Press Release
October 20, 2019

75th year of Leyte landing reminds us of that we Filipinos are brave and selfless -- Pangilinan

Seventy-five years ago today, the largest naval battle in the Pacific was fought and won in Leyte. It marked the beginning of the end of all wars in our shores.

As we commemorate the story of the Leyte landing and of the Philippine liberation, let us remember that this important saga of our history was woven not just by the resolve of an individual, but the stories of thousands upon thousands of brave men and women who came together in defense of freedom.

Most importantly, we honor the valor of our Filipino fighters, now our war veterans who made up the resistance movement against foreign occupation. Their experiences encapsulate the idea that in any war, it is the ordinary soldier and the unarmed civilian who suffer the most. After the conflict, they are left with the huge task of rising from the rubble and rebuilding their lives and the nation.

From this experience, we should come up with a common resolve to never again allow humanity to undergo the same terrors and losses, especially from preventable man-made wars. As it is, the Filipinos are engaged in their everyday battle for survival -- to get to work, to bring food on the table, to land a decent job, to find means to study, to cure an illness.

It is the Filipinos' spirit, toughness, and perseverance -- as inspired by our war veterans in their battle for freedom -- that keep us going to overcome the challenges we face now.

Such courage and selflessness are innate in the Filipino. This is us.

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