighting an unseen foe.
“Our country is built on the bravery of the generations that came ahead of us. We are here today because of them. That courage helped us go through the horrors of World War II. Today’s Day of Valor looks back to those harrowing years and our people’s courage that shone through our horrible experience.”
“Our history is enriched by the valor of such names as Leon Kilat, Arcadio Maxilom, Lapulapu, and the many others who stood up for our people. That bravery and love for country continues today. We see it in the many frontliners helping our community in the fight of our generation: protecting our people from a pandemic,” said the mayor.
The Day of Valor commemorates the bravery of Filipino and American soldiers in the Fall of Bataan during World War 2.
Recently, Cebu sent over 50 medical frontliners to the National Capital Region (NCR) to help the nation’s capital in the battle against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in their second wave of lockdowns.
Read: Cebu to send 50 medical workers to help NCR+
Cebu City has provided P10,000 allowance for each frontliner as an incentive for their service to the country. Other government agencies also provided cash allowances totalling to P60,000
Read: Cebu frontliners to receive cash incentives, meds
“Ang kaisog kinaiya gayud natong mga Sugbuanon. Makig-bisog kita labi na kung ang kaluwasan sa atong komunidad ang hisgotan,” said Labella.
(Bravery is part of the nature of Cebuanos. We have to fight especially if what’s at stake is the safety of the community.)
Though Labella was not present during the wreath-laying ceremony at the Plaza Independencia, he was represented by Vice Mayor Michael Rama for the city government.
The wreath-laying was also attended by officials of the Cebu City Police Office led by its director,Police Colonel Josefino Ligan, and officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command.
The government officials paid tribute to the veterans of the World War II through flowers at the Cebu Veterans marker. Veterans who are still alive today also paid tribute to their fallen peers.
The Araw ng Kagitingan is a special non-working holiday all over the country.
/bmjo