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'All of us can be heroes,' Marcos says on National Heroes' Day

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Raffy Cabristante, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. leads the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City on Monday, August 28, 2023. Kj Rosales, PPA pool" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/tvpatrol/08/28/20230828-marcos-heores-day-ppa-5.jpg"/><figcaption>President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. leads the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City on Monday, August 28, 2023. <em>Kj Rosales, PPA pool</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday paid tribute to modern-day unsung Filipino heroes to commemorate National Heroes&#x27; Day, saying that each Filipino can be a hero when doing acts motivated by causes greater than oneself.</p><p>&quot;All of us can be heroes, one way or another. We unleash the hero in us when we act genuinely for the good of another, impelled by the causes and motives greater, more noble than mere personal interest or vain glory,&quot; Marcos said in his speech at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City, where his father is also interred.</p><p>He said that while &quot;the memories of our heroes of storied past will never fade,&quot; it was also time to pay tribute to Filipinos who show heroism in &quot;less dramatic&quot; and &quot;less tragic&quot; circumstances.</p><p>&quot;Their selfless deeds and sacrifices have the same ability to inspire and to create a possible ripple effect in society,&quot; Marcos said.</p><p>&quot;Heroism is not only to be found in the grand battles and struggles. It also resides in the simplest acts of kindness, of empathy, solidarity, that not only moves hearts, but also influences minds and actions and change lives for the better,&quot; he added.</p><p>Marcos also said that Filipinos should not only set heroes of old as examples, but also the &quot;heroic deeds of our kababayans,&quot; such as farmers, electrical linemen, and teachers.</p><p>&quot;We shall not take their heroism for granted. We will not spare ourselves of the moral duty to perpetuate the ideals that they have fought for, and to rectify the unsafe, inequitable, or exceptionally difficult conditions that necessitated their selfless needs,&quot; the President added.</p><p>In his speech, he also honored the late Migrant Workers Secretary Susan &quot;Toots&quot; Ople, describing her as &quot;a perfect example of what true heroism can be&quot; due to her dedication to the welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW).</p><p>&quot;She tirelessly dedicated the better part of her life to promote the welfare of our modern-day heroes,” Marcos said.</p><p>Ople, 61, passed away after a long battle with breast cancer, which had been in its advanced stages when she was appointed as the first secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) in 2022.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/22/23/migrant-workers-secretary-toots-ople-passes-away">Migrant Workers Secretary Toots Ople passes away</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/28/23/big-loss-to-ph-palace-pays-tribute-to-susan-ople">&#x27;Big loss to the Philippines&#x27;: Malacañang pays tribute to late Susan Ople</a></li></ul><p>Before his speech, Marcos paid his respects and offered flowers to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, an annual tradition.</p><p>According to Malacañang, National Heroes&#x27; Day has been observed in the Philippines since the American colonial period. </p><p>Originally commemorated during the last Sunday of August, former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had the holiday moved to the last Monday of the same month as part of her administration&#x27;s &quot;holiday economics.&quot;</p><div><strong>—with a report from Pia Gutierrez, ABS-CBN News</strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KEcaqNPRSoQ?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

'All of us can be heroes, one way or another. We unleash the hero in us when we act genuinely for the good of another,' President Marcos Jr. said.

'All of us can be heroes,' Marcos says on National Heroes' Day

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'All of us can be heroes,' Marcos says on National Heroes' Day

Raffy Cabristante,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 28, 2023 01:39 PM PHT

Read More:

Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

National Heroes' Day

Libingan ng mga Bayani

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