Los Angeles, 10 April 2012 – The officers and staff of the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles headed by Consul General Mary Jo Bernardo Aragon and the general public in attendance held a flag ceremony on 10 April 2012 to commemorate the 70^th Anniversary of Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) at the Rizal Hall of the Consulate General.  The message of Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. was read by the Consul General.

Araw ng Kagitingan is a Philippine national holiday which falls every 9^th day of April to commemorate the heroism of Filipinos and American Soldiers when the Japanese occupied the Philippines during World War II.  Major General Edward P. King, of the United States Army, was forced to surrender more than 76,000 Filipinos, Chinese and American soldiers to the Japanese at dawn on 9 April 1942.  The soldiers were forced to take a 90-mile (about 145 kilometers) hike to Camp O’Donnell in San Fernando. Thousands of prisoners died during the hike (also known as the Bataan Death March) due to starvation, dehydration and diseases before they could reach the camp.

In New Mexico, Consul General Aragon attended the ceremonies held at the Bataan Memorial Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico on 7 April 2012 to commemorate the 70^th Anniversary of the surrender of U.S. troops in the Philippines.  New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez also attended the ceremonies.

The event was sponsored by the Bataan-Corregidor Memorial Foundation of New Mexico with the support of the city of Albuquerque, the Filipino American Foundation of New Mexico and the Rio Grande Chapter of the Filipino American National Historical Society.

Photo shows the officers and staff of the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, headed by Consul General Mary Jo Bernardo Aragon, and the general public in attendance held a flag ceremony to commemorate the 70^th Anniversary of Araw ng Kagitingan.

Photo shows Consul General Mary Jo Bernardo Aragon during a wreath laying ceremony for the fallen soldiers at the Bataan Memorial Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Don Salisbury)