Loyalty, love for country embolden Filipinos to stand up to threats

“Regardless of our regional backgrounds, we all share a common desire to protect our nation’s integrity,” Romualdez said. (Pexels Photo)

MANILA – Filipinos’ “deep-rooted love and loyalty” to the country became evident anew in a recent survey that revealed an overwhelming majority of adults are willing to fight for the Philippines when confronted by foreign threats.

OCTA Research’s December 2023 Fourth Quarter “Tugon ng Masa” survey showed 77 percent of the respondents are ready to fight for the country.

“This unwavering commitment to safeguarding our sovereignty and protecting our people is a testament to the indomitable spirit that lies within every Filipino,” House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez said in a statement on Monday.

According to OCTA, the willingness to fight for the Philippines was highest among respondents in Mindanao at 84 percent, followed by Balance Luzon at 79 percent, National Capital Region at 76 percent, and Visayas at 62 percent.

In terms of socioeconomic classes, 80 percent of respondents willing to fight for the country belonged to Class D.

“Regardless of our regional backgrounds, we all share a common desire to protect our nation’s integrity,” Romualdez said.

The survey, commissioned by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), aimed to gauge the willingness of adult Filipinos to fight for the country against foreign adversaries.

The survey conducted through face-to-face interviews involved 1,200 respondents, with a ±3 percent margin of error at a 95 percent confidence level.

Other means

AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said Filipinos who are willing to help the military can also do so by contributing resources to the overall defensive campaign.

In a statement, he said they appreciate the patriotism of Filipinos who responded positively to the survey.

“Let us take the result of the survey as a call to action and prepare for when we are called upon by the government to defend the State,” Brawner said.

“The ways by which we can help defend our country, other than fighting, are only (bound) by our imagination,” he added.

Brawner said Filipinos can also help by echoing calls against the illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive tactics of other countries, particularly in the West Philippine Sea.

“While the AFP is modernizing and continuously preparing to address any threat, whether internal or external, it is also important that the Filipino citizens prepare themselves,” Brawner said.

These measures include joining the reserve corps that is trained in military tactics or training for emergencies, he added.