City honors WWII veterans during 77th Victory Day Celebration
The city government conferred awards to 15 World War II veterans who played a role in the liberation of the Summer Capital in 1945 during the city’s 77th Victory Day Celebration, September 3, at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center spearheaded by the City Tourism and Special Events Office.
Several of the awards were given posthumously as relatives of veterans who already passed away received the awards on their behalf.
Baguio Rep. Marquez Go, Philippine Veterans Affairs Office Administrator Lt. Gen. Reynaldo Mapagu, Philippine Veterans Bank First Vice President Angelo Villa-real, and councilors Peter Fianza, Benny Bomogao, Vladimir Cayabas, Leandro Yangot Jr. and Elmer Datuin led in the award ceremonies.
Mapagu, in his keynote address, stressed the importance of honoring our veterans since it was due to their bravery and gallantry that we enjoy the peace and freedom that we now have and at times take for granted.
“We offer our highest respect and reverence to our veterans for gaining our freedom since it was never given free but obtained by great sacrifice and paid for by their sweat, tears and blood,” he stressed.
Both Go’s and Villa-real’s messages also echoed and emphasized this point. Go was the author of House Bill No. 3721 which declares Sept. 3 a holiday in Baguio to commemorate the Japanese forces’ formal declaration of surrender in World War 2 in the city on Sept. 3, 1945.
The annual activity honors brave and courageous Filipino soldiers who fought during the Japanese occupation and it was on Sept. 3, 1945 that Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita signed the document of surrender at Camp John Hay ending World War II.
The program included the unveiling of a Mural and Marker with the theme: “A Tribute to Filipino Freedom Fighters: Out of the Darkness, Prisms of Light”.
Capping the event was a tour of the Smart City Command Center at the BCCC basement and at the Historical Core-Bell House Museum and Amphitheater, Camp John Hay. – Gaby B. Keith
