President Marcos aptly put it during his remarks at the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Command in Palawan last Sunday that “we are not in the business wars – our ambition is to provide a peaceful and prosperous life for every Filipino.”
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, admiration and appreciation for OFWs, particularly nurses and health care professionals, poured in from people like British media personality Piers Morgan, who described them as “unsung heroes.” Every visitor who comes to the Philippines says Filipinos are warm, friendly and hospitable. We are a good people – and we are also proud to be regarded as kind, imbued with humanitarian compassion for those who are in need of help.
During the battle, 900 Filipinos surrounded by thousands of Chinese soldiers lost all contact with the outside world but bravely resisted enemy offensives in two days of fierce fighting – enabling the 65th Infantry Regiment of the US 3rd Infantry to withdraw. President Marcos said “…We will not resort to the use of force or intimidation, or deliberately inflict injury or harm to anyone. But at the same time, we stand firm. Our calm and peaceful disposition should not be mistaken for acquiescence” – because that is precisely the kind of people that Filipinos are.