NATIONAL HEROES’ DAY; Heroes of the generations

Every time we hear the words “National Heroes Day”, we associate it with Dr. Jose Rizal or Andres Bonifacio and other known heroes of our country. As we celebrate National Heroes Day every last Monday of August, we commemorate and honor those that fought for our independence and those who revolutionized and helped our country against the foreign rule of the United States, Japan, and Spain.

This day also celebrates and honors the Philippine revolution that happened in 1896. It stood against the Spanish empire that fought against the Katipuneros led by Andres Bonifacio and had a clash happened against the civil guards, which weren’t successful, but it did inspire the revolts across the country resulting in a Spanish-American War in 1899. But after they had defeated the Spanish empire, we fell under U.S. rule, and during World War II, we faced the Japanese occupation. And later on, in 1946, we would earn our independence.

So why is National Heroes Day so important? It reminds us how our country’s freedom required the sacrifice of countless lives of citizens who rose and became heroes for a change. It shows how hard it was for our heroes to fight for the future of generations to come. And most of all, it symbolizes how rich their hearts and fighting spirit are.

In these times, during the pandemic, we lost hope because of everything that had happened; everything seemed going downhill at this point. Government issues, unemployment, the rise of more Covid cases, the healthcare system slowly failing, and so much more. It is significant for us to draw hope from heroes of the past but let us not forget the heroes of today because, in today’s world, there are countless heroes, who may not have participated in a war, but have saved countless lives and made the same sacrifices. The circumstances may be different but all heroes from all generations have a common interest, and that is to fight for the good of our country and its people.

Artwork by: Jascyl Jee H. Sayson