Correct me if I’m wrong but it seems that April 9, Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor), was just another ordinary holiday for millions of Filipinos. How sad.
In his message, our beloved Pres. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. stated it was on April 9, 82 years ago, “when the world first heard the now immortal line, ‘Bataan has fallen’.”
The President has emphasized the resilience of the Filipino spirit, pointing out that from the “ashes of defeat emerged a determination to secure freedom for the nation.”
He also called for collective efforts to “realize a better future for the Filipino people, echoing the spirit of the Day of Valor.”
We truly believe that commemorating or remembering this day reminds us that the freedom we are enjoying at present was achieved through the “blood, sweat and tears” of our heroic forebears who fought valiantly against overwhelming odds to free our country and its people from the grip of hostile occupying forces more than 80 years ago.
My late grandfather, Pedro Baban, the country’s first Igorot general, was among those heroes.
Sadly, many of us (this near-sighted Ibaloy writer, included) take our freedom for granted believing that we would always be free. Well, history and what is happening right now in some parts of the world teaches us that freedom can be snatched at any time and that we should defend and fight for our freedom if needed.
However, allow me to ask this simple question: Can our beloved country be truly free if most of its people continue to be gripped by the shackles of poverty and that the vast majority of its so-called beloved leaders and honorables belong to political dynasties? Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang mga Pilipino!
Meanwhile, the Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club, the largest aggrupation of media practitioners in Baguio City and Cordillera, is planning to apply for accreditation with the city government, according to its president Thomas Picaña, publisher and editor-in-chief of local weekly Amianan Balita Ngayon.
The BCBC is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and was last accredited by the city in 2009.
The more than 60-year-old media organization has always been and will continue to be a vanguard of responsible journalism and an active partner of the city government in promoting various programs, projects and activities that are beneficial to the community.
The BCBC’s planned move is in response to the city’s call for accreditation pursuant to provisions of the Local Government Code of 1991 and its implementing rules and regulations including pertinent memorandum circulars of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
The accreditation is coterminous with that of the local chief executive and grants eligibility for selection as members to the city’s local special bodies and to the sectoral or functional committees of the Local Development Council in accordance to guidelines set thereto.
Newly-accredited parties are tasked to submit to the city council their annual accomplishment reports and financial statements on or before the 20th day of January of each year.
May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ continue to bless and keep us all safe.
May 1, 2024
