The Philippines commemorates Independence Day

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr led this year's celebration of Independence Day by vowing to "never again to be subservient to any external force" and freeing the country's citizens from poverty and hunger.

"The heroes of our liberation would be proud to know that we have thrown off the 'ominous yoke of domination', never again to be subservient to any external force that directs or determines our destiny," Marcos said during the celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence.

He said the Philippines has stayed the course and adhered to the ideals of a free and independent country — "popular, representative and responsible".

The annual event commemorates the first time that Emilio Aguinaldo, general of the Filipino revolutionary forces, proclaimed the sovereignty and independence of the Philippines after more than 300 years of Spanish colonial rule. The proclamation was held in Aguinaldo's hometown in the northern Cavite province.

Marcos delivered his speech at the Quirino Grandstand in the capital Manila. Marcos' family, government officials and veterans of World War II attended the event.

This is the first time that Marcos celebrated Independence Day as Philippine president. He said that 125 years after Aguinaldo proclaimed the Southeast Asian nation's independence, his administration view the country's development in terms of freedom.

"It is said that there are manifold 'unfreedoms' prevailing in society that stand in the way of human development. These are the corrosive, political and social conditions that make the nation not as free as we would like to profess and to believe, such as poverty, inadequate economic opportunities," he said.

Marcos said the government "will strive to remove the unfreedoms".

"We will aim to feed the hungry, free the bound, and banish poverty," he added.

He said this can be done through "wise policies" that can foster a highly conducive and enabling environment "in which the exercise of true human compassion shall allow for the full development of the Filipinos".

Marcos cited the Philippine Development Plan, which the government will implement "with vigor and with consistency".

Under the Marcos administration's flagship economic program, the government aims to reduce poverty from 18.1 percent of the population in 2021 to a single-digit level by 2028. The country's economic managers aim to pursue sustained and inclusive growth that can create more jobs and transform the Philippines into a high-income economy by 2040.

The two-hour Independence Day event started with Marcos leading the flag-raising ceremony and offering a floral wreath at the monument of national hero Jose Rizal.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines and Boy Scouts of the Philippines held a civic parade at the Quirino Grandstand. A street dance festival was also held.

While most of the Independence Day festivities are centered in Manila, Filipinos across the nation have also marked the historic event.

In the southern Cebu province, a civic-military parade and festival dance performances were held at Plaza Independencia. Local officials led the flag-raising ceremony outside Barasoain Church in the northern Bulacan province on Monday. The historic church is the site of the first Philippine Congress. A flag-raising ceremony was also held at the Aguinaldo shrine in Cavite.

The huge Filipino diaspora has likewise marked the event in their adopted homes.

In Hong Kong, home to over 200,000 Filipinos who constitute the region's largest ethnic minority, the Philippine consulate organized a cocktail dinner and street festival to celebrate Independence Day.

In Dubai, a cultural festival featuring Filipino artists was held on Saturday at the World Trade Center. In New York City, over 100 Filipino American groups marched through Madison Avenue for the Independence Day parade.