Marcos leads commemoration of father’s 105th birthday

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos yesterday led the commemoration of the 105th birth anniversary of his late father and namesake, citing the former leader’s dreams and love for country.

Wearing a red shirt, Marcos and other members of his family, including his mother, former first lady Imelda Marcos and sister Irene, attended a mass at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City yesterday morning.

Former president Rodrigo Duterte allowed the burial of the late dictator at the heroes’ cemetery in 2016 amid strong opposition from martial law victims and human rights defenders.

In his brief remarks, the 64-year-old Marcos thanked all the attendees, especially their family’s long-time supporters, who pay their respects every year to show their love for his departed father.

“My gratitude is not only for this day, my gratitude is for the years you never leave us,” the younger Marcos said in Filipino, drawing cheers and applause from Marcos loyalists, some of whom were clad in red shirts.

Red was the Marcoses’ campaign color.

“There’s only one way I can repay you for your support and love, the good performances I will do in the coming years,” the President said.

Marcos also defended yesterday’s celebration from his critics.

“And I think it is only to keep – that we do this to keep his memory alive. It is a rebirth, of not, perhaps, the physical body of Ferdinand Marcos Sr., but it is a rebirth of his dreams, of his wisdom, of his love for his country,” he said.

“So let us keep that flame alive. It is reborn. Let us keep it strong and bright, and let it guide us through all that we do in the future in the service of our beloved Philippines,” he added.

The elder Marcos, whose 21-year term was tainted with allegations of human rights abuse and corruption, was ousted during the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.

Rebirth

In his message during the Marcos Day celebration in Batac City, Ilocos Norte, the President underscored the “rebirth” of the Philippines under his presidency.

“I think it is very appropriate, especially this year. I think it’s a very meaningful celebration of my father’s birthday, because it is very clear that there is very much – there has been very much a rebirth in the country,” he said.

“With the mandate that our people have given us … we’ll return now, that’s why I consider it in a way a rebirth of the Philippines, because we return the values that we had learned from President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos. We return to the values of honor, of duty, and of compassion,” he added.

The Chief Executive lamented that these are the elements that were lacking in the past few years.

“This is our opportunity to return it not only to (the) government, but also to every part of our society,” he said.

“So, let this be once again a kind of beginning – a beginning that, in fact, returns to the oldest days and the old ways. Not the old ways of doing things, but the old ways of service, of honor, of dignity of love, of compassion, of patriotism,” he added.

Marcos emphasized that the things that he mentioned are the things that the nation learned from his father.

“These are the things we keep in our heart. And these are things that will guide this administration,” he said.

Meanwhile, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and the President’s sister, Sen. Imee Marcos, led the celebration of the late former president’s birth anniversary in his hometown in Batac, Ilocos Norte yesterday morning.

The President declared today a special non-working day in the province of Ilocos Norte through Proclamation 53 to mark his father’s 105th birth anniversary.

The proclamation stated that the Office of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan requested that Sept. 12, 2022 be declared a special non-working day in lieu of Sept. 11, a Sunday, “to enable the people of Ilocos Norte to celebrate the occasion.”

After attending the mass at the heroes’ cemetery, the Chief Executive graced the natnateng or vegetable cooking competition at the Imelda Cultural Center in Batac City as part of the celebration.

During the event, Marcos received birthday cakes from his relatives and kailians or townmates.

Marcos, who will turn 65 tomorrow, was also serenaded by fellow Ilocanos with their traditional birthday song.

Marcos Sr. died while in exile in Hawaii in September 1989 at the age of 72.

In 1993, the government allowed Marcos Sr.’s widow to bring his body to the Philippines, but refused her demand for a hero’s burial.

The late strongman’s body was interred in a glass crypt at the Marcos Museum and Mausoleum in Batac City for years.