Marcos hails West Philippine Sea defenders on National Heroes’ Day

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. used National Heroes’ Day to spotlight a group of modern defenders whose work takes place at sea: Filipino fisherfolk and government personnel protecting the country’s waters.

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many faces

Speaking at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, Marcos named members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources alongside fisherfolk as among the “many faces” of modern-day heroism. He said they stand “at the forefront of protecting our rights, livelihoods and national interests in the West Philippine Sea.”

Marcos also framed maritime defense as a responsibility shared by the entire population. “This calls on each of us to understand our history, to know our rights, and to take part in protecting the national interests,” he said.

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at the forefront of protecting our rights, livelihoods and national interests in the West Philippine Sea

The message was echoed outside the Chinese Embassy in Makati, where protesters against China’s trespassing in Philippine waters commemorated the holiday. Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, called on Filipinos to “shed our defeatist mindset” in defending sovereignty. “Defeatism never represented what our heroes stood for,” Tarriela said.

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This calls on each of us to understand our history, to know our rights, and to take part in protecting the national interests

Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. separately urged youth ambassadors to remember Philippine Rise, a largely unprotected maritime area northeast of the archipelago. He described it as a source of potential sustenance and energy for future generations.

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shed our defeatist mindset