PRESERVING INDEPENDENCE. Emilio Aguinaldo Suntay III, the great-grandson of President Emilio Aguinaldo from his youngest child Cristina, underscores unity and Filipinos’ personal improvement that will help the country preserve its independence during the 124th Philippine Independence Day celebration program in Baguio City on Sunday (June 12, 2022). Suntay said the country is facing various challenges but Filipinos together will make the country free. (PNA photo screenshot of the event)
BAGUIO CITY – The great-grandson of former President Emilio Aguinaldo said unity among all Filipinos and their effort to improve themselves play a vital role in the country’s preservation of independence.
“As guardians and caretakers of the flag, unity is so important. Ang dami nating magagawa kung sama-sama tayo (we can do a lot if we are together). Every now and then, we voice our opinion and our thinking but after the election, it is time to unite and be our chosen leader. Pray to God that we are all healthy,” Emilio Aguinaldo Suntay III said during the 124th Independence Day celebration program of the city at the Baguio Convention Center.
The Aguinaldo Foundation has established an Aguinaldo museum here where the flag brought by President Aguinaldo after fighting off both the Spanish and the Americans in different places in Northern Luzon has been housed.
Suntay said the flag is just a symbol of the country’s independence but as an individual, each can contribute a lot to the country’s preservation of independence, which the forebears have worked hard to achieve.
“Our response should be to be productive and creative kasi (because) creative ang mga Pilipino (Filipinos are creative). This is an important responsibility that we have to be productive and as Filipinos, let us bring out our creativity because it can help financial freedom and financial capabilities so that we can defend our country,” he said.
Suntay said Filipinos should not rely on foreign aid because it would mean “tolerance to the giver”.
“Productivity in your own right, in your work para ang mga tao magawa nila ang gusto nila (so that people can do what they want to do), they can be the best that they can be without being better than anybody,” he added.
Suntay said belief and praying to God, as well as building individual self-confidence, also contribute to the preservation of the country’s independence.
He said Filipinos should also look at the history of the country which is “full of stories” that can be a source of confidence to build oneself.
“Wag natin i-bring down (let us not put it down). It is good to be humble but it is also important to be confident and we can achieve what our forefathers achieved and maybe even more especially the young people. You will go up higher than (our) ancestors, marami tayong glorious history na pwede nating hanguan ng confidence (we have a lot of glorious history which can be a source of inspiration),” he added. (PNA)
