On National Flag Day, a retiring military official soldiered on despite shortness of breath to pay tribute to the country's symbol of freedom at Mavulis island, the northernmost island in the archipelago.

AFP-NOLCOM Commander Lt.Gen. Emmanuel Salamat, who headed the construction of fisherman's shelter in the island, nearly passed out during the tough climb to the cliff’s summit where the Philippine flag was hoisted.

Salamat was told to head back down. But he insisted to reach the peak just so he can give a salute to the Philippine flag in Mavulis island.

In the end, Salamat and the others who reached the summit sang the national anthem.

The military earlier turned over the Mavulis Project — a Fishermen's shelter — to the Batanes government, a project that sought to solidify presence in the area and to emphasize “the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the northern frontier.”

While the area isn’t contested, the local gov’t reported previous incidents of poaching by foreign vessels.

Mavulis is in the northernmost island of the country.

--Report from Jeff Canoy, ABS-CBN News