Instead of physique and age, Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones underscored that one’s persistence and commitment to fight any challenge should be used as the basis of being a hero.

Briones, in a statement issued Friday, April 30, also stressed on the importance of reflecting on the contributions of national heroes to Philippines independence.

“Heroes don’t look like comic book characters all the time. Our idols don’t have to look as if they emerged from the gym or the beauty parlor,” Briones said during DepEd’s simultaneous flag-raising ceremony in celebration of the Battle of Mactan’s 500th anniversary.

“Our heroes are real people who may be 70, who may be 30 or 40, but have the determination and the will not to be conquered by a foreign country,” she added.

Briones mentioned a new development from a European historian that described the first Filipino hero Lapu-Lapu as a “pudgy 70-year-old man” - disproving earlier claims of his fit body.

While acknowledging the need for verification, Briones still welcomed the new information as it can “bring a lesson” to everyone.

“I’m very glad that this point of view emerged at this point because it teaches us that leadership, bravery, courage, and intelligence, skill in warfare, skill in tactics are not limited to those who look like they emerged from the gym,” she said.

Briones also clarified that this celebration is for the victory of Lapu-Lapu and Filipino ancestors who defied foreign powers and not for the circumnavigation of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan.

“As we reflect and remember the victory of Lapu-Lapu, let us remind ourselves that this is a victory of people who resisted colonialism and eventually were called Filipinos,” Briones said.

Meanwhile, Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn Sevilla also urged every Filipino to imitate the self-determination and resilience of Lapu-Lapu and his colleagues as we battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have drawn inspiration from individuals among us who have been galvanizing forces contributing to our community and country at large,” Sevilla said thus, she enjoined fellow Filipinos to “inspire one another to commit to a higher level of servitude and nationalism.”

Undersecretary for Legislative Affairs, External Partnerships and Project Management Service Tonisito M.C. Umali, Esq. Also, on the other hand, prompted all the department’s stakeholders to take to heart the significance of the event.

Aside from paying tribute to Lapu-Lapu, Briones also underscored that “it is time to recognize lesser-known” heroes in Philippine history such as Leon Kilat, Arcadio Maxilom, Juan Climaco, Teresa Magbanua, Gat Tamblot, Francisco Dagohoy, Juan Araneta, and Graciano Lopez Jaena.