June 12, 2009, Friday

Speech of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile
in celebration of the 111th Philippine Independence Day
and the 50th Anniversary of Legazpi City, Albay

Officials of Legazpi City led by the dynamic and indefatigable Mayor Noel Rosal, the lovely and industrious people of your town, dear friends, ladies and gentlemen, a pleasant morning to all of you.

It is an honor and a privilege to join you and be with you as the whole nation commemorates the 111th Independence Day of our beloved country. This significant occasion is made even more meaningful because today is also the 50th anniversary of Legazpi as a chartered city. These two important milestones bring us together, bound by our history as Filipino people and by our common goal of helping this country become a great nation once again.

I have always looked forward to visiting Legazpi City, not only because of its natural beauty and abundance of sumptuous fest and delicacies that the Bicol region is known for but, more importantly, because of the warmth and hospitality of the people of your city and the neighboring municipalities as well. Under the leadership of your local officials, I am aware that Legazpi city has achieved considerable socio-economic progress in the last few months.

The city of Legazpi used to be associated with only Mount Mayon. Known for its perfect shape, this volcano has erupted more than 40 times in the last 400 years. While thousands of lives and properties where destroyed each time Mount Mayon emitted thick smoke and lava, such destruction has, on the other hand, paved the way for reforms to take place in the community life as well as the personal lives of the people therein. Needless to say, the history of Legazpi City is replete with struggles for independence and liberation from foreign powers.

[1]But through sheer hard work and the people’s indomitable spirit which the people of Legazpi are known for, Legazpi City has always managed to rise above each and every tragedy, and has now even emerged as a pro-active partner in the campaign for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

Today, as we commemorate our nation’s 111th independence day, may our hearts be filled with gratitude and appreciation for the immense sacrifices made by hundreds of thousands of Filipinos who valiantly fought for our nation’s freedom and liberty. Let this be a time to remember our nation’s heroes and be inspired by their valor and strength of character as we all move to propel our nation to greater political and economic heights.

Having been in the government service for more than forty years, and now approaching the sunset years of my life, I must tell you that I have always been awed by our people’s strong resolve to zealously protect our freedom – a legacy of our nation’s founding fathers.

Today, I am very proud that we remain relentless in the pursuit of democratic ideals and values, even if intermittent political storms threaten the independence of our democratic institutions.

It is my profound wish that each Filipino will not take for granted the freedom and independence we are enjoying right now. We must continue to honor our nation’s heroes by not forgetting the immense sacrifice they made so that this generation and the generations yet unborn can live freely in this country we call our own.

Thank you very much. May God bless our nation and the Filipino people.