Kalayaan, Sa Bawat Tinig ng Mamamayan | People’s Press PH

By Sherman Calotes | Philippine People's Press 

Today, as the nation commemorates the 127th anniversary of Philippine Independence, we once again raise our flags high not merely as a symbol of our history, but as a continuing reminder of what it means to be truly free.

On June 12, 1898, the Filipino people declared independence from Spanish colonial rule, with General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaiming sovereignty in Kawit, Cavite. It was a moment forged by decades of resistance, sacrifice, and the unyielding courage of revolutionaries who dreamed of a nation governed by Filipinos, for Filipinos.

Yet, more than a century later, what does "kalayaan" mean in today’s context?

In an era defined by fast-moving information, economic uncertainty, and global shifts, freedom must go beyond flags and parades. Freedom now must speak in the language of justice, truth, equality, and opportunity. It must reflect in how we protect the rights of the poor, the farmers, the laborers, the youth, the marginalized, and the press.

Freedom means having access to education, healthcare, fair wages, and safe communities. It means holding leaders accountable without fear, expressing opinions without suppression, and dreaming without limits.

At Philippine People’s Press, we believe that freedom is most alive when the people are heard when truth is written fearlessly, when the masses are informed critically, and when the powerless are given a voice. As we honor our past, we must also reckon with our present: Are we still fighting for the same ideals our heroes died for? Or have we become complacent under the illusion of liberty?

This Independence Day, may we remember that kalayaan is not a finished story it is a daily duty, written not just in government halls or classrooms, but in every household, community, and headline.

Let us be reminded: A nation is only as free as its most silenced citizen. And the call to freedom must always echo from the people  loud, strong, and unstoppable.

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas. Mabuhay ang malayang mamamayan.

Philippine People's Press | In Truth We Prevail