Catholics take part in the Salubong procession at Sta. Maria Della Strada Parish in Quezon City on April 20, 2025. Images of the Risen Christ and of the Virgin Mary travel different routes and, when they meet, a child dressed as an angel removes a black veil covering the Virgin Mary to symbolize the end of her mourning. Val Cuenca, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Easter Sunday joined Asia’s lone predominantly nominally Catholic nation in celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, saying that the end of Lent is “not just a moment to celebrate” but is also a “call to action” to “bear compassion, forgiveness, and solidarity for our brethren.

Easter Sunday “is not just a celebration filled with hope and aspiration for a better tomorrow, but also a testament to the victory of life over death, hope over despair, and light over darkness'” but it must be demonstrated “not merely in belief, but in deeds, and not only in prayer, but in action,” Marcos Jr. said in his Easter message this year.

“However, to be true pilgrims of hope, it is not enough to say He is risen while leaving others buried—in debt, in hunger, and in silence. If Christ walked out of the tomb, then no one should remain sealed inside theirs,” he said.

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“The risen Christ does not rise alone, He invites us to rise with Him—through policies that heal, through laws that protect, and through governance that leaves no one behind,” he said.

“The stone has been rolled away. We are now exposed not just to boundless possibilities, but also to the knowledge that we, too, can make a difference,” he added.

The President underscored that “challenges are not the end,” as they may also be seen as “the means for the reward that we, too, shall receive, through our faithfulness in doing the will of the Almighty.”

“As wounded as He rises from the tomb, Jesus showed the world the power of His love that resonated through the ages and consistently invites us to bear compassion, forgiveness, and solidarity for our brethren,” he said.

“Let us manifest the strength of our faith with the work of our hands and, together, build the Bagong Pilipinas we aspire for our people,” he said.

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The message marks the end of the Philippines’ long Lenten holiday.

Government offices and businesses are expected to return to their regular schedules on Monday, including Malacañang, which has yet to issue a statement on the steep drop in Marcos Jr.’s approval ratings.

In Pulse Asia’s performance rating survey conducted about two weeks after the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos Jr. scored a 25 percent approval rating, which was 17 points lower than his 42 percent approval score in February.

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