(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, Aug. 27, lauded the heroic acts of ordinary Filipinos, urging the others to “emulate” the “selflessness” of the country’s “forefathers” and to “live up to their example as we go about our daily lives.”
Speaking at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig, Duterte cited the soldiers who sacrificed their lives to help secure peace in Marawi last year, the police officers who perform their duties to rid the country of illegal drugs and criminality, the Overseas Filipino Workers and the teachers who teach the young.
“Today, let us honor ordinary Filipinos who, despite the challenges that come their way, continue to work for the well-being [of] their families, the betterment of their communities, and the advancement of our nation,” he said.
He said these were “our everyday heroes that we need our youth to emulate and look up to.”
For this, in a statement, he said the country “takes 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.”
“Let us all become worthy heirs to their legacy so that we may leave behind to the succeeding generations of Filipinos a nation that they will also proudly give up their lives for,” he said.