Manila’s enduring strength, forged in the devastation of World War ll, Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso on Tuesday, 3 February, said continues to lie in unity and resilience as the city commemorated the 81st anniversary of the Battle for Manila at St. Paul University Manila.

The mayor speaking before diplomats, veterans, government officials, and city leaders, Domagoso said the commemoration was not merely about recalling a date in history but about standing on “sacred ground” that once sheltered civilians during the darkest days of the 1945 battle, when large parts of Manila were destroyed.

Domagoso said, “Eighty years ago, the city was devastated, but it was also liberated. The cost was unimaginable: lives lost, families broken, a city reduced to rubble.”

Manila’s recovery after the war remains a defining lesson for the present, stressing that resilience does not mean forgetting pain but choosing to rebuild despite it, recalling his belief that the city had no path but forward after the devastation, the mayor said.

“From the ravages of war, Manila rose. And in doing so, showed the world what true resilience means,” he said.

He said the city remembers the Battle for Manila not to reopen wounds but to learn from history, heal as a people, and move forward together, emphasizing the importance of forgiveness guided by faith and conscience.

“We do not forget, but we forgive. In not forgetting, you will be reminded of what happened in the past so that the decisions we make today will carry the lessons of that story,” he said.

The mayor paid tribute to Filipino veterans present at the ceremony, calling them living witnesses whose sacrifices made today’s freedoms possible and whose lives remind Filipinos that freedom carries responsibility.

“Freedom is not free. These veterans paid—most of them—the ultimate price of our independence and freedom that we enjoy today,” Domagoso said.

Domagoso turning to present-day governance, said the threats facing Manila today may no longer come in the form of war but remain equally serious, citing disasters worsened by climate change, public health emergencies, and disinformation and cyber threats that undermine trust and social cohesion.

“For a city like Manila—dense, coastal, and deeply interconnected—these risks are not abstract; they are part of our everyday governance,” he said.

The mayor added that the central lesson of the Battle for Manila remains clear: no city survives alone.

Resilience must be anchored on preparedness and bayanihan, recalling that Manila’s postwar rebuilding was achieved through cooperation among local, national, and international partners—a spirit he said remains essential in addressing modern challenges, Domagoso said.

In closing, the mayor appealed for unity and cooperation, saying he could not rebuild Manila alone and urging all sectors to work together for the city’s future.

“Help me. Build, rebuild, make Manila prosperous. Because with your help, all of us here together, we can make Manila great again,” Domagoso said.