UN Philippines Resident Coordinator's Remarks on the Occasion of the Commemoration of General Carlos P. Romulo at the 80th Anniversary of the United Nations

Excellencies, colleagues, friends,

As we mark 80 years of the United Nations, we celebrate not only an institution — but an idea: that humanity is strongest when it stands together.

Few embodied that belief more than General Carlos P. Romulo, a Filipino who helped write the first chapter of the UN story.

He believed that no nation — large or small — should be invisible.
That peace was not just the absence of war, but the presence of justice.
And that dignity must be the foundation of international cooperation.

If General Romulo were with us today, I imagine he would remind us — with that same clarity and courage — that the battles of our time are not fought with armies, but with truth, empathy, and shared responsibility.

He would say that climate change is a moral test, that disinformation is a new weapon of war, and that silence in the face of inequality is complicity.

He would urge us — the UN and the Philippines — to lead by example: to bridge divides, to protect our planet, to defend human rights, and to ensure that no one is left behind in this digital and unequal century.

And he would tell us, as he once told the world, “The United Nations is not a place. It is a promise.”

Today, that promise is ours to keep — in every policy we shape, every community we serve, and every young person we empower.

So as the UN turns 80, we should honor General Romulo’s words and live them with courage, humility, and hope.

Mabuhay tayong lahat, mabuhay ang Pilipinas, mabuhay ang United Nations!