House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco has highlighted the sacrifices of the country’s Covid-19 frontliners and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) on the occasion of Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor on Saturday, April 9.

"We join the entire nation in commemorating Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor, which marks the greatness of Filipino fighters during World War II," Velasco, representative of Marinduque's lone district, said in a statement.

"Exactly 80 years ago today, our courageous predecessors offered their lives to defend our freedom and democracy. And for that, we are forever grateful to them," he said.

"As we honor the bravery and patriotism of our fallen war heroes during one of the most important events in our history, we also take time to applaud and appreciate our modern-day heroes such as our dedicated COVID-19 frontliners, our hard working overseas Filipino workers, and our valiant soldiers," he added.

Referring to these modern-day heroes, the Speaker said: "We can’t thank them enough for their selfless acts and sacrifices for the greater good."

OFWs have long been referred to as heroes by Philippine society thanks to their billions worth of dollar remittances, which keep the country’s economy afloat particularly during tough times.

The past couple of years have seen the emergence of a new kind of heroes in Covid-19 frontliners. These people--from healthcare workers to delivery riders to the police--were greatly relied upon by Filipinos as the nation grappled with the pandemic.