¡¡¡¡MANILA, June 12 (Xinhuanet) -- An official celebration was hosted in downtown Manila on Wednesday, marking the country's 104th independence day.

¡¡¡¡President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in her Independent Day Address delivered before thousands of audience in a stadium besidethe Manila Bay, challenged every Filipino to do his part in preserving Philippine independence, stressing that the country continues to fight for freedom from poverty and terrorism.

¡¡¡¡The president said her administration continues to pursue its promise of eradicating poverty in 10 years by fulfilling one of its tasks she announced during her last year's state-of-the-nationaddress.

¡¡¡¡"(Education) is the essence of human freedom. People are not really free if they do not have an education," she added.

¡¡¡¡Arroyo also extolled the heroism of the former Abu Sayyaf hostages, nurse Ediborah Yap and missionary Martin Burnham who were slain amid the military's clash with their captors on last Friday.

¡¡¡¡Arroyo, accompanied by ranking government officials and lawmakers in the country, inspected honor guards from the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Following the honor guards was a paradeof some 10,000 people coming from all walks of life.

¡¡¡¡Arroyo on Wednesday morning led the flag raising ceremony in Lamitan town on Basilan island in the southern Philippines, kicking off the nationwide celebration of the country's most important day.

¡¡¡¡It was on June 12, 1898, that Emilio Aguinaldo, the first Philippine president, raised the newly made Philippine flag, declaring the country's independence from Spanish colonists. Enditem

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