In a pleasant ride for a good cause called “Ride for Valor,” cyclists from Bataan, Pampanga, Tarlac, and surrounding provinces pedaled along the route traveled by the nation’s heroes. The non-competitive 160-kilometer “Race for Valor” cycling ride earned money to preserve the historical markers honoring the sacrifices of our soldiers. The money will be given to the Filipino-American Memorial Endowment (FAME), a nonprofit group that looks for the mile markers along the Bataan Death March from Mariveles, Bataan to Capas, Tarlac.
In the past, Bataan Death March markers had been destroyed, uprooted, and neglected due to drainage and other road projects. Ten (10) Death March historical markers in Mariveles, and four (4) in Limay, Bataan have to be relocated soon due to road widening and other repairs.
The Death March markers serve as a reminder of the route taken by Filipino soldiers who defended the country against Japanese forces during World War II some 80 years ago. About 10,000 brave soldiers died along the route; many of the bodies were never identified or recovered.
The ride is part of the 30th anniversary of the Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB). PVB is a commercial bank owned by World War II veterans and their families. As part of its charter, PVB allocates 20% of its annual net income for the benefit of its shareholders.
During World War II, the Japanese military forced about 80,000 Filipino and American soldiers and prisoners of war to march 69 miles from Bataan to Tarlac; only about 54,000 made it to the camp, and about 20,000 perished from diseases, starvation, dehydration, and the brutality of their Japanese captors in addition to starvation.
Visit www.veteransbank.com.ph for additional details.
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