Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte- Carpio and Senator-elect Francis Tolentino led the symbolical offering of flowers in the Jose Rizal monument along with all department heads of the local government and some dignitaries from the embassy of Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Indonesia. (Kath M. Cortez/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio appealed to Dabawenyos to be compassionate in helping others to show they value the freedom gained by Filipinos centuries ago.
Speaking in today’s program for Kalayaan 2019, the city mayor cited the compassion and courage of the Filipinos in fighting against the colonizers for the freedom of the country. Dabawenyos should also embody the same trait to help those in need just like what happened in the history of the struggle for Philippine Independence, she added.
“The freedom we gained 121 years ago will be nothing if we do not help each other out today, let us have the courage to be compassionate,” she said.
The mayor also called on Dabawenyos to become “free from indifference” as an initiate to value the fruit of freedom.
“Let us reach out to our fellowmen and women, let us empower the vulnerable and the disadvantaged, let us be brave enough to care,” she added.
Meanwhile, Senator-elect Francis Tolentino who also graced the program as guest speaker recognized the “unsung heroes of Mindanao” who also fought for the independence of the country against the Spaniards and the Americans.
Tolentino said only a few history books have written about the historical participation of the Mindanaoan revolt in the quest for freedom and independence. He mentioned names of local patriots such as Nicolas Capistrano, Apolinar Velez, Vicente Roa, Apolinaryo Pabayo, Rufino Veloso, Simeon Ledesma, Kapitan Daligdin of Misamis Occidental, Simon and Wenceslao Gonzales of Surigao, Datu Uto and Datu Ali of Cotabato, as well as Amay Pakpak of Marawi City.
Senator-elect Francis Tolentino as the guest of honor for the 121st Independence Day at the Kalayaan 2019 commemoration program in Davao City. (Kath M. Cortez/davaotoday.com)
“These were great unsung heroes of Mindanao who similarly offered their lives to attain freedom and claim for the fruits of liberty we now enjoy,” said Tolentino.
Tolentino’s speech also reminded Dabawenyos on the sovereignty of the country as part of its freedom. He reminded the public what was General Emilio Aguinaldo once said in his speech on the day of the independence, “the Philippines is for the Filipino”.
“In the recent times where there is still a threat of intimidation of those who occupy our small islands in the western part of the ocean of our country, we should be strong and strengthen our unity to keep our right territories that are within the nation’s jurisdiction,” he said.
Despite the presence of some dignitaries from China, the senator-elect frankly speak on the country’s right over the West Philippine Sea.
But later on in an interview, he clarified that the Senate should still wait for the President’s decision on the matter of diplomacy and relation.
Tolentino said despite the freedom that we have gained over the years of struggle; many of the Filipinos remain as a “slaves” in foreign countries as they vie for a better life for their family in the Philippines. He also mentioned the nation’s mineral resources have remained exported to other countries that are both an integral part of the nation’s celebration of freedom. (davaotoday.com)
