The Cebu City government offered flowers at the monument of Andres Bonifacio located within Plaza Independencia. | CDND PHOTO / Delta Dyrecka Letigio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Wake up and fight the ills of society in the same manner that the Filipino hero, Andres Bonifacio, fought for our independence from Spain.
This was the challenge of Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella to Cebuanos during the commemoration of the 156th birthday of the Filipino hero on Saturday morning, November 30.
Labella led the ceremonies, which started at 8 a.m. and attended by around 100 city hall employees, police, Knights of Columbus and other spectators.
Labella offered flowers to the hero at his monument located within Plaza Independencia.
In his speech, the mayor described Bonifacio as a man of actions, who complemented Dr. Jose Rizal, who fought through words.
Labella said the two heroes are worthy of emulation.
He said modern Filipinos should live their lives with courage in words and actions so there is justice in the lives sacrificed by Bonifacio and Rizal.
Labella said Bonifacio’s commemoration should be a reminder for Cebuanos to wake up and face the truth on the ills of society, which include illegal drugs, poverty, unemployment and political division.
“This generation is still fighting so many battles. Perhaps, we are no longer fighting foreign subjugation, but we have also serious battles to fight. We still have to fight the social menace of illegal drugs, corruption, cybersex, exploitation of women,” said Labella.
The mayor took the chance to call on President Rodrigo Duterte to end human trafficking and disallow Filipinas to work as domestic helpers in countries that have been known to abuse women.
“Let us pass [a] legislation that will no longer send Filipinas as domestic helpers to countries such in the Middle East [known to abuse women] because these women will be at risk of slavery, sexual exploitation,” he said.
Labella urged the youth to be ‘woke and to play an active part in the rehabilitation of the nation’ / celr