Dingdong Dantes has recently been promoted to Lieutenant Commander of the Philippine Navy reserve force.
The Kapuso actor, in an Instagram post, shared an excerpt of his speech during the donning of the ranks ceremony at the Philippine Navy headquarters on Monday.
In his speech, the Descendants of the Sun star said: “Hindi lang sa pagiging sundalo o kasapi ng unipormadong hanay nasusukat ang pagmamahal sa bayan at pagtulong sa kapwa.”
He enumerated several non-military professions and saluted them for their dedication to their craft just to serve their countrymen.
“Nariyan ang mga guro na araw-araw ang sakripisyo para lang malinang ang ating mga kabataan.
“Nariyan ang mga doktor at nars na pinagpapalit ang oras kasama ang mahal sa buhay para magbigay kalinga.
“Nariyan ang mga social workers, sekyu, construction worker, call center agent, Angkas drivers, parking attendant, at marami pang ibang na sa sariling pagsisikap ay naghahatid ng makabuluhang serbisyo sa ating lahat.”
The 39-year-old actor imparted that whatever uniform you are in, you can be a hero in your own way.
“Nasa gobyerno ka man o pribadong sektor, may katungkulan man o karaniwang namamasukan, sundalo man o isang aktor, tangan natin ang ‘puso’ ng isang bayani. Dahil araw-araw, lahat tayo ay may pagkakataong maging mabuting mamamayan”, he continued.
He added: “So whatever uniform we may be in today, be it your soldier’s uniform or your usual office attire, let’s not forget to put on our strongest hearts, and commit ourselves to be heroes in our own way.”
He ended the post with a quote that is very close to his heart: “Heroism lies in the nobility of committing to a way of life that focuses on goals that are greater than oneself.”
Dingdong enlisted for the Philippine Marine Reserve Corps back in 2006.
In a GMA report, his “super proud” wife Marian Rivera shared that it has always been his husband’s dream to serve the country.
