On the weekend before this year’s Araw ng Kagitingan, I go on a road trip to Bataan. This is supposed to be one with Kenneth, with whom I went to Tarlac in February, but he’s caught up with some tasks, so I go with my dad instead. We go on a nice drive along SCTEX again, this time taking the road to Subic.

Of course, the first stop is the Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor) atop Mt. Samat in Pilar town. But the shrine itself is closed in preparation for the Araw ng Kagitingan ceremonies, so my dad and I content ourselves at the base. Anyway, I’ve been here a couple of times before, though the last one was in 2003. Nevertheless, the views of coastal Bataan is spectacular from up here.

For the rest of the day, we head down to Balanga. I’ve been to Bataan a few times before, but all of those are to other parts of the province. I’ve never been to Balanga, so I feel like an exploration of the provincial capital is overdue.

We first have lunch at SM Bataan. Currently, there’s a World War II exhibit. A couple of wartime items are on display, along with photographs showing the extent of the destruction and various people enduring the hardships of occupation. These images serve as a poignant reminder of the human cost of war.

Tummy grumbles fixed, we head to the Bataan WWII Museum, tucked inside the compounds of the Balanga Elementary School. It’s well-hidden from the main road that it takes us a couple of turns to finally locate it. The museum is privately owned, though, so there’s a small fee to enter. Unfortunately, I don’t have small change, as I’ve used it to tip the staff at lunch. So I just roam around the area, take pictures of the grounds as well as the school’s corridors.

A 15-minute drive east towards the coast leads us to the Balanga Wetlands and Natural Park, a tranquil haven of biodiversity contrasting the urban bustle of Balanga. There’s a short mangrove trail, which I take. I spot a couple of migratory birds milling about the trees before flying away as soon as they detect my presence. A trio of high school students step into the trail a few moments later, reminding me of our school’s students.

Back at the city center, we drive around the Cathedral Shrine Parish of St. Joseph and the Plaza Mayor de Ciudad de Balanga. The former is currently hosting a religious tour, so it’s packed with crowds wearing some sort of tour shirts, while the latter is especially a pretty sight in the otherwise drab city.

Just before our drive home, my dad decides to have a massage at one of the spas near the provincial capitol. I drop him off at the spa before I walk around the capitol. There’s a marker for the Fall of Bataan, but otherwise, there’s nothing particular of interest. I join my dad to have a foot massage as well.

This particular trip serves as a reminder to reflect on the profound significance of courage. It might have become trite nowadays, but being able to reflect on courage provides an inspiration to stand up for what is right. Courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to act in spite of it, drawing upon our values to guide our actions.