Rodrigo Duterte
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday called on Filipinos to appreciate their experiences the previous year and to be inspired by the promise of new beginnings, which represents a chance to do better.
“As we take a whole-of-nation approach to recover and build back better, may we all be inspired by the promise of new beginnings that the New Year brings. Now, we are given a fresh start and opportunity to aim higher and to do things better—in the spirit of genuine malasakit (compassion) and pagbabago (change),” the president said in his New Year message.
Duterte said Filipinos should appreciate what they had been through as they had managed to survive.
“As we welcome the New Year 2022 with much hope, let us cherish all that we have experienced in the previous year, including our struggles and victories in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic and the ravages of Typhoon ‘Odette’ (international name: Rai),” he said.
He said the Filipinos’ “distinct resilience and bayanihan spirit” allowed them to overcome the challenges and to become stronger.
“Every day, we continue to witness the indomitable spirit of the Filipino that adapts, endures and triumphs over adversities. The dedication and courage of our people — especially of our medical and essential front-liners, uniformed services, civilian personnel and volunteers — demonstrate what great things we can achieve if we work in solidarity,” he said.
Leni Robredo
He also hoped Filipinos would be guided by their strong sense of nationhood and deep faith in the Lord.
“May we also find a stronger and higher purpose in our lives so that we may pursue only what is good for our families, communities and the entire nation,” he added.
On New Year’s Eve, Vice President Leni Robredo, who is running for president in 2022, once again emphasized how Filipinos got through another year of the pandemic through their collective strength, and expressed hope that Filipinos could continue to “share in each other’s burdens.”
“This is a time for renewed hopes, renewed chances and renewed strength to face what lies ahead. This is also a time to look back at the year that passed, and the lesson that came along with it: that despite the many difficulties we faced, we pulled through because we joined hands and helped one another,” she said.
“We look forward to a brighter and more prosperous 2022 because we understand that there is strength to be drawn from each other, and that this strength will always be enough to get us through any challenge that lies ahead,” Robredo added.