Duterte says 2022 a chance to aim higher

President Rodrigo Duterte said Friday that the New Year offers an opportunity to aim higher.

"As we take a whole-of-nation approach to recover and build back better, may we all be inspired by the promise of new beginnings that the New Year brings. We are given a fresh start and opportunity to aim higher and to do things better-in the spirit of genuine malasakit at pagbabago (compassion and change)," Duterte said in his New Year's message.

"Let all our aspirations and actions be guided by our strong sense of nationhood and our deep faith in the Almighty. May we also find a stronger and higher purpose in our lives so that we may pursue only what is good for our families, communities and the entire nation," he added.

The President also praised the Filipino people's resilience in the face of adversity. 

He said the dedication and courage of medical and essential frontliners, uniformed services, civilian personnel, and volunteers "demonstrate what great things we can achieve if we work in solidarity." 

"Let us cherish all that we have experienced in the previous year, including our struggles and victories in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic and the ravages of Typhoon Odette. Indeed, we have been through many challenging times but our distinct resilience and bayanihan spirit allowed us to prevail and come out stronger," Duterte said.  — VBL, GMA News