President Duterte revealed on Saturday that a wall was being built at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes' Cemetery) to honor medical frontliners who died in the line of duty due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Duterte made the statement as he led the commemoration of the country's 123rd Independence Day at Malolos, Bulacan.
In his speech, the President urged the public to remember the sacrifices of the different frontliners amid the ongoing health crisis.
"As we commemorate this Independence Day, let us honor our modern-day heroes, our health care workers, law enforcement officers, and other frontliners who have been instrumental in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.
"In the past year, they have risked their own lives and sacrificed their own comfort and security to ensure that our society will continue to function despite the crisis," he added.
As he thanked them for their service, Duterte revealed that a wall was being built at the Libingan ng mga Bayani to honor medical frontliners who died due to COVID-19.
"Lahat yung mga namatay-- mga doctor pati mga nurses, yung mga attendants ng nahawa ng (Everyone who died-- doctors, nurses, attendants who got) COVID-- will be honored by their names inscribed in that wall. It is now being built," he said.
The President thanked the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for allowing the wall to be erected in the final resting place of its members.
"Thank you for the gratuitous consent--- pumayag ang armed forces na magtayo tayo ng Wall of Heroes diyan (the AFP allowed us to build the Wall of Heroes there)," he said.
President Duterte announces that the AFP allowed a wall to be built at the Libangan ng mga Bayani that would contain the names of medical frontliners who died in line of duty due to COVID-19. @manilabulletin
— Argyll Cyrus Geducos (@argyllcyrus_MB) June 12, 2021
This was not the first time President Duterte paid tribute to medical frontliners on a momentous day such as Independence Day. In his Labor Day message, Duterte honored them for their tireless sacrifice in leading the fight against the pandemic.
"This year, we honor our Filipino workers who–fueled not just by the desire to support their families and advance their careers–have tirelessly toiled these past several months to ensure that our society will continue to function in the face of an unprecedented health crisis that crippled industries across the world," he said.
"On behalf of a grateful nation, I express my deepest gratitude to our hardworking healthcare workers and essential frontliners for their unwavering commitment in ensuring the unhampered delivery of goods and services that continue to sustain our communities and industries during these difficult times," he added.