Kagitingan in the ring

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor NANETTE L. GUADALQUIVER Busines Editor CEDELF P. TUPAS Sports Editor (On Leave) RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

There may be something not quite proper about the recent practice of this administration to move holidays to dates it considers more convenient for workers and, very likely, for its officials. For instance, Bataan Day, which had originally been marked on April 9, that being the real date when the historic event occurred, has been moved to the date nearest the weekend, in this year’s case, to this day, April 7, and not on Wednesday which is April 9.

This time, however, the day found justification for itself in that it has become a day for celebration by itself. This is because the holiday, which has been renamed “Araw ng Kagitingan” or “Day of Heroism”, has come after a day when Filipinos did their people proud by displaying extraordinary patriotism and love of country by giving their all during the encounters in the boxing ring yesterday called “Invasion: The Philippines Against the World”.

It may have been an over-dramatic title for boxing matches, but it was, indeed, a show of Philippine skills and talents, where our countrymen, matched their ring know-how and power against several fighters from various parts of the world, and managed to rout all their opponents handily, proving their superiority in the sport.

We in Bacolod and Negros Occidental are doubly proud of their accomplishments because the leader of the pack that sent their foreign counterparts down was one of us, Negrense Gerry Peñalosa. Although older than his Thai opponent by several years, Peñalosa trained hard and worked hard to uphold the reputation of Pinoys as ring champions. And so did the other much younger Filipinos who also exchanged blows with fighters from Thailand, Uruguay, Mexico, Korea and Indonesia.

We congratulate them all, because they have given us a real “Araw ng Kagitingan”, after all.*