“I urge everyone to emulate his love for country in our endeavors as we bring to life the strong and progressive Philippines that he had envisioned for us all,” the President said.

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday called on Filipinos to be inspired by revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio’ patriotism and selflessness.

The Chief Executive made the call as he joined the entire nation in celebrating the 156th birth anniversary of Bonifacio who is branded as the “Father of the Philippine Revolution.”

In his message, Duterte hailed Bonifacio’s “courage and selflessness” to make the Philippines an “independent and vibrant nation that advances ever forward to the future.”

“Today is an auspicious occasion to reflect on Andres Bonifacio’s legacy of awakening the Filipino consciousness to fight for our freedom and build an entire nation. The Father of the Philippine Revolution has taught us to embody patriotism and take a stand against our oppressors through the civic duties we fulfill as citizens of this great country,” he said.

“I urge everyone to emulate his love for country in our endeavors as we bring to life the strong and progressive Philippines that he had envisioned for us all,” the President added.

Bonifacio led the clandestine revolutionary movement Katipunan in 1896 to fight Spanish colonial rulers.

He, however, died in 1897 not in battle but upon the order of another Katipunero, Emilio Aguinaldo.

At present, Duterte acknowledged the need to adopt Bonifacio’s “revolution” to free the country from “social ills.”

“Even in death, his (Bonifacio) great sacrifice persists to ignite the spark of meaningful change so that we can bring this nation he had left behind to greater heights,” he said.

“Up to this day, we are challenged to continue his revolution as we liberate ourselves from corruption, criminality, terrorism, illegal drugs and other social ills that continue to plague our society,” Duterte added.

Duterte is scheduled to lead the flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremonies at the Bonifacio National Shrine in Caloocan City on Saturday afternoon.

In a separate statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo expressed hope that Filipinos would emulate Bonifacio and aspire to become modern day heroes.

“As we pay tribute to the Father of Philippine Revolution, let us be inspired of his life and his bravery as the remnants of society’s ills in his time continue to haunt us, even as they remain an obstacle to unchain us from the bondage of poverty and corruption plus the evolved modern twin evil of illegal drugs and terrorism,” he said.

“Let us become the new heroes of this generation in the mold of Andres Bonifacio, to pave the way for the succeeding ones to resurrect the culture of love and nationalism that will propel this nation and country to progress and prosperity, under a regime of peace, security and life of comfort for all Filipinos,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Philippine South East Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) on Saturday enjoined all Filipinos to pay tribute to the country’s modern-day heroes: the national athletes.

“Our athletes are heroes in their own way because of the tremendous pride they bring to our nation. They deserve all the praise they can get from their fellow Filipinos, especially now that the 30th SEA Games is officially starting today,” Phisgoc chairman and Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement.

“These national athletes embody the virtues of Bonifacio. They exude courage every time they fight in their respective sports events. And they do so with the goal of bringing honor to the Philippines,” Cayetano said.

The opening ceremony of the 30th South East Asian (SEA) Games will be held on tonight, 30 November, which coincided with the annual commemoration of Bonifacio Day.

Phisgoc encouraged Filipinos to rally behind the athletes competing in the sports event by watching their games in venues near them. There will be a total of 56 sports and over 500 events that will be held in 58 various venues in Metro Manila, Central and Southern Luzon.