Vice President Sara Duterte on National Heroes Day urged Filipinos to "never squander the lessons of the past" and instead use these to awaken the greatest heroes within them.
In her message on Aug. 29, Duterte honored the country's heroes who "selflessly offered their lives for the liberation of the Philippines and the Filipino people."
The Vice President told the citizenry to not only look back with admiration at their sense of patriotism but to look at the future of the country and its unrelenting longing for the same profound sense of patriotism from us.
"The blood of our National Heroes is the same blood of bravery, selflessness, and love of country and fellowmen that continues to flow across the nation today — now permeating into the minds and hearts of many Filipinos who have committed to the cause of rebuilding the nation from the rubbles caused by disunity, hatred, misunderstanding, and acts of hostilities perpetuated by anti-people, anti-government, and local terror groups that hostaged the progress of the country for a long time," Duterte said.
"As we look back, may we never squander the lessons of the past and instead use them to awaken all the greatest heroes inside the hearts of every Filipino, especially the youth," she added.
Duterte also enjoined the nation to vow to "protect the integrity of our independence and the interest of our nation against those who wish for us to fail, to fall, and to break as a nation."
She also called on the people to continue loving their country.