The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Story and photo by Alvin I. Dacanay
After the island of Corregidor in Bataan province fell to the Japanese Imperial Army on April 9, 1942, 90,000 to 100,000 Filipino and American prisoners of war were forced to march 88 kilometers (55 miles) from Bataan’s Mariveles town to San Fernando municipality in Pampanga province. From there, the prisoners were loaded into crowded train coaches and brought to Tarlac province’s Capas town, from where they walked the last 13 km (8 m) to Camp O’Donnell.
During the two-week march, the prisoners were starved and abused; many who fell were bayoneted. At the end of the march, only 54,000 were left; between 7,000 and 10,000 died on the way to Capas, while the rest escaped to the jungle. Those who remained were imprisoned in the municipality until 1945.
This terrible trek, better known as the Bataan Death March, will be commemorated by the holding of the Capas Freedom March 2015, a walkathon organized by the Department of National Defense’s Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO), the Department of Tourism, Automobile Association Philippines (APP) and AAP Travel, on April 11, 2015. This walkathon—patterned after the annual Bataan Memorial Death March in the US state of New Mexico—will begin from the People’s Park to the Capas National Shrine.
In a statement, AAP Travel President and event organizer Mina Gabor said the Capas Freedom March 2015 is the biggest annual gathering of marchers to commemorate a historical event to promote freedom, world peace and international goodwill.
“Local and foreign military personnel who have fought in a war, family members and friends of veterans, will march together united as one in remembering the sacrifice of the heroes,” she said.
Military, police to join
In a news conference launching the Capas Freedom March 2015 last Tuesday, retired Gen. Restituto Aguilar of the PVAO said the walkathon is part of the country’s commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, and of this year’s Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) activities.
He added that members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police would join the event.
Asked about the number of WWII veterans still alive today, Aguilar said only 13,000 remain, compared with the 500,000 after the war ended. He also said an average of 3,000 veterans die annually, and that the youngest living veteran today is 85 years old.
AAP Assistant Vice President Eva Carmona said joining the walkathon would have a fee of P750 for groups and P900 for individuals, with the early-bird rate set at P850. She added that the fee is inclusive of a one-of-akind commemorative T-shirt, dog tag and bib.
She also said between 5,000 and 6,000 people are expected to participate in the walkathon.
Carmona emphasized the charity aspect of the Capas Freedom March 2015 by saying part of the proceeds from the walkathon would fund the construction of a replica of the Capas concentration camp and education scholarships for deserving children of slain soldiers.
Marissa Vidal, tourism officer of the Capas municipal government, expressed hope that the Capas Freedom March 2015 would put the town—considered the best gateway to Mount Pinatubo—on the tourism map and allow people to discover its tourist attractions, such as the Capas National Shrine, Santo Domingo train station, Mount Telakawa, and New Asia Golf and Spa Resort; and that the walkathon would be an annual event.
For more information, call AAP Travel at (632) 551-0025, send an e-mail to info@capasfreedommarch.com or visit www.capasfreedommarch.com.