MANILA -- As the Philippines commemorates National Heroes Day, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. urged all Filipinos on Monday to unleash their heroism and let it ignite their dedication toward a progressive new Philippines.

In his National Heroes Day message, President Marcos recognized the efforts not only of the most known heroes who fought for the honor and dignity that every Filipino enjoys today but also of the unsung heroes who played pivotal roles in shaping the Philippines.

“If all of this means anything, it is that each of us has the capacity to be a hero of our nation. Hence, on this year’s ‘National Heroes Day,’ I enjoin every Filipino across the globe to celebrate with a renewed understanding and sense of pride for the fortitude that is naturally abundant in our hearts as a people,” President Marcos said.

“As we recognize our forebears whose uncelebrated legacies our society is built on, let us also realize our own power to become heroes for our families and communities. May this consciousness then ignite us to be dedicated in our agenda of creating a new Philippines that is strong, prosperous, resilient, and secure for present and future generations,” he added.

President Marcos said that the Filipino people should never forget the many heroes and heroines who dedicated their lives to all the liberties that everyone enjoys today including the many lesser-known and unnamed Filipinos who played important roles in shaping the country.

The President said that the unsung heroes have proven that heroism is not limited to the Herculean as it also includes the honest, earnest, and compassionate living that people do every day.

The commemoration of National Heroes Day began during the American Colonial Period, which was first enacted into law on Oct. 28, 1931, through Act No. 3827, declaring the last Sunday of August of every year an official national holiday.

Before the Second World War in the Pacific, the *last* National Heroes Day commemoration happened on Nov. 30, 1941.

On March 20, 1942, former President Jose P. Laurel signed Executive Order No. 20, which set the National Heroes Day on Nov. 30. After the war, former President Elpidio Quirino reverted the date of the commemoration back to the last Sunday of August.

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, however, signed into law Republic Act No. 9492, placing the National Heroes Day observance on the last Monday of August as part of her “Holiday Economics” program in a bid to reduce work disruptions by moving holidays to the nearest Monday or Friday of the week. (PND)