26/08/2024
๐๐ก๐จ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ง๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐จ๐ง ๐ฎ๐ฌ, ๐
๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐จ๐ฌ. An Account of Filipino Patriotism.
PHILIPPINES, Aug. 26, 2024โToday, the Philippines is celebrating National Heroes' Day, the time of the year when heroesโliving or dead, regardless of s*x and ageโare commemorated by the whole nation for their courage, contributions, and patriotism that led to our Philippine identity, justice against oppression, peace, and freedom. Proclaimed a national regular holiday, National Heroes' Day falls on the fourth Monday of August.
๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ
The first observance of commemoration of National Heroes' Day was in 1931 through Act No. 3827, which declared the last Sunday of August of every year as an official holiday. Later on, during then-President Jose P. Laurelโs term, it was celebrated every November 30, known today as Bonifacio Day. In 1952, the observance was reverted to the last Sunday of August. The date of observance was later adjusted to the last Monday of August, when then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed into law RA 9492 in 2007, consequently augmenting domestic tourism in the country by minimizing work disruptions.
๐๐จ ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐จ
Yes. You read it right! Before the law, no one is recognized as a hero. Not even Dr. Jose Rizal or Andres Bonifacio, whose names we grew up associating with national heroes. However, this is not something to frown upon, as this provides an opportunity to lionize "the bravery of not one, not a few, but all Filipino heroes who have braved death or persecution for our home, nation, justice, and freedom.โ
๐๐จ๐ฎโ๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ง๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ก๐๐ซ๐จ!
We often link national heroes with those whose faces and names we read in history books (and sometimes, those we hear in sci-fi movies or in cartoons). Growing up, heroes for many of us meant a cape, or the ability to teleport and punch a villain right in the face. But now, heroes are those who have a concept of nation, contribute to the quality of life, and are part of the peopleโs expression. Truly heroic acts that make up a hero may include: โ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐,โ Dr. Jose Rizalโs last words before being shot dead. โ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐บ๐๐!โ pleaded a 24-year old soldier when he called his commanding officer before he succumbed to death at the hands of the Maute-ISIS terrorists.
๐๐๐ฒ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฌ, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐จ, ๐ญ๐จ๐จ.
You can be a student and a hero. A parent and still be a hero. You can literally have no one and still have someone remember you for a heroic thing you might have unknowingly done.
To remembering those whose faces appear in our history textbooks and those who hid in anonymity, those whose acts of bravery and heroism were set in stone, and those who let the quiet rippling effects of their heroic deeds speak for themselves. ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฐ ๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐๐ง๐ข!
Words by William Pamparo, News Writer
Layout by Andrew Aparicio, Cartoonist
