The battleground of Bataan is now a national shrine. In the U.S., the Bataan Memorial Death March takes place each year at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. More than 3,000 marchers from across the U.S. and from overseas tackle a 26.2-mille route through high desert terrain in honor of those who served.

April 8, 1942, was the Fall of Bataan. But although had fallen, the spirit of Bataan lived on... continues to live on. And we, the vanquished, refuse to lose our dignity. The fall of Bataan implies defeat; the spirit of Bataan signifies courage in the face of defeat. And so we have renamed the day "Araw ng Kagitingan," the "Day of Courage"not to commemorate our defeat but to pay tribute to the courage of our soldiers who fought and died in that historic battle. It is Bataan Day, a homage to the indomitable spirit of the Filipino soldiers. (By: GIna M. Jorge)