National Heroes Day is an annual celebration of the martyrdom of great Filipinos. It is one of the regular holidays that has been part of the annual list of holidays in the Philippines.
Since August 29 falls on a Monday, it will be another long weekend for employees who will not be reporting for work during the said date. Students will also have more time doing their assigned projects at home.
Did you know that in the past, National Heroes Day was being celebrated on November 30? Below is a National Heroes Day Message of President Manuel Roxas in November 30, 1946 as provided in the Philippine government's Official Gazette.
NATIONAL HEROES’ DAY MESSAGE
November 30, 1946
For the first time in our history, we can observe National Heroes’ Day this year with the pride and dignity of a free people. We have achieved our heroes’ noblest dream—we are now independent. We have acquired title to the priceless heritage of freedom which many generations of Filipino heroes and martyrs have tended with their own blood to bequeath to us. The symbolism of reverence to our heroic dead has thus become perfected, our debt of gratitude to them full and complete.In a very special sense, this is the first real National Heroes’ Day. For today our heroes can rejoice in their scattered graves happy in the thought that their strivings have ended, their dream of liberty fulfilled. Henceforth, it will be for us of this and coming generations to take up the mantle and fight the second phase of the battle—that of national survival and progress. Our forbears have fought to make of this a free and independent nation. Ours is to make this young nation live and grow and prosper.We shall need in the new struggle a different type of heroism. We shall need heroes of peace. But for this new type of heroism, the same quality and standard of selfless faith and devotion, the same unflinching loyalty to the national cause, the same daring spirit and the same singleness and unity of purpose that lent eternal greatness to our heroes’ deeds in the past, will be required. They are the absolute condition to our future success as a free nation.A pledge and a resolve to live up, in our peaceful labors, to the virtues and standard set by the stalwarts of our race, sires of our national emancipation, would be a worthy thought for this memorable day.
