By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet

“It is a legacy of service, it is a legacy of sacrifice.”

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. cited such a catchphrase that best summarizes the works of his father and namesake, the late President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos, at the 108th birth anniversary of the 10th Philippine president in Batac, Ilocos Norte this Thursday.

In his speech, Marcos fondly remembered some of the lessons taught to him by his father when he was young, which he continues to carry forward as the 17th president of the Philippines.

The President reminisced, “I always remember when I was a young boy, he would constantly say: ‘Never take the easy way out.’ If that’s the way things are done, we’ll just go with the flow, and that is something that was an anthem of his thinking and of all his policies.”

He added further, “If we continue to think of ways to help our people, one of the many things that he would often tell me: ‘Do not go by the path that is well-trodden. Make your own way, because if you follow other people, you will end up in just the same place.’”

Rising to the challenges

President Marcos moreover emphasized the words “dignity” and “sacrifice” in honoring the works of his father, whose life as a public servant revolved around these principles.

The Chief Executive concluded his remarks by stressing the importance of upholding the dignity of Filipino people and making sacrifices for the betterment of the nation, which he touts as crucial in bringing progress and change to the Southeast Asian nation.

“We will not allow any great power, any person, to humiliate or to put down any Filipino. We must also always remember that we must do the right thing, that despite the difficulties, we must always find ourselves on the right side of history.”

“And we must always continue to sacrifice and to remember that sometimes, the best thing to do, the most honorable thing to do, is the hardest thing that you have to do. But that is a sacrifice that we make, and that is a commitment that we have to the service of Filipino people.”

Also present at the event were Batac City Mayor Marky Chua, Ilocos Norte Governor Cecilia Araneta-Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative and Majority Floor Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, and Former First Lady Imelda Marcos.

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