President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged Filipinos to honor the nation’s heroes not only through remembrance but also by practicing compassion and service in daily life, as the country marked National Heroes’ Day on August 25, 2025.
“I stand in solidarity with the entire Filipino people as we commemorate our National Heroes’ Day,” Marcos said in his official message. He paid tribute to Filipinos who “selflessly offered themselves for the good of our nation,” describing their sacrifices as the fire that shaped the country’s destiny.
The President stressed that heroism is not confined to history books or celebrated figures alone. “Nation-building is a constant and unrelenting endeavor, and heroes and heroines are needed throughout the life of a country,” he said. He cited farmers, fisherfolk, workers, teachers, soldiers, law enforcers, scientists, and countless other Filipinos who fulfill their duties in extraordinary ways as today’s embodiments of heroism.
National Heroes’ Day, observed every last Monday of August, commemorates the Cry of Pugad Lawin (1896), which ignited the Philippine Revolution against Spanish colonial rule. Once fixed on August 30, the holiday was moved to its current schedule under Republic Act No. 9492 in 2007 to allow Filipinos to reflect while spending time with family. Unlike Rizal Day or Bonifacio Day, it is dedicated not to a single individual but to all heroes—known and unknown—who defended Philippine freedom.
Marcos emphasized that honoring the past must go hand in hand with present action. “As we continue on our journey of nationhood, let us emulate their examples by manifesting our patriotism through acts of genuine service to our people,” he said. “Through simple but meaningful acts of compassion to our brothers and sisters, we can be our generation’s heroes, bringing forth the Bagong Pilipinas we aspire.”
