President Duterte extolled on Monday, Aug. 30 all the anonymous frontliners who have been bravely leading the country's battle against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) scourge for over a year and a half now, calling them a “new breed of heroes”.

The President made these remarks in a video message during the commemoration of National Heroes' Day at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani (Heroes' Cemetery) in Taguig City.

“These past two years, we have witnessed the indomitable spirit of these nameless health workers, uniformed personnel, government employees, and frontliners in essential industries who-hiding in anonymity-bravely led our battle against the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

While the yearly commemoration of the National Heroes' Day honors the countless unsung heroes who were responsible for building the foundation of the nation, Duterte noted the importance of paying tribute to “a new breed of heroes who readily answered the call to fight in a war against one of the greatest threats to our way of life.”

Although the heroism of these frontliners will not be given the same prominence such as those etched on any edifice, statues, banknotes or immortalized on the pages of history books, the President, nevertheless, expressed confidence that these anonymous individuals have earned their “rightful place in the pedestal of heroes.”

“Yet, for selflessly risking their lives to ensure the survival of our society, I can confidently say that they have more than earned their rightful place in the pedestal of heroes,” he said.

This year, Duterte also called on the entire nation to consecrate this day not just as a memorial to all the frontliners’ extraordinary heroism, but as an “enduring testament to our inherent capacity to rise above self-interest to fight for a cause far greater than our own.”