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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Gibo urges national unity, stronger defense in Independence Day message

Gibo urges national unity, stronger defense in Independence Day message

Published Jun 11, 2025 04:20 pm
Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. leads a community outreach program in Balabac, Palawan on June 6, 2025 to deliver essential services to remote communities. (Photo: DND)
Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. leads a community outreach program in Balabac, Palawan on June 6, 2025 to deliver essential services to remote communities. (Photo: DND)

Amid ongoing territorial disputes and broader regional security challenges, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. called on Filipinos to recognize the ongoing responsibility of safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty and to contribute actively to peace and progress. 

In a statement ahead of the country’s 127th Independence Day on June 12, Teodoro emphasized that sovereignty and peace are not guaranteed, but require “collective and sustained efforts.”

“I urge all our compatriots to reflect on the fact that sovereignty and peace are conditions that must be proactively maintained and require collective and sustained efforts,” he said on Thursday, June 11.

“Peace, to paraphrase others, is not a free dividend, especially in a world that is both increasingly volatile and interconnected. Challenges to our sovereignty will always be present; no archipelagic or even continental country is spared,” he added.

The defense chief noted that the growing complexities of global geopolitics expose nations to threats against their independence.

As such, Teodoro outlined three primary goals of the DND under the Marcos administration: first is to strengthen the country’s resilience, second is to enhance connectivity, and third is to ensure that the dividends of such efforts are cascaded to every Filipino “so that our government is both felt and heard.”

“Every day we allow our defenses to lag, we exponentially lose ground in the struggle to be truly free and progressive,” he shared.

“This is a time for genuine unity,” he added, urging Filipinos – regardless of their personal circumstance – to contribute their “unique gifts” to a concerted effort aimed at safeguarding the country’s future.

“In this way, we fulfill our sacred duty to be stewards of our homeland for generations to come. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas, hindi ka pasisiil (Long live the Philippines, you shall not be oppressed),” he concluded.

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DND Gilberto Teodoro Jr. Independence Day defense territorial dispute freedom
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