President Rodrigo Duterte honored the healthcare workers, who sacrifice their lives in the COVID-19 pandemic as the nation celebrates National Heroes Day.

"I join the entire Filipino nation in celebrating National Heroes Day. With pride and joy, we honor the noble sacrifices of our ancestors who fought to celebrate our country and establish the thriving democracy that we are today," he said.

"As we overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, let us honor our modern day heroes, our medical frontliners and all essential workers who sacrifice their lives, comfort and security to serve our fellow Filipinos. May we all learn from the valiant example of the past and present heroes and build on them to achieve a stronger future for all," he added.

In a separate message, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the "Department of National Defense pays tribute to the heroes of our history who offered their lives and sacrificed for our country".

"Despite the odds, our forebears fought side-by-side against the Spaniards, the Americans and the Japanese to defend our nation. More recently, we have witnessed heroism amongst our troops in protecting Zamboanga and Marawi against those who threatened to destroy our institutions and way of life," he said.

Lorenzana also called for the nation to unite against the fight against the coronavirus disease.

"Today, we take inspiration from their legacy and heroism as we battle a new and dangerous invader, the COVID-19 virus. The challenges we currently face call upon all of us to become heroes ourselves," he said.

"It is true that everyone of us can be a hero who will take care and defend our people. By following the health protocols and support to the program like vaccination we will protect not only ourselves but also our community. Like our heroes we can only win our fight if we will unite and help each other," said Lorenzana.

"Amidst the challenges brought by the pandemic, I hope that we will be inspired by our modern and previous heroes for us to do our responsibilities and unite for the welfare of our nation," he added. Robina Asido/DMS