President Rodrigo Duterte is hopeful that Filipino Christians have renewed faith in the Lord and in each other amid the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic.

In his Easter Sunday message, Duterte said the nation has remained “strong and resilient” throughout the challenges in the past years because of the Filipinos’ firm hold on “the promise of salvation as professed by Jesus Christ”.

“The fulfillment of the Resurrection of the Lord therefore gives us hope and courage to never falter no matter how overwhelming the odds seemingly are,” Duterte said in a statement.

He said trust in the Lord and in each other is a sure way to overcome any challenge.

“May this occasion give us much reason to thank the Almighty and have faith — in each other and in the Lord — so that we may stand brave and united in our journey as a people,” he added.

Duterte also enjoined Filipinos to remain optimistic.

“Let us be hopeful of better days ahead even as we continue to work hard for the brighter and more prosperous future that we aspire for ourselves and for future generations,” he said.

Easter is a major festival of Christians that celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, two days after his crucifixion.

After two years of mostly virtual observances, Filipino Christians finally had the chance to resume in-person Lenten activities with adherence to minimum public health standards.

Over the weekend, Duterte conducted aerial inspections in Baybay City, Leyte and Capiz province and led the distribution of assistance to families affected by Tropical Depression Agaton.

He guaranteed that he would use his last days in office to ensure that shelter aid would be given to the victims.

Duterte also appealed for patience and understanding from affected families with damaged houses, as he admitted that it would take some time to grant the assistance to rebuild. (PNA)