Medical frontliners were among those who were honored in the Philippines on April 9, as the country marked Day of Valor to remember those who died during World War II.
President Rodrigo Duterte paid tribute to the medical frontliners and fallen soldiers, calling them “selfless” for offering their lives in the call of duty.
The president said the “Day of Valor” is a “firm reminder of the unyielding determination of the Filipino to prevail over all forms of adversity.”
On April 9, 1942, about 76,000 Filipino and American troops surrendered to Japan as the province of Bataan fell to the invaders.
Thousands of American and Filipino captives died as they were forced to march about 140 km to Capas in Tarlac province.
Duterte said the bravery of Filipinos during World War II “left an indelible mark in our history and shaped our indomitable spirit to rise after every fall.”
The president acknowledged “the fortitude displayed by our selfless and dedicated frontliners” during the pandemic.
The country’s health department, meanwhile, reported 401 new coronavirus deaths, the highest single-day spike in fatalities since the start of the pandemic, and 12,225 additional infections.
In a bulletin, the department said total confirmed cases had risen to 840,554, while confirmed deaths had reached 14,520.
It said 213 cases previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths after final validation.
Remaining active infections climbed to 178,351, a new record-high since the pandemic hit the Philippines over a year ago. This accounts for 21.2 percent of the total number of infections.
The health department logged 946 newly-recovered patients, raising the total number of people who recuperated from the disease to 647,683.
Meanwhile, hospitals in the national capital continue to be overwhelmed with fresh COVID-19 admissions, despite nearly two weeks since the implementation of strict health protocols.
Independent OCTA Research Group earlier said it estimates that the total number of COVID-19 cases will reach one million by the end of April.
