Duterte honors everyday heroes for National Heroes Day

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte leads the commemorative rites honoring the country’s national heroes at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City on August 27, 2018. (Screenshot from National Heroes Day Commemoration Libingan ng mga Bayani, Taguig City August 27, 2018 via Presidential Communications (Government of the Philippines)/Facebook)

The President, in celebration of the National Heroes Day, encouraged the Filipino people to honor the country’s heroes by matching their selflessness.

“We are gathered here today not just to commemorate their sacrifices and remember their exploits but, more importantly, to emulate their selflessness and to live up to their example as we go about our daily lives,” President Rodrigo Roa Duterte said in a speech on Monday, August 27, at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

But the President was not only pertaining to the heroes in history books, in the everyday currency, statues, and grave memorials.

“Instead, we honor our unnamed heroes who, in their own little ways, have made huge difference in the lives of those they have touched,” Duterte said.

“These are our [everyday] heroes that we need our youth to emulate and look up to,” he continued.

In a separate statement, the Chef Executive expanded on this to recognize the “thousands of ordinary citizens.”

“Our everyday heroes, who continue to make sacrifices for the welfare of their families and the advancement of our communities. At a time when our unity as a people is constantly being tested, we take inspiration from their triumphs and struggles as we rise above the ills that plague our society and champion the empowerment of the poor, the marginalized and the oppressed,” his statement read.

Duterte called on citizens to “become worthy heirs” of the heroes’ legacy of bravery and patriotism.

He also mentioned the forces of the government who fight for the country.

“We honor our brave troops who gallantly sacrificed their lives to defeat communist insurgents, Islamic separatists, and other threats to our sovereignty, especially those who took part in the successful liberation of Marawi from the clutches of terrorism and extremism,” he said.

Duterte also added, “We honor dedicated police officers who, through the intensified campaign against illegal drugs, have made our neighborhoods, communities, and businesses safer and more conducive to growth and development.”