Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. paid tribute to Filipino and American veterans at the US Veterans Day 2026 commemoration held in Taguig City on November 7, 2026, urging present generations to preserve the freedoms and shared values they fought for.
The Department of National Defense (DND) chief attended the event and stressed that honoring veterans must go beyond commemorative ceremonies.
Personal Sacrifices Beyond Combat
According to the DND press release, Secretary Teodoro drew attention to the full breadth of what military service costs — not only battlefield risks, but the ordinary possibilities that servicemen and servicewomen set aside when they answered the call to duty.
"When they chose or found themselves in the crossroad of serving their countries in the profession of arms, they removed other options in their lives: the chance to perhaps chase a dream, the chance to have higher education, the chance to have a family, or the chance to continue caring for their families," Teodoro said, as quoted in the DND statement.
The Defense Secretary further distinguished between two groups equally deserving of recognition — those who perished in service, who merit remembrance, and those who survived, who merit genuine and continuing care.
Shared Histories, Common Cause
Teodoro also addressed the historical bond between the Philippines and the United States, framing Filipino and American veterans as central figures in both nations' histories, in a shared fight for common values and against aggression.
"These veterans being protagonists in both and all our country's histories, in a common fight for shared values, in a common fight to repulse aggression, they serve as inspirations to the continuing fight for active preservation of the freedoms that we enjoy, and to build the patrimony that both our countries' future generations deserve," the Secretary said, according to the DND.
The DND statement said Teodoro's address reaffirmed the foundation of Philippines-United States partnership, grounded in a shared record of service, sacrifice, and commitment to freedom.
Responsibility That Outlasts Any Ceremony
The Defense Secretary also issued a challenge to present generations, warning that failing to uphold the values veterans defended would amount to squandering the very sacrifice being commemorated.
"However, the greater sacrifice is to continue and not waste the sacrifice they made. That is the ultimate duty that we owe those… who chose an option or found themselves in a situation where we are living today because of them," Teodoro said, as quoted in the DND press release issued by releasing authority Assistant Secretary Arsenio R. Andolong.
Source: Department of National Defense