Last Monday, the last in the month of August, the nation observed “Araw ng mga Bayani,” or National Heroes Day. We took the opportunity to reflect on the concepts of “heroes” and “heroism,” even as we asked ourselves if these ideas are still relevant today. We also asked if there are still “heroes,” and if so, where they are and what they look like.

We found this celebration an opportunity to reflect on those questions. More than ever, we appreciated the importance of setting aside a date to honor our heroes and to reflect on the meaning of this day.

The “Araw ng mga Bayani” was originally intended to be a commemoration of the “Cry of Pugad Lawin” – that event in our history when the members of the secret group “Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan (KKK) ng mga Anak ng Bayan” decided to rise up in an armed revolt against Spanish colonial rulers.

Our nation started marking this day in the early 1930s. Perhaps, the government then decided that it would be good to set aside a 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.

They were the heroes of those times. They were brave, remarkably intelligent, and fiercely patriotic. They possessed qualities, talents, and strengths that were rarely present in others. They were looked up to, placed on pedestals, and had their larger-than-life images mounted atop towering monuments.

Do people in that mold still exist? Where are today’s young people looking for their heroes?

Our generation looked for our “heroes” from other molds. 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; in athletes and giants in the field of sports. Their luster eventually faded, and so did our admiration for and worship of them.

We continued our search for heroes because we learned they held an indispensable spot in our lives. They mirrored for us “strength,” “character,” and an untiring resolve to accomplish things that border on the impossible.

We later discovered that we can find them in our everyday lives. They are everywhere, and we can be inspired by them only if we take the effort to take a closer look at them and the lives they live.

These are people leading mostly ordinary lives. When adversities come, they rise up to the occasion. They display courage and compassion that are out of the ordinary. By doing so, they inspire us to discover the aspects of our character and our capabilities that are special.

They include breadwinners – the mothers, fathers, and elder siblings who wake up each day, dress up for work, brave the traffic, and give their best to their jobs so that their children and their younger siblings can get an education and decent meals.

They include our soldiers, law enforcers, teachers, doctors, nurses, health workers, and local government workers. They include those who do their best to keep order and development going in our communities without the thought of reward and without succumbing to the temptation to toy with public funds and taxpayers’ money.

They include people battling debilitating diseases and disabilities who do so without complaining. They include Filipinos who stand up for causes and risk their lives for the sake of what they believe in.

We hope our young people today can also discover the heroes around us who may seem to be leading simple, ordinary lives and yet triumph over daily challenges. Just like the heroes of the revolution and the Second World War, they refuse to surrender. They go through tough times. Yet, their spirits have remained unbroken. During tough times, they managed to get back on their feet, pull their shoulders back, hold their heads up high, and look into the future with solid hope.

That hope is contagious. By holding on to theirs, they gave hope to others.

Last Monday, as 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. In addition, we also honored the heroism of every Filipino who faces the challenges and adversities of their everyday lives with the same courage as that which was displayed by the likes of Rizal, Bonifacio, Del Pilar, Mabini, Juan Luna, Gabriela Silang, and Melchora Aquino.

We say, “thank you” to them for inspiring us to recognize the heroic spirit that lives in each and every one of us.