The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) held a wreath-laying ceremony at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB) in Taguig City on Friday, Dec. 16, to pay tribute to all military personnel who died while in the line of duty.
Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, AFP Chief of Staff, led the ceremony at the LNMB while Maj. Gen. Arthur Cordura, AFP vice chief of staff, spearheaded the ceremony at the AFP General Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
Simultaneous ceremonies were also conducted in all camps nationwide.
Bacarro, in his speech, recalled the struggles and triumph of military personnel in recent major battles such as the Zamboanga siege in 2013 and the Marawi City siege in 2017.
Twenty-five soldiers died in the Zamboanga City siege while 978 troops perished in the Marawi siege.
“This annual wreath-laying demonstrates our commitment to honoring the departed troops’ dedication, perseverance, and valuable services,” Bacarro said.
“Let us render our snappiest salute to our heroes for their unrivaled sacrifices for the country. They have given us the gift of peace and freedom borne out of their sacrifices. May we never forget the names and deeds of our heroes, whom we honor today,” he added.
The ceremony was part of the activities lined up by the AFP for their 87th founding anniversary on Dec. 21.