She reiterated Cuba's call for an end to the U.S. economic blockade and thanked Filipino solidarity groups for their continued support. Cuban Ambassador to Malaysia and non-resident ambassador to the Philippines Yadira Ledesma Hernández said the sanctions have debilitated Cuba’s healthcare system, leaving hospitals struggling to maintain essential services amid an acute energy crisis. “We are facing a very, very critical situation,” Hernández told a solidarity forum on July 25 at the University of the Philippines Diliman. He urged the international community to support Cuba’s right to self-determination, saying solidarity with the Cuban people is not passive. The event, which commemorated Cuba’s National Day of Rebellion and the centennial of former leader Fidel Castro, was organized by AMISTAD alongside other Cuba solidarity organizations and the UP Center for International Studies.