THE VIEW FROM RIZAL
Last Monday, the last in August, the nation observed “Araw ng mga Bayani,” or National Heroes Day.
We recall that when we were still kids, we looked forward to this day for one simple reason – it is a holiday. This meant we had one more day to play and spend with family and friends. Later, as we grew up, we realized how important it is to have heroes and a day dedicated to honoring them.
We understand that the “Araw ng mga Bayani” was originally intended to commemorate the “Cry of Pugad Lawin” – that event in our history when Katipuneros decided to rise in an armed revolt against Spanish colonial rulers. Our country started marking this day in the early 1930s. The government then decided that it would be good to set aside this day to honor a group of Filipinos who played key roles in the nation’s liberation from Spanish rule.
That group of national heroes for whom the “Araw ng Bayani” was designated included Dr. Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Melchora Aquino, the painter Juan Luna, Gabriela Silang, and Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat after whom the Mindanao province was named.
We knew why these names made it to the list. These Filipinos were brave, remarkably intelligent, and fiercely patriotic. They possessed qualities, talents, and strengths that ordinary people did not have. We looked up to them and placed them on pedestals, mounting their larger-than-life images atop towering monuments.
Growing up, we realized one cannot do without a hero in life. We looked for “heroes” closer to our “level” – the kind that we can mimic or at least pretend to be.
Sometimes, we looked into the world of celebrities to find one.
We found them in the rebellious aura of rock bands; in the elegant appeal of high-living stars of television and filmdom; and athletes and giants in sports.
We outgrew them, eventually.
As we continued our search for heroes, we discovered what we were looking for in what we call the “everyday heroes.” These are people leading mostly ordinary lives. When adversities come, they rise to the occasion. They display courage and compassion that are out of the ordinary. By doing so, they inspire us to discover the special aspects of our character and capabilities.
Today, the “heroes of everyday” include the family breadwinners – the mothers, fathers, kuyas, and ates who wake up each day, dress up for work, brave the traffic, and give their best to their jobs so that their children and siblings can get education and decent meals.
The list also includes our soldiers, law enforcers, teachers, doctors, nurses, health workers, local government workers, and others who do their best to keep order and development going in our communities.
It includes people battling debilitating diseases and disabilities who do so without complaining. It includes Filipinos who stand up for causes and risk their lives for the sake of what they believe in.
Then, we realized that the list must include every one of us.
Yes, each of us are heroes, too.
In these trying times, many of us struggle to survive, to make ends meet, and to make sure that there is food at our family’s dinner table amid the difficulties of our economic situation. Just like the heroes of the Revolution and the Second World War, we refused to surrender. We did something about our situation and went for our win.
In these extraordinary times, we must give every Filipino a pat on the back. We have gone through tough times together. Yet, our spirits have remained unbroken. During these tough times, we managed to get back on our feet, pull our shoulders back, hold our heads up high, and face every day with solid hope.
We know that hope is contagious. By holding on to ours, we give others the same.
Last Monday, we paused to remember the great Filipinos who gave up their lives to gain freedom and independence for our nation. We remembered them with much gratitude in our hearts.
We paid tribute, too, to the heroism of every Filipino who faces the current crisis with the same courage as that which was displayed by Rizal, Bonifacio, Del Pilar, Mabini, the painter Luna, Gabriela Silang, and Melchora Aquino.
To the everyday heroes, we say, thank you.
We say, “Thank you” for inspiring us with the heroic spirit that throbs in our hearts and flows in our veins.
(The author is the current mayor of Antipolo City, former Rizal governor, DENR assistant secretary and LLDA general manager. Email address - [email protected])