More than a century ago, Filipinos stood by that desire, bled and fell, and gave birth to the first republic in Asia. We commemorate that moment today, the 113th Independence Day of our nation, with the theme Kalayaan: Paninindigan ng Bayan.
We celebrate Independence Day not because it is part of history, but because it is a continuing realization of our nation's story. As the theme suggests, freedom is a nation's resolve, stand and commitment. Today such dedication to freedom, absent any form of foreign oppression, could manifest in various ways.
The administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III is committed to pursuing the most basic metric of freedom — freedom from poverty.
To pursue this, the government's goal is “to create jobs at home so that there will be no need to look for employment abroad.” But as we work toward this end, the president called on the “Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and other relevant agencies to be even more responsive to the needs and welfare of our overseas Filipino workers.”
The department is also stepping up its efforts to help bring more investments into the country to provide employment to Filipinos so that, in time, our countrymen will no longer have to go abroad to earn a decent living and be able to fend for their families.
And how should overseas Filipinos profess their love for their country? In ways more than one can think of. But for me, it is in channeling back to the Philippines the positive outcome of their experiences in other countries to enhance and invigorate the vast political, economic, and socio-cultural platforms of the country, paramount of which is to spur our national economy. The essence of celebrating Independence Day is in realizing that we all share in the toil of nation building. This way, we can truly profess love to our country.
. Happy Independence Day to all!
