Republic
of the Philippines INDEPENDENCE DAY MESSAGE
From Mactan to Kawit, the Lapu Lapus and Dagohoys, the Diego Silangs and Bonifacios of our nation had risen to fight injustice and shed blood for freedom. In Madrid, Paris, Berlin, and other cities of the world, the Lunas, del Pilars, and Rizals, empowered by genius and love of country, battled for the right of the Filipino to stand with dignity and honor in the community of nations. With steadfast determination and valor, with bravery and courage, our people fought. And they won for us liberty and sovereignity. When, in Kawit, the Filipino flag — with three stars representing Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao — was raised and the Philippine national anthem was played, our people rejoiced, for they were one in liberty and destiny. Like our people in Kawit, we now rejoice. But as our people in Kawit resolved to continue struggling, in order to keep whole and firm the fabric of Philippine society, so must we today continue their struggle. In a certain sense, we have yet to complete the revolution of a century ago. We must continue working hard together to fortify the unity of our people and make more durable the foundations of our Republic. Our people must reflect on and appreciate the history of our nation — extending long before the arrival of foreign traders, teachers, missionaries, and colonizers. Our people must recognize our identical ethnicity and our brotherhood antedating our differences of creed. Our people must appreciate the reality that despite our 7,000 islands and our variations of the same language family, we are one people. The task of safeguarding and strengthening our independence requires a steadfast commitment to national unity and to sustainable development. These are important elements of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s vision of a strong Republic. We Filipinos, united, must continue fighting hand in hand against poverty and all its consequences of discontent, discrimination, and oppression; all its abominations of illiteracy, corruption, and criminality — including the scourge of terrorism. And as we remember with pride our forebears’ heroism, so also do we honor our patriots today. Millions of our countrymen labor overseas. Striving to maximize the development options of their families, they are winning, —- with their industry, their competence, their edifying attachment to Filipino values — universal respect for the Filipino. Our people, particularly our youth, profoundly crave for the completion or our many revolutions — including our people power upheavals of 1986 and 2001 — and thus, in a milieu of law and moral rectitude, achieve the full meaning of our independence. Together, inspired by the same spirit, we will achieve!
BLAS F. OPLE
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