President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. leads the nationwide celebration of ‘Araw ng Kalayaan’ in commemoration of the 125th Anniversary of Philippine Independence and Nationhood with a flag raising ceremony at the Rizal Park Monument in the City of Manila on Monday June 12, 2023. 

Ahead of the Philippines’ 126th Independence Day, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday underscored the importance of continuing the fight for freedom, especially in protecting the Philippines’ territory and sovereignty.

Marcos Jr. made no mention of any country, but he gave the statement in his vlog with snippets of his keynote speech at the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Shangri La Dialogue where he implicitly lambasted China’s illegal incursions in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

“Sa nakaraang 126 taon at hanggang ngayon ay patuloy nating pinaglalaban ang ating kalayaan, kalayaan sa iba’t ibang aspeto ng ating pagka-Pilipino, higit dito, kalayaan sa ating teritoryo at ating soberanya,” the President said in a vlog uploaded on his social media pages.

The government has been launching cultural projects to continuously preserve the identity of Filipinos, the Chief Executive said as he urged Filipinos to actively participate in events commemorating the Philippines’ 126th Independence Day on June 12.

Among the government-sponsored Independence Day activities from June 10 to 12 are cooking competitions, chili-eating contests and obstacle courses along the stretch of Luneta, the President said.

There will also be booths selling local products, a parade showcasing 22 floats, and a free concert at the Quirino Grandstand featuring the girl group BINI, he said.