Today, we commemorate the sacrifices made by our heroes who not only fought valiantly against foreign invaders, but made the ultimate sacrifice in order to free our country from the shackles of injustice and oppression.
For the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has once again tested the strength of the Filipino people. But we did not give up nor back down. Instead we faced the unseen enemy head-on with the same tenacity as we did with our foreign oppressors.
This fight has not been easy. A lot of our countrymen got seriously ill, lost their livelihood, while some even lost their lives. But in the face of these challenges, the Filipino people showed their resilience, while putting their vaunted Bayanihan spirit on full display.
With the support of all sectors of society, our country has started to recover from the ill-effects of the pandemic. The number of COVID-19 cases has significantly gone down, as our economy shows very good signs of recovery.
We must therefore recognize our country’s new heroes – doctors, nurses, soldiers, police officers, fast food crews, riders, barangay workers and other frontliners – for putting their lives on the line in order to serve our countrymen and help mitigate the impact of the pandemic.
We would also like to highlight the invaluable contribution of our peace workers, peace advocates and other peace partners who have been working very hard to push forward, build on, and sustain the gains of the comprehensive Philippine peace process.
Our fight is not yet over. There are still a lot of concerns that need to be addressed in the peace, economic and health fronts. But we believe that we shall soon overcome this health crisis, and finally free our country from its grip.
A Happy 124th Independence Day to all!
