On Day of Valor, Duterte pays tribute to frontliners as Robredo rallies for unity amid 'dark times'
MANILA, Philippines — As the country commemorates Day of Valor and grapples with rising COVID-19 infections, President Rodrigo Duterte paid tribute to the frontliners while Vice President Leni Robredo rallies for unity amid "dark times" amid pandemic.
In his Day of Valor message, Duterte said the occasion is a reminder of the Filipino’s determination to prevail over adversity.
“Today, we honor our fallen soldiers whose sacrifice became the bedrock of our resolve to uphold our most cherished liberties,” the president added.
“As we continue to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, we take a moment to honor the fortitude displayed by our selfless and dedicated frontliners whose unrelenting commitment in this fight reflects the heroism of the warriors of Bataan that continues to inspire in us greater sense of patriotism and solidarity during these trying times,” he also said.
Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor is commemorated every April 9. The holiday commemorates the fall of Bataan in 1942, wherein Filipino and American troops courageously resisted the numerically superior Japanese invaders.
The country is currently grappling to contain an alarming surge in COVID-19 infections. Among those that serve at the forefront of the battle against the pandemic are medical workers who have been calling for concrete interventions to address the rising cases in the country.
Members of the 160-strong Healthcare Professionals Alliance Against COVID-19, on March 22, called on the government to take the two week-period of strict restrictions on Metro Manila and four nearby provinces to strengthen healthcare systems.
The Filipino Nurses United have also renewed its call to hire more health workers and provide medical frontliners with sufficient protection and just compensation, as several hospitals report full capacity at their COVID-19 wards.
The Department of Health announced on Thursday that it is redeploying healthcare workers from other regions to augment manpower in Metro Manila hospitals.
Robredo calls on unity amid dark times
Vice President Robredo, in her Day of Valor message, lamented that with the ongoing pandemic, the country is plunged to dark times as with what happened in Bataan.
But Robredo said with unity and the guidance of our heroes, the country can prevail over the challenges brought about by the health crisis.
“Many of us are sacrificing, suffering, and have lost. But we remember on this day: No Filipino need to be brave on their own. We are all in this together,” she said in Filipino.
The vice president encouraged the Filipino people to emulate, in their own ways, the country’s heroes of Bataan and Corregidor, “their love for their fellow Filipino, their hope even in darkest of times and their readiness to sacrifice for the many.”
“Guided by the spirit of our Bataan and Corregidor heroes, I trust: We will overcome the challenges of this time. We will build, like their dreams before, a country that is freer, more just and more humane,” she added. — Kristine Joy Patag
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