EDITORIAL - Valor and sacrifice

Once upon a time, not too long ago, the nation called for heroes, and Filipinos were not found wanting. Thousands died defending the island of Corregidor alongside US forces in 1942, holding back the Japanese offensive at the start of World War II until the island fell on April 9. More Filipino and American soldiers died as they were forced to march from Bataan to Tarlac and Nueva Ecija by the invading forces in the infamous Death March.

Those days of great valor and sacrifice are again remembered today as the nation marks Araw ng Kagitingan. The heroism shown by the fighters in Bataan, and the courage of the civilians who dared give them succor along the way at the risk of incurring the ire of an occupation force, showed that Filipinos are capable of uniting behind a common national cause, even when the odds are stacked against them.

That courage to fight for freedom would manifest itself again as the darkness of dictatorship descended on the nation several decades later. Against the vast powers of the state, Filipinos dared to fight back, opening themselves to arbitrary detention and torture and risking the loss of life and property. In 1983, Benigno Aquino Jr. paid the ultimate price for defying Ferdinand Marcos, stoking national outrage. Three years later, Filipinos defied tanks and stayed on EDSA until Marcos had fled into exile.

Democracy, it has been said often enough, is not a free ride. Today the democracy that was restored in 1986 still needs strengthening. The times call for a different type of courage in the face of difficulties, and sacrifice for the nation’s sake.

Filipinos who leave the country for greener pastures overseas have been extolled as modern-day heroes for keeping the economy afloat. But those who stay behind for the daunting task of nation building, who realize that the strength and prosperity of a democratic country lie in individuals who perform their duties as responsible citizens, also deserve to be extolled. It is heroic to die for one’s country; many others must live and work to build a strong nation.