Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday, Sept. 15, highlighted the importance of democracy and freedom the country enjoys today as she celebrated with Bulakenyos the 124th anniversary of Malolos Congress.
She joined the commemoration of the Malolos Congress at the historical Barasoain Church this morning.
In her 12-minute speech, Duterte noted that the historical opening of the Malolos Congress became the foundation of the country’s democracy.
“Ang demokrasyang ito ang pinakamahalagang pamana ng ating mga ninuno sa atin — na malaya nating tinatamasa hanggang ngayon (This democracy is the most important inheritance from our forefathers—that we freely enjoy until today),” Duterte said.
She greeted the province and people of Malolos in the celebration and emphasized the important chapter of the country’s history that happened in Barasoain.
“Mahalaga ang pagdiriwang na ito sa ating kasaysayan bilang mga Pilipino dahil ang pagbubukas ng Kongreso ng Malolos noong Sept. 15, 1898, ang naging hudyat ng pagsilang ng isang malayang republika — ang Republika ng Pilipinas (This celebration is important to our history because the opening of the Congress of Malolos on Sept. 15, 1898 became the signal that birthed a free republic—the Republic of the Philippines),” Duterte added.
Malolos Constitution was the constitution of the First Philippine Republic which made the country the first-ever free republic in Asia.
The Vice President said that one of the things Filipinos can learn from the opening of the Congress in Malolos is the importance of love for country.
She stressed that if Filipinos will be united in the same dream, goal, and asiprations, they will be able to surpass and bring themselves back together amidst all hardships.
“Mula nang buksan ang Kongreso ng Malolos — malayo na ang ating narating bilang isang bansa. Maraming dagok rin ang ating sinagupa — bagyo, lindol, pandemya. Pero hindi tayo tumigil at hindi tayo titigil (Since the opening of the Congress in Malolos—we’ve gone a long way as a country. We have battled through a lot of blows—typhoons, earthquakes, pandemic. But we haven’t stopped and we will not stop),” Duterte said.
“Ngayon ay patuloy nating itinataguyod ang isa’t-isa at ang ating bansa para bumangon, para umusad, para umunlad (Now we continue to uplift one another and our country to stand up, to move forward, to progress),” she added
Anchored on the theme “Kongreso ng Malolos: Patnubay sa Pagtataguyod ng Nagkakaisang Bansa", the activity started with a flag raising ceremony, followed by the oath to the Philippine flag and wreath-laying at the monument of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the first Philippine president.
Duterte, together with Bulacan Governor Daniel Fernando, Vice Gov. Alexis Castro, Malolos City Mayor Christian Natividad, and Dr. Rene Escalante, chairman of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), led the celebration.
The Malolos Congress ratified the first Philippine Constitution that eventually led to the proclamation of Philippine independence from the Spanish colonial rule on June 12, 1899.