Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. called on all Filipinos to “choose the Republic” amid challenges.

“Sa harapan ng krisis (in the face of crisis), ang (the) temptation is to take an easy way out and for a short-term gain versus ang ating (our) resilience bilang isang bansa (as a nation),” Teodoro said during Monday’s wreath-laying ceremony in commemoration of the 84th “Araw ng Kagitingan” (Day of Valor) and 2026 Philippine Veterans Week.

“And by being here, I think you have made a choice. Namili na kayo na para sa Republika ng Pilipinas – hindi tayo pwedeng tumiklop sa harapan ng mga interes ng ating bansa, sa ating teritoryo, sa ating kapakanan (you have decided for the Republic of the, we cannot fold against the interest of our nation, our territory),” Teodoro added.

The DND chief also stressed the need to build the country’s strength to enable it to deal with other countries in relative parity.

“At the end of the day, ‘pag wala tayong paa na pwede tayong tumayo sa ating sarili, pagtutulak-tulakan lang tayo sa mundo (if we cannot stand on our own feet, we will be just pushed around in this world),” he added.

Teodoro said that doing this remains to be a challenge even as he cautioned Filipinos from believing groups claiming that the Philippines is starting disputes when it is only standing up for what the country’s veterans have fought for.

He also said the challenge to becoming a strong and resilient nation is nurturing a “competitive, young, growing” population equipped not just with morals, but with skills – a population that is not easily deceived and overcome by threats, and can build “figurative bridges” to the potential the future holds.

Teodoro also shared that the legacy of the veterans is continuously being honored with the development and implementation of better services, such as the improvement of the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, and the ongoing professionalization and decentralization of medical care access for veterans, among others. (PNA)