Araw ng Kagitingan (English:"Day of Valour") is a national holiday in the Philippines which commemorates the fall of Bataan during World War II. Every April 9, the Philippines commemorates the Araw ng Kagitingan, also known as the Bataan and Corregidor Day.

After Pearl Harbor, the Japanese air attack crippled the US air force and navy stationed in the Philippines. By January 1941, the Japanese had occupied Manila and in March, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, the commanding General of the USAFFE, left for Australia. The remaining forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese on April 9, 1942. If you’ve noticed, that’s the date of the Araw ng Kagitingan.

But Corregidor kept on fighting for one more month. Corregidor is the second most bombed island during World War II, next to Malta. On May 6, 1942, Corregidor surrendered.

The Pacific War Memorial stands at the Topside of Corregidor Island. It’s a reminder of the bravery and heroism of the combined US and Philippine forces against Japanese aggression. It’s also a reminder of the suffering and horrors that war brings, something which the world still sees up to this day.