By Ben Rosario Say “national hero,” and Jose Rizal comes to mind. Perhaps, if one considers as the basis for declaring the national hero from the sheer number of streets, schools, parks, barangay units and other lo­calities named after him, then Rizal might emerge the winner. Andres Bonifacio, a Tondo-born revolutionary who founded the Ka­tipunan, may have a Misamis Oc­cidental town named after him. But Rizal has two – one a Kalinga mu­nicipality and another, a province that used to be the largest in the country. So, what must it take for Rizal or Bonifacio to be declared a National Hero –a law or just a popular belief? “It seems supremely ironic that as of this date, the two greatest Fili­pinos who ever lived were, technically and legally speaking, not our national heroes,” Caloocan City Representa­tive Edgar Erice. There have been a number of de­crees and laws that cited the heroism of the two national pride, but no one has acknowledged either of them the ultimate hero of the Philippines. To address this seeming “bu­reaucratic negligence or deliberate government inaction,” Erice filed House Bill 2762 declaring Rizal and Bonifacio as the country’s heroes. “This is the least we could do to repay them, as well as their families and heirs, for the ultimate sacrifice that they both performed so that the Filipino nation can be free,” said Erice. HB 2762, filed by a member of the political opposition, never made it even in the committee level. Meanwhile, a legislative measure proposed in Congress and signed into law should put an end to debates about the choice of national heroes, national flowers, birds and many other things aimed at instilling in every Filipino the significance of them being free and independent. In fact, President Rodrigo Du­terte has signed Republic Act 1106 declaring the Filipino sign language as the national sign language of the Filipino deaf and the official sign language of government in all trans­actions involving them. There are a number of legislative measures that authors believe must be enacted for playing a significant role in underscoring in the many genera­tions to come to their importance in be­ing Filipinos: 1. The proposed National Writ­ing System Act declaring the pre-colonial Baybayin as the national writing system of the Philippines. 2. Proposal declaring “balangay” as the national boat of the Philippines. Approved on final reading in the Lower House, the bill sought recognition of the “balangay” or Butuan boat, oldest of which was carbon dated 320 AD, into national prominence. 3. Bill declaring “walingwaling” orchid as the national flower of the Philippines. HB 7021 proposes to change Sampaguita as the national flower with the exotic waling-waling, an orchid species endemic to the forests of Davao, Sultan Kudarat and other areas in Mindanao. 4. HB 5747 the proposed Min­danao Heroes Declaration Act which will name national heroes Filipinos who led the re­voltuion against Spain and the United States in Mindanao. With all those laws concern­ing Filipino pride, Erice appeared baffled that until now, neither Rizal nor Bonifacio has been named a national hero.