Quirino Grandstand, City of Manila
June 12, 2023

“Never again will we be subservient to any external force that directs and determines our destiny,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. vowed as he enjoined the nation in celebrating ‘Araw ng Kalayaan’ in commemoration of the 125th Anniversary of Philippine Independence and Nationhood at the Quirino Grandstand in the City of Manila.

In his message, the President emphasized that while the country enjoys freedom as a sovereign nation, its people are still grappling with ‘unfreedom’ that stands in the way of human development.

“These are the corrosive political and social conditions that make the nation not as free as we would like to profess and believe, such as poverty, inadequate economic opportunities, disabling living conditions rather than enabling ones, inequality and apathy,” he said, vowing that the government will strive to remove such unfreedoms.

“We will aim to feed the hungry, free the bound and banish poverty. These are primordial moral and existential imperatives that are laid upon the government,” he assured the Filipino people, citing the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028 as the fundamental framework of government policies that would foster a highly conducive and enabling environment for the full development of the Filipino people.

The Chief Executive concluded his message by calling for the support of every Filipino for unity. “I appeal for unity and solidarity in our efforts to perfect our hard fought freedom and achieve genuine national progress,” he said.

Spearheaded by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the country’s 125th Independence Day celebration carries the theme, ‘Kalayaan. Kinabukasan. Kasaysayan.’ Various activities are lined up to commemorate the celebration, which will last until 2026.

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