President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday led the commemoration of the 105th birth anniversary of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., with a promise of a "rebirth of his father's dreams" under his administration.
Marcos Jr., along with his mother, former first lady Imelda Marcos attended a Mass for the late president at his grave at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City.
In his speech, he extended their family's gratitude to their longtime supporters, specifically to those who never "turned their backs" on them.
"I would just like, on behalf of the Marcos family, to thank you all for joining us to commemorate once again the birthday of President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos," he said.
"But my gratitude is not just for today but for being with us and supporting us every year. What I can only offer in return is a good performance in the coming years," he added.
Marcos said the commemoration of his father's birthday was to "keep his memory alive."
"It is a rebirth, of not perhaps the physical body of Ferdinand Marcos, but it is a rebirth of his dreams, of his wisdom, of his love for his country," he said.
"So let us keep that [applause] let us keep that flame alive. It is reborn. Let us keep it strong and bright and let it guide us through all that we do in the future in the service of our beloved Philippines," he added.
Later in the day, Marcos also attended the ceremony at the "Daytoy ti Bannawag" monument in Batac City, Ilocos Norte, where he also delivered a speech.
He underscored that his win in the 2022 presidential elections was not just for their family's supporters.
"This victory belongs to all of us, not just Ilokanos, not just family members, not just the supporters not just the loyalists, but Filipinos this victory belongs to," he said.
Likewise, the chief executive expressed his belief that the second Marcos presidency was the "rebirth of the Philippines."
"We return now, and that is why I consider it, in a way, a rebirth of [the] Philippines because we return to the values we have learned from President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos. We return to the values of honor, and of duty, and of compassion," he said.
"These are the elements that sometimes we have found lacking in the past few years, and this is our opportunity to return it, not only to the government but to every part of our society," he added.
Meanwhile, other members of the First Family also attended separate events in the province.
Senator Imee Marcos led the distribution and feeding program of Nutribun, while First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and sons Simon and Vincent Marcos, and Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc, lead the wreath-laying ceremony in Laoag, Ilocos Norte
