Duterte's New Year message: Brighter days ahead
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte welcomed the new year filled with hope, saying the country will see better days, thanks to the steadfast spirit of Filipinos.
The Philippines, which has the second worst outbreak in Southeast Asia, ushered in 2021 under the shadow of the world’s longest lockdown, dampening traditionally upbeat celebrations as authorities fear a post-holiday spike in coronavirus cases.
Duterte acknowledged the difficulties and trials that marred 2020, a tumultuous year that saw 474,064 COVID-19 cases, including 9,244 deaths, in the Philippines. The pandemic also forced millions of Filipinos to stay home and left many unemployed as the government grapples to contain the virus.
“The COVID-19 pandemic may have cost us so many lives and material resources, but we also learned so much from it. We realized the value of human life and our relationships with each other. We understood what it means to be a family, a community, a nation. We learned to share and to look after the welfare of our brethren,” Duterte said in his New Year message Friday.
The president described the first day of the year as a “time for new beginnings and a time to be hopeful.”
“Now, we march on to a new year wiser, stronger and more prepared for the challenges ahead,” Duterte said.
“Let our grateful hearts guide and inspire us to always do good and make a difference in the world. I am confident that all of us will see brighter days ahead because we believe in the indomitable spirit of the Filipino,” he added.
The Philippine government is pinning its hopes on COVID-19 vaccines to help end the health crisis. It is aiming to inoculate 24.7 million Filipinos in the first part of the vaccination program.
Robredo: Band together, share message of hope
In a New Year message released Thursday, Vice President Leni Robredo urged Filipinos to share the message of hope with one another.
“This day—the first day of the first month of a new year—reminds us that there is always a new beginning, a chance to recover, with tomorrow promising that we can make it more comfortable, more prosperous, more humane than yesterday,” Robredo said.
The vice president also called on people to continue working together as they enter 2021.
“The virus will not disappear just because we are going to change the calendar. Let us continue to be careful and follow health protocols,” she said. — Gaea Katreena Cabico with report from Alexis Romero
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