Bataan Day Araw ng Kagitingan ( Filipino for " Day of Valor " ) , also known as Bataan Day or Bataan and Corregidor Day , is a national observance in the Philippines which commemorates the fall of Bataan during World War II . It falls on April 9 , although in 2009 it would have coincided with Maundy Thursday and was moved to April 6 . Official name . Official instruments designating of this holiday have specified several different names . On 1961 , Congress passed Republic Act 3022 declaring April 9 of every year as Bataan Day . On 1987 , Executive Order 203 revised all national holidays in the Philippines , renaming the April 9 holiday into " Araw ng Kagitingan ( Bataan and Corregidor Day ) " . Less than a month later , another executive order ( No . 292 ) , revised the holidays anew but it didn ' t affect the naming of the April 1 holiday . On 2007 , Congress passed Republic Act No . 9492 putting into law the " Holiday Economics " policy of President Gloria Macapagal - Arroyo : this puts the observance of holidays except New Years Day and Christmas to the Monday nearest it . During the administration of President Benigno Aquino III , all celebrations the holiday has been observed on April 9 and not on the Monday nearest it , and that the holiday has been called simply as " Araw ng Kagitingan " . History . At dawn on 9 April 1942 , against the orders of Generals Douglas MacArthur and Jonathan Wainwright , the commander of the Luzon Force , Bataan , Major General Edward P . King , Jr . surrendered more than 76 , 000 starving and disease - ridden soldiers ( 67 , 000 Filipinos , 1 , 000 Chinese Filipino s , and 11 , 796 Americans ) to Japanese troops . The majority of these prisoners of war had their belongings confiscated before being forced to endure the infamous 140 kilometre ( 90 mile ) Bataan Death March to Camp O ' Donnell in Capas , Tarlac . " En route " , thousands died from dehydration , heat prostration , untreated wounds , and wanton execution while walking in deep dust over vehicle - broken Macadam road s , and crammed into rail cars for transport to captivity . The few who were lucky enough to travel by truck to San Fernando , Pampanga would still have to endure more than 25 additional miles of marching . Prisoners were beaten randomly and often denied promised food and water . Those who fell behind were usually executed or left to die , the sides of the roads becoming littered with dead bodies and those moaning for help . Only some 54 , 000 of the 76 , 000 prisoners reached their destination ; the exact death toll is difficult to assess because thousands of captives were able to escape from their guards . Approximately 5 , 000 - 10 , 000 Filipino and 600 - 650 American prisoners - of - war died before they could reach Camp O ' Donnell . United States . In Maywood , Illinois the second Sunday in September is remembered as Bataan Day . Maywood provided Illinois National Guard soldiers of the 192nd Tank Battalion who served on Bataan . 2012 observance . 2012 marked the 70th anniversary of the Fall of Bataan , which was commemorated at Mount Samat Shrine in Pilár , Bataan by some of the over 18 , 000 still - living Filipino veterans . Incumbent President Benigno S . Aquino III and former President Fidel V . Ramos attended this year ' s rites . Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Toshina Urabe expressed " deep apology and a deep sense of remorse to the tragedy " , while United States Deputy of Mission Leslie Bassett ( representing American Ambassador Harry K . Thomas Jr . ) said their Embassy has provided a total of US $ 220 million ( over Ph₱ 9 billion ) to Filipino war veterans .