Building Solidarity, Bridging Peace

In the span of a week, our home province of Pampanga played host to international events that promote solidarity and peace, both staged at historic grounds which we Kapampangans would sometimes take for gr ant ed .

Last August 6 and 7, 2022, the Philippine Eagle Foundation with support from the Philippine Consulate General in New York City led by our very own Cabalen ConGen Elmer Cato organized a retracing of the historic Death March route from Bataan to San Fernando through an event dubbed the Solidarity Run for Peace, Health, and the

Philippine Eagle. This event featured two marathon advocates who have deep ties to the Philippines namely Dr. Robert “Bob” Kennedy, world renowned ornithologist and author and JC Santa Teresa, a Filipino American runner who raised funds for a nonprofit and is the current Guinness World Record holder for the most consecutive days running an official ultra marathon.

The Pampanga leg for the said event was supported by the Pampanga Provincial Government through its Arts, Culture, and Tourism Office, the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources

Region 3, and the City Government of San Fernando led by Mayor Vilma B. Caluag. Capital Town Pampanga, which takes care of the Km. 101 Death March marker on its grounds, put up American and Philippine flags and a water station as a gesture of goodwill. Congen Cato, Mayor Caluag, Dr. Kennedy and Mr. Santa Teresa, including Randy Del Rosario of ACTOP, led a symbolic wreath-laying ceremony at the Death March historical marker near the San Fernando Train Station, in honor of the sacrifices of American and Filipino war heroes and as a tribute to solidarity.

Meanwhile, Pampanga’s very own “Fightertown” Basa Air Base was abuzz during the weekend as the Philippine Air Force played host to a world-class airshow featuring the Republic of Korea Air Force Black Eagles, an elite team featuring T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic jets. The Black Eagles belong to ROKAF’s 53rd Air Demonstration Group, have toured globally in goodwill shows, and are also known as South Korea’s Air Ambassadors. I was fortunate to witness this rare event together with my vibrant colleagues from the Don Honorio Ventura State University Tourism Department,

upon the invitation of Captain Leandro Rolando Merle Jr. and his beautiful wife Santa.

The Black Eagles Air Show attracted thousands of spectators to the historic base and everyone was treated to a heart-stopping and exciting series of maneuvers from the ROKAF fleet. Filipinos in the audience definitely threw a lot of hearts out there in support of our South Korean guests, the pilots looking a little bit more dashing in their black flight suits, reminiscent of all those military-themed Koreanovelas we can never get enough of. Not to be missed were our PAF’s own fighter jet-flying Bulldogs who call Basa Air Base their home.

Two different events, both emphasizing the importance of peace and solidarity, bringing together people from different nations, with Pampanga showcasing its innate hospitality.*