What a ‘New Philippines’ must mean, AFP at 90

On Dec. 21, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) marks 90 years since its formal establishment under the National Defense Act of 1935—an anniversary also recognized nationally as Armed Forces Day.

- LT. GEN. JAIME S, DE LOS SANTOS, AFP (RET)

This year’s theme, “Matatag na Sandatahang Lakas, Sandiganng Bagong Pilipinas,” is more than a ceremonial slogan. It is an invitation to define what the “Bagong Pilipinas” should stand for, and what kind of national character can carry us there.

We have heard the familiar patriotic triad for decades—Makadiyos, Makatao, Makakalikasan. Important, yes, but over-repeated to the point of becoming safe, decorative rhetoric .A “new Philippines,” if it is to be real, must represent something sharper: the moral and institutional courage to confront what is crushing the nation from within.

A new Philippines is not just a dream—it is a test of governance

A new Philippines should not be defined by adjectives alone—inclusive, resilient, sustainable. Those are goals. But the defining challenge of our time is whether we can still build a state that functions honestly.

Yes, we face geopolitical pressure in the West Philippine Sea, and sovereignty there remains nonnegotiable. Yet that struggle—however critical—has already been described at length in policy papers, headlines, and public speeches. It should be remembered, defended, and carried in our national agenda, but it is not where the newness of “Bagong Pilipinas” will be proven. The more decisive battlefield is internal: corruption.

Corruption is the crisis that will decide our future

We live today in a moment where people increasingly feel the bureaucracy has been compromised. Trust in institutions has thinned. Ordinary Filipinos see accountability as selective, justice as slow, and public office too often as a private business.

A country cannot modernize while bleeding credibility. It cannot stand proudly among nations if its own citizens assume the system is rigged. It cannot ask for sacrifice from the people when the people suspect that sacrifice will be stolen.