The city government on Monday honored the countless struggles and victories of the country’s heroes during the commemoration of National Heroes Day at Quezon Park.

Acting Vice Mayor Rigo Duterte, in a speech delivered on behalf of Acting Mayor Sebastian Duterte, said the sacrifices of heroes resulted in preserving the Filipino people’s integrity and forging the nation’s liberty.

“Their unshakable belief has woven the tapestry of our history with acts of courage and unyielding love for our motherland,” he said.

Duterte said the freedom and sovereignty the country enjoys today are a historical treasure, paid for with an ultimate price.

He urged the public to honor not just the heroes immortalized in history books, but also the mothers who nurtured patriots, the families who endured loss, and the ordinary citizens — soldiers or not — who carried the weight of sacrifice to build the country.

Duterte stressed that the call for heroism did not end with the country’s liberation. It lives on in new frontiers — in classrooms where teachers shape young minds, in hospitals where health workers save lives, in farmlands where farmers feed the nation, and in every home where love of country and values are first taught.

“To our youth, let us honor the memory of our heroes not only with words, but with deeds. Let us uphold the rule of law, choose unity over division, and strive to be everyday heroes in the simple yet noble ways we can,” Duterte said. (PNA)