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<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-28/jfk.webp"  alt="Black and white close-up portrait of U.S. President John F. Kennedy looking upward and to the side with a contemplative expression." />
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President John F. Kennedy, who in 1962 sent a historic message to the Philippines to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Fall of Bataan.
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The Message of Unity
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Kennedy's message emphasized the "enduring partnership" between the two nations, forged during the dark days of 1942. He wrote:
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"On this day, we and millions of our fellow citizens will recall the sacrifices of the heroes who were so sorely tested just twenty years ago on Bataan and Corregidor... Our peoples are again united in spirit and in arms in a similar struggle against a new and much more subtle form of imperialism which would enslave us."
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The "subtle form of imperialism" Kennedy referenced was the spread of Communism in Southeast Asia. During the early 1960s, the Cold War was intensifying, and the U.S. viewed the Philippines as a critical democratic bulwark against communist expansion in the region.
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JFK's 1962 Bataan Day Message to Macapagal

Explore JFK's 1962 message to President Macapagal. Discover the Cold War context, the "subtle imperialism" warning, and why PH-US relations shifted in 1962.

April 9, 1962: Kennedy sent Macapagal a message on Bataan day