Marcos: Like Rizal, Filipinos must choose country over personal interests
Mark Balmores/MANILA BULLETIN
President Marcos on Tuesday, Dec. 30, said that the Filipino people must follow Jose Rizal's principles of choosing compassion over indifference and country over personal interests in their way of life.
Marcos, who joined the public in commemorating the life of Rizal, the Philippine national hero, said Filipinos are now looking up to him for "guidance and strength" in our continued demand for integrity and accountability from our leaders.
The President cited Rizal's writings and martyrdom as something that awakened the Filipino sense of identity.
They also showed Filipinos that they deserve dignity, freedom, and the power to determine their own future, according to Marcos.
"His example gave our forebears an ideal model of what it means to be truly Filipino and a confident vision of a nation ready to stand as an equal among others," he said.
Marcos hoped that the celebration of Rizal Day would deepen the Filipinos' resolve to live by the values which he had embodied: love of country, respect for truth, a tireless pursuit of just reform, and the courage to speak and act for what is right.
"May this commemoration inspire every Filipino—especially the youth, whom Rizal so dearly cherished—to pair patriotism with responsible citizenship so that we can be of better service to the country," he said.
"Across all spheres in life, both public and private, may we allow Rizal's principles to guide the way we live and work for our nation so that in whatever we do, we always choose compassion over indifference and country over personal interests," Marcos added.
The President then called on the public to build a nation where the justice Rizal fought for "is realized in the everyday lives of all Filipinos."
"For in every act of integrity and every stand for truth, we keep Dr. Rizal's dreams alive and bring our shared vision of a Bagong Pilipinas (New Philippines) closer to reality," he added.