CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2023
| Author | Keith Gerard Luzada Daguio |
|---|---|
| Title | Remembering Filipino Heroes On The Day Of Valor:A Thematic Analysis Of Media Narratives |
| Summary | Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) is a national holiday in the Philippines honoring the sacrifices made by American and Filipino soldiers in the Bataan peninsula against Japanese forces during World War II. The date of surrender - April 9 - is commemorated yearly. Several media outlets cover the commemoration rites led by the Philippine president and top representatives from the US and Japan. The role of news media, specifically newspapers, in contributing to our collective understanding of the past and vice-versa is the focus of this research. Newspaper coverage of the commemorations demonstrates how newspapers understand, interpret, and represent the commemorative event and its history to the reading public. This study is a media survey of newspaper narratives focusing on the Day of Valor in two leading Philippine newspapers, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Manila Bulletin, at a specific period in time in contemporary Philippine society beset with internal and external challenges. The findings of the study suggest that the dominant narrative of the commemorations on the joint cooperation of Filipinos and Americans in defense of freedom or democracy promoted by the government is supported and reported by the newspapers. Though few in numbers, perspectives contrary to the dominant reading of the past are also reported, illustrating the multiplicity of voices and active contestation of members of Philippine society in constructing meanings of the past. Post-war political elites have also used the commemorations and its meanings as a platform to legitimize their rule. Finally, the Day of Valor commemorations are also a symbolic space for reconciliation and affirming current geo-political alliances. |
| Supervisor | Seaton, Philip |
| Department | History MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2023/daguio_keith-gerard.pdf |
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