Museo ni Emilio Aguinaldo, Kawit, Cavite
June 12, 2018
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte hailed the patriotism of the country’s forebears as he joined the Filipino people in the 120th celebration of Philippine Independence Day at the Museo ni Aguinaldo in Kawit, Cavite.
“Today, we remember our past filled with optimism for a future that we can proudly bequeath to the next generations of Filipinos. Indeed, the story of how our forebears fought for our sovereignty and established a Filipino nation shall forever inspire us to cherish the freedoms that we enjoy, all of us today,” he said.
The President, together with National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Chairperson Dr. Rene Escalante and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief-of-Staff Lieutenant General Carlito Galvez, Jr., raised the Philippine flag at the historical balcony of Emilio Aguinaldo’s house as the celebration commenced with the singing of the Philippine national anthem.
In his speech, he added that even though it has been a century since the country’s liberation from foreign subjugation, the country is still facing modern challenges of poverty, corruption, environmental degradation, terrorism, criminality, and illegal drugs.
“I have made it my personal mission to rid our nation of these ills, but I cannot do it alone. At this crucial juncture in our history, we need to draw strength from the lessons of our past to ensure that these ills do not cause any more damage to our future,” he stressed as he urged the Filipino people to take part in nation building and development by practicing discipline as citizens of the country.
Being firm on his stand to curb corruption in the country, the President vowed to eliminate corrupt leaders in the government. He also commended the unsung heroes of the law enforcement who sacrificed their lives for sustaining peace and security in the country against threats and terrorism, an example of which is the Islamic State (ISIS) which he considered as a “very virulent and toxic ideology” that does nothing but kill and destroy.
“Our generation, and those who will come after us, will never be able to pay in full the debt that we owe to the heroes that founded this nation. The least that we can do is to see to it that the sacrifices they made, so that we may enjoy these freedoms, were indeed worth it. Today, we honor and remember the patriots who have given their lives in the name of liberty and freedom. As heirs of this great sacrifice, let us all be worthy of their legacy by leaving behind a nation,” President Duterte concluded.
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