MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reminded Filipinos to follow in the footsteps of Filipino revolutionary leader Andres Bonifacio, a model of heroism and patriotism, on the occasion of his 160th birth anniversary on Thursday, November 30.

Marcos skipped the Bonifacio Day rites in Caloocan City on Thursday, delegating Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin to deliver his prepared speech.

“Sa diwa ng bayaning si Gat Andres Bonifacio, tayo ay tinatawag hindi lamang na ialay ang ating buhay para sa Inang Bayan, kundi pati na ang pagbuhos ng ating kahusayan, galing, tapang, at oras upang ang bawat hakbang natin ay maging ilaw ng pag-asa at inspirasyon para sa ating mga kababayan,” Marcos said through Bersamin.

(In the spirit of hero Andres Bonifacio, we are called not just to dedicate our life to our country, but to devout our excellence, skills, courage, and time so that our every step would turn into a ray of hope and inspiration for our countrymen.)

“Nakikita na natin ang kabayanihang ito sa ating mga makabagong bayani. Sa sipag at tiyaga ng mga manggagawang Pilipino, sa walang kapantay na galing ng ating mga nars at doktor, sa wagas na dedikasyon ng mga guro, sa matibay na kagitingan ng ating kapulisan at kasundaluhan, sa hindi matatawarang skripisyo ng ating mga OFW,” he added.

(We see this kind of courage in our modern-day heroes, through the hard work of our Filipino laborers, the greatness of our nurses and doctors, the dedication of our teachers, the acts of valor of our policemen and soldiers, and the sacrifices of our overseas Filipino workers.)

Bonifacio, regarded as the Father of the Philippine Revolution, led the secret movement Katipunan to fight Spanish colonization in the late 1800s.

Bonifacio Day is a regular holiday in the Philippines, but November 30 this year became a working day. The observance of the holiday was adjusted to the November 27, the nearest Monday, as part of the government’s “holiday economics” strategy.

In his speech, Bersamin said Marcos was unable to join them at the Bonifacio Day rites because he was preparing to leave for Dubai “to attend that all-important international conference” which is the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28).

Malacañang later announced that Marcos canceled that trip at the last minute, citing “important developments in the hostage situation involving 17 Filipino seafarers in the Red Sea.” – Rappler.com